Keep Your Family Flea-Free All Year Round!
Treatment and prevention for your four-legged friends.

With today's technology, there is no excuse for living with a flea infestation. You'll need to use a complete "shotgun" approach with flea control to break the cycle, followed by an ongoing flea prevention program. If you follow this cat flea control program scrupulously, fleas will soon be a distant memory in your household, and your kitties will be eternally grateful to you for freeing them from unwanted fleas and their hitch-hikers.

You've seen them - tiny, quick creatures that scurry through your cat's fur, feasting on her blood, and causing painful itching - so bad that kitty may scratch herself raw in seeking relief. If you have a bad flea infestation in a multiple-cat household, you've probably been bitten yourself by these voracious feeders, and you may even have seen them hopping through your carpeting. Did you know a flea can jump 33 cm. in one leap - over a foot? Well we're here to tell you - cat flea control is not only possible, it's relatively easy.

The most common flea which feeds off cats, dogs, and humans, is the Ctenocephalides felis . If you observe your cat scratching and aren't sure if fleas are the cause, use a flea comb on your cat and observe the tiny black dots that emerge on the comb - we commonly call it "flea dirt," but in reality, it is the excrement the flea leaves. Smash some with a damp paper towel or spray with a water bowl and it will turn red - that's the residue from your cat's blood - and a warning that your cat has fleas.

As if the itching and stinging weren't enough, fleas also transmit other conditions which can even have a more deleterious effect on your cat's health.

Common Flea "Hitch-Hikers"

Anemia
Unchecked infestations of fleas can actually cause anemia from blood loss - sometimes fatal, particularly in kittens. Pale gums are a red flag for anemia in kittens, and their gums should be routinely checked if your kittens have just survived a flea attack.

Tapeworms
With kittens, fleas and worms are practically synonymous, and kittens that are victimized by fleas should always be treated for worms.

Haemobartonellosis
A more serious form of anemia, caused by a microorganism carried by the flea, the h.felis in the case of felines. Haemobartonellosis is diagnosed by laboratory tests and treated with antibiotics, steroids, and in some severe cases, blood transfusions.

The Life of a Flea
The cycles of a flea are very like that of a butterfly, but unlike the beautiful end result of those flower-friendly creatures, the adult flea is a menace to all it encounters.

Eggs
Fleas lay their eggs on the host animal, where the entire cycle may take place. Other eggs fall off into the environment, e.g., your carpeting or kitty's bedding, or your own bed.

Larvae
The larvae "hatchlings" feed on the feces left by the adult, and continue to develop for about a week.

Pupae
Like the butterfly, the larvae spins a cocoon for itself, where it continues to evolve into the adult flea - within another week or so on the host animal.

Adult
The emerging adult feeds on its host, mates, and continues the life cycle. Is it any wonder why cat flea control is so important?

Getting Rid of the Eggs
This should be an ongoing process while an adult flea treatment is killing the live fleas.

Wash all bedding thoroughly . While the bedding is free of coverings, vacuum the mattress, particularly in the crevices, where eggs might hide.

Vacuum carpeting daily and dispose of used vacuum bags . Never place flea collars in a vacuum bag, as the heat generated by the machine could release noxious fumes.

Steam-clean carpeting . This will help kill any remaining eggs the vacuum might have not picked up. In addition, use a whole-house bomb/fogger like the Adams Flea & Tick Room Fogger to penetrate any cracks and crevices that may have been missed. It will be necessary to repeat this step 3 weeks later to ensure the flea life-cycle has been broken. It is critical to remove all food dishes and live animals, including birds during this process. You may consider hiring a professional for this job, but make sure he knows you have cats, and will use a cat-safe product.

Treat outdoors areas . Use a "cat-friendly" product like Adams Flea & Tick Yard Spray for this purpose. If you have an outdoor cat, keep him confined inside for the day.

Kill the Adult Fleas
Your first job will be to eliminate as many fleas from your cat by combing and bathing. Once the bulk of the tiny nuisances are gone, you can prevent further flea infestations with the use of a topical flea control product.

Comb the Cat
Using a flea comb, comb carefully throughout the entire body of the cat. Keep a jar or bowl of diluted bleach nearby, and as you collect fleas on the comb, shake them into the jar. The fleas will die quickly.

Bathe the Cat
If you and your cat are up to it, a bath using a non-toxic flea shampoo will drown most remaining fleas. However, if you've never bathed a cat before, please visit www.catconnection.com or call us a 972.386.MEOW (6369) to make a grooming reservation.

Topical Flea Control Products
There are several topical cat flea control products which work by affecting the nerve receptors of the flea. They are usually applied to the cat's skin at the back of the neck, and are collected in the hair follicles, from which the product is slowly released. Most topical products are labeled for once-a-month application, although in practice, they may work much longer.

Caution: Do your homework and be absolutely sure that the ingredients used are safe for cats. Never use products labeled for dogs on cats. Apply topical products following the directions for your individual cat's size and age.

Control & Prevent Fleas

FleaBusters
Rx for Fleas Plus - This is the same product Fleabusters has been professionally applying to homes for over twenty years. We have made it available for those of you who prefer to 'do-it-yourself'.

Shampoo - One product does it all! This unique formula fleas while it cleans, conditions, and leaves your cat's coat smelling great!

Frontline
With Frontline, you're providing fast-acting, long-lasting flea and tick control for your cat from the very first application.

Adams Flea & Tick
Flea & Tick Mist – This formula sprays directly on pets and their sleeping quarters to immediately kill fleas, ticks, lice and to repel flies and mosquitoes.

Yard Spray - This concentrated formula comes with a hose-end sprayer for neat, even application. Kills fleas, ticks and fire ants on contact.

Room Fogger - Household fogger with Sykillstop to control all stages of fleas, adult, pre-adult, larval and eggs for 7 months.

Note: We do not recommend using any type of flea collar on your pet as they are not as effective as topical monthly applications and contain chemicals that may be harmful to your cat's skin and overall health.

The most important thing to remember when fighting a flea infestation is to remain diligent. Unfortunately, breaking the flea cycle is never a simple one-step task. For successful flea control, the home, pet and oftentimes, the yard must be treated simultaneously and the manner in which these treatments are performed can greatly influence the results. If you treat only your pet and neglect the pet's environment, you will miss more than 90% of the developing flea population – the eggs, larvae and pupae. In order to effectively break the flea life-cycle you will need to re-treat your home 3-4 weeks after the initial treatment.

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