Cat fleas and ticks must be controlled if life isn't to be a misery both for you and your pet and in this case, prevention is definitely better than cure!
It is an unfortunate fact that most cats (and dogs) will pick up fleas and/or ticks at some time if they are allowed outside or if a wandering cat is allowed into the house. Yes, even if your cat never sets foot outside your door, a stray may leave its fleas or their eggs behind in your carpet or on your sofa.
Even more unfortunate is that, despite protestations to the contrary, cat fleas will bite humans - believe me, I know from bitter experience. Worse, if left untreated on cats, their bites can become infected and the cat could suffer from sores leading to blood poisoning.
Don't imagine that cat fleas are only attracted to dirty cats, because that just isn't true. Like the myth that nits are only attracted to dirty human hair, it is just that - a myth. Any cat will pick up fleas if there is a flea about because they can lie dormant in a carpet or floorboard for months then in walks a cat and bingo, the flea will jump onto it. If anything, the eggs are worse because they are nearly impossible to see and when they all hatch out, you have a full scale infestation.
You will know if your cat has fleas because you will see very small, perhaps one millimetre length, brown creatures which can jump alarmingly fast and far, on your cats fur. Of course this isn't so easy if you have a dark coloured cat, but you may also see the fleas on your carpets and chair covers. If you have reached this stage of infestation, you really have a problem and you will need to spray not only the cat, but all your soft furnishings. It's best to get your vet's recommendation as to what you can use which won't cause further harm to the cat.
Ticks are less liable to spread and are more easily identifiable on cats, but are no less harmful to the cat, so don't ignore them. The most likely area to find ticks is around the cat's neck, so have a good look at the fur here from time to time and if you feel any small lumps, investigate further. There is a school of thought that says you should burn ticks or cover them in salt to make their claws retract, thus leaving nothing in the cat's skin. However, if you have ever tried to hold a cat for long enough to carry out this operation, you will know that it isn't practical and just pulling the tick off with your finger nails or a pair of tweezers is a lot easier. On cats, unless they've gone unprotected for a long time, ticks are usually quite small and easy to remove.
Notwithstanding all the above, by far the best course of action is to prevent your cat from catching fleas or ticks at all and there are plenty of methods for doing this. The best is a spot on liquid such as Frontline, which comes in measured doses and which you apply to the back of the cat's neck at monthly intervals. This is definitely the least traumatic for the cat of the sprays, powders, etc. which are available and also the most effective. You can, of course, use a flea collar, but many vets don't recommend these as the elastic in the collar can get caught in a branch then snap back and break the cat's jaw. There are hide collars which are supposed to break or at least stay open if snagged in a tree, but these are fraught with danger too.
It is definitely false economy to wait and see if your cat gets fleas, rather that treating it with a preventative, because you will not only need to buy expensive sprays to curb your infestation, but may well have to have your carpets professionally cleaned to get rid of any residual eggs, untouched by the spray.
By: Liz Canham
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