Dealin With Fleas

No one wants to find out that their house is infested with tiny, brown, blood suckers that are feasting on you and your cat! These fleas can cause you kitty to scratch so much that she can develop sores. If your fleas infestation is particularly bad then you may have itchy red spots from bites as well! And if you are watching closely you may see them hopping on your carpet, bed or pet to pet.

Here is a nasty fact to amaze and horrify your friends: Fleas are awesome jumpers and can make a 33 centimeter leap! That is over 1 foot. If you are challenged by a flea infestation there is no need to worry. They can be eradicated fairly easily.

Fleas have been around for a long time and have been pests of animals and humans for many years. They are actually carriers of some pretty terrible germs as well:

* Fleas transmit the bacterium Yersinia pestis from rats to humans; and therefore are required for the transmission of bubonic plague, which caused the deaths of as many as 25 million people during the 14th Century.
* Fleas transmit murine typhus.
* Fleas are hosts to Dipylidium caninum, or tapeworms, as they are more commonly known. Dogs, cats, other pets, or humans who accidentally swallow an infected flea (for example, while playing with a pet who has fleas) can develop a tapeworm infection.
* Fleas can cause painful rashes, especially in sensitive individuals. These rashes may become infected when the affected individual scratches them.

Today there is no excuse for flea infestations to get out of hand here are some tips to controlling the numbers.

* Start with your bed and clean everything thoroughly. This includes the mattress and all the crevices where the eggs can hide.
* Vacuum your carpet daily and discard the used vacuum bags immediately. Steam cleaning the carpet will kill not only the fleas but the eggs as well.
* If you decide to use an insect “bomb” be sure to remove ALL live critters including people for the recommended time. If you hire a professional to take care of this process be sure that they use animal friendly products that won’t hurt your cat.
* Don’t forget to treat the outdoors as well. Leaving the area untreated simply invites the fleas into your home to start their infestation all over again.

Dawn works with New Cat Condos to manufacture a quality cat tree that your kitty can count on. Be sure to check out their pagoda cat house which features a distinct eastern pagoda house look.