By staying inside, indoor cats seem to be less likely targets for fleas than their canine counterparts. However, indoor cats can indeed get fleas.
The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, can jump long distances to land on an unsuspecting cat, burrow into its fur and start taking a blood meal. Flea bites cause an allergic reaction that produces intense itching. In addition to making cats extremely itchy, fleas can spread disease and, if abundant enough, cause blood loss in your pet.
After feeding, adult female fleas lay up to 50 eggs a day that fall off a cat’s fur and continue developing in the environment. So, it’s no surprise that fleas on cats can lead to big problems.
How exactly, though, do fleas get on indoor cats in the first place? Here are a few ways:
Other pets: your cat doesn’t go outside, but your dog certainly does. Even if your dog is on a flea preventative, fleas can hop from your dog to your cat before the preventative kills them.
People: fleas can easily hitch a ride inside on a person’s clothes, such as a jacket or shoelaces.
Rodents/wild animals: if rodents or other wild animals make their way into your home via a crawl space or the attic, they could bring in fleas that would eventually land on your cat.
Visiting other places: a visit to the veterinarian’s office or a trip to the groomers could expose your cat to fleas. If you go on a trip and board your cat at a cat boarding facility, she could get fleas from the other cats.
Your home: fleas may already be in your home from before the time you moved in. After falling off a host, flea eggs take up to a year to develop into adults and, as luck would have it, the average indoor temperature and humidity makes a perfect environment for flea development. These newly-developed adult fleas will jump onto your cat and start feeding.
Treating Fleas on Indoor Cats
If your indoor cat has fleas, she will be constantly scratching, chewing and licking her skin, which will make her skin very red and irritated. If you use a flea comb, you will see flea dirt, which are tiny black dots.
Treating fleas will involve treating your cat and your home. First, take your cat to your veterinarian. After examining your cat, your veterinarian will prescribe medications to treat the skin and kill the fleas. Although some flea products have residual flea-killing activity, multiple flea treatments may be needed to kill all the fleas on your cat. If you have other pets, they will need be treated for fleas, too.
Treating your home involves intense cleaning, including the following:
- Vacuum thoroughly and frequently, targeting such areas as corners, crevices and couch cushions. Empty and discard the vacuum bag each time.
- Wash your cat’s and other pets’ bedding in hot water and tumble dry them in the dryer.
- Treat the inside of your home with an insecticide. Contact a professional exterminator if you do not feel comfortable doing this yourself.
- Mow your lawn regularly to expose flea larvae to the sun, which will kill them.
Preventing Fleas on Indoor Cats
Flea prevention is key to avoiding another flea problem. Several feline flea prevention products are available in different formulations, including oral tablets and topical medications. Your veterinarian will prescribe the ideal flea prevention product for your cat; use the product according to label instructions for maximum flea protection.
If you have a dog, do not use their flea preventative on your cat because the dose would be toxic to your cat. Also, do not use flea collars, powders or sprays because they can be toxic and are not very effective at preventing fleas.