Kitties and Fleas
My grandmother recently got two kitties from PetSmart’s animal rescue program. If you have a PetSmart near you, you’ve no doubt seen the cats that are available. What isn’t commonly known is that in many stores, the cats are first fostered by people. The ones that are not purchased directly through them end up at the store. My grandmother got her two before they had actually gotten to the store.
Everything seemed to be going along fine, until she noticed an increase in the scratching the two were doing. Yes, they had definitely gotten fleas. The problem is, no one could exactly figure out how, since they’re indoor cats and always have been. Three months and two doses of flea medicine later, the fleas have left for the most part. However, here are some tips I’ve learned from helping my grandmother through the experience:
1. When you see the flea, don’t freak out that they’ll infest you. Fleas don’t like humans, they like animals. Sure, they might jump on you for a second, but once they notice you don’t have fur they’ll jump off.
2. The average flea lays something like 20,000 eggs in a lifetime. So, you should definitely keep an eye out for the eggs. Part the fur of your kitty (they usually congegate on the stomach or neck area) and if you see things that look like little specks of dirt, that’s the eggs. TO be sure, wet to edge of your finger and rub the speck. If it dissolves into blood (which is the blood of your kitty that the flea lives on) that’s a definite indicator.
3. Don’t use a flea collar and the flea drop medication together. Use just one or the other. It is too powerful for your cat, especially if it is still a kitten.
4. The fleas will spread around your home, so it is very important that you sprinkle flea powder on your carpets. Leave it on for a little while, and then vaccum it up.
5. There are various natural remedies to get rid of fleas too. I found an interesting website called Earth Clinic that lists some interesting things you might want to try. Check it out HERE.
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