How Fleas May Manifest Other Health Issues in Cats
If you have seen your cat scratching a good deal lately or have reason to believe you may have a flea problem make sure you’re aware of the secondary problems fleas can cause. Unfortunately fleas sometimes come with a combination of cat health problems.
Cats may be allergic to fleas and they may have an allergic reaction. Fleas can also carry feline worms — specifically feline tapeworm — so a flea infestation can also cause a tapeworm infestation.
If you discover you have fleas the most important thing is getting rid of them. After you have treated for fleas you cat begin treating other cat health problems the fleas may have produced.
Treating fleas effectively includes treating your cat, your home and treating area outside where your kitty spends time. Since it encompasses so many areas you will need to consider all the potential options. If you have children, if your pets have reactions to traditional flea treatments or if you don’t like working with pesticides you may want to look for a natural flea control for your cat.
One of the main natural flea treatments is diaomaceous earth, a natural powder that dehydrates and kills fleas. Diatomaceous earth is safe enough to use directly on your pets, you can also sprinkle it into the carpet, on furniture in your pet’s bedding etc.
If you are looking for a more traditional method one of the simplest to use is the once a month topical, which is placed on your cat’s back between the shoulder blades where she isn’t able to lick it. In addition you will also need to treat your home with a flea treatment like a flea bomb or flea spray.
Another way to begin eliminating fleas immediately is to vacuum every day and discard the vacuum bag. Vacuum both the carpet and furniture and anywhere your cat may spend a lot of time in the house.
Always read and comply with the directions carefully with all flea control methods because they often contain ingredients that can be bad for pets and people when not used correctly.