Can Indoor Cats Get Fleas? – Flea Infestation, Treatment & Prevention
Parenting a cat is one of the most satisfying experiences. However, it also comes with a world of responsibilities, such as providing them with a nutritious diet, offering them mental and physical stimulation, and, most importantly, keeping them safe from external parasites like fleas. Many cat parents presume that indoor cats are not vulnerable to flea infestations. However, it is not true as indoor cats are as susceptible to flea infestations as outdoor cats are. In this blog, we will take a detailed look at flea infestation in cats and also talk about its prevention. Let’s get started.
How Do Indoor Cats Get Fleas?
Even though your feline is an indoor one, it can still get infested with fleas. Here’s how indoor cats get flea infestation.
• From Other Household Pets
Indoor cats tend to get fleas from other flea-infested pets through direct contact and shared environments. It generally happens when you take your pet for walks or to relieve themselves, allowing fleas to latch onto them. The infected pet eventually comes in touch with your uninfected feline and passes on the fleas to them. Even if you prevent direct pet-to-pet contact, your cat can get infested from your carpets, furniture, or floors, where fleas can remain concealed.
• From Rodents or Other Wild Creatures
On many instances, indoor cats acquire fleas from rodents or other wild creatures that enter the home. Rodents like mice and rats tend to sneak inside your home and bring along fleas on their bodies, which jump onto your carpets, furniture, or sometimes directly on your kitty during brief encounters. Even if your cat doesn’t come in direct contact with fleas, they remain vulnerable as flea eggs and larvae from infested rodents can get dropped inside your home, hatch in due course of time, and infest your cat.
• From their Human Family Members
Your cat can pick up fleas from you and your family members as they are capable of hitching a ride on your clothing, shoes, or bags when you visit flea-infested outdoor areas, like pet parks. Once they’ve made their way inside your home, they infest your cats at their first opportunity.
• From the Vet’s Clinic or the Groomer
One of the common places indoor cats collect fleas is the veterinary clinic or groomers. Fleas and their larvae tend to lurk in waiting areas, examination rooms, grooming tables, or shared bed spaces where multiple pets interact, allowing easy infestation. According to experts, fleas are capable of moving from one host to another within an hour.
• From Furniture
Upholstered furniture tends to be an ideal place for fleas to harbor eggs, larvae and pupae. These eggs often dislodge into your carpets or fabrics, where they receive warmth and humidity. They eventually hatch and develop into adults and end up infesting your indoor cat.
• From Shared Supplies
If your indoor cat shares bed, blankets, scratching posts, or pet carriers with other infested animals, there is a high chance that the parasites, their eggs, or larvae can get transferred to your feline during use. Fleas tend to live on soft fabrics, where they can breed by laying eggs.
Signs of Flea Infestation in Indoor Cats
The following are the common signs of flea infestation in cats.
• Excessive Scratching & Biting
Excessive scratching and biting in cats are often caused by flea infestation, as flea bites trigger intense itching from the allergens present in the fleas’ saliva. This behavior stems from flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), where even a single bite can trigger nonstop grooming, resulting in hair loss or skin issues. Cats generally focus on areas such as the back, neck, base of the tail, or hind legs when scratching and biting.
• Restlessness & Agitation
Cats tend to get restless and agitated when they are infested with fleas, as the constant bites and flea movement disrupt their comfort. Cats may pace, vocalize more, or act unusually erratically due to the discomfort.
• Head Shaking/Ear Scratching
Head shaking and ear scratching in cats can indicate flea infestation, particularly when fleas or their bites irritate the ears or nearby skin. Cats may also paw at their ears, rub their head on surfaces, shake their head, or show redness around the ears, alongside the mentioned signs.
• Presence of Flea Dirt
Flea dirt serves as a primary indicator of flea infestation in cats. They appear as tiny black specks resembling pepper or dirt in their fur. These are actually flea feces and digested blood from bites that confirm active fleas, even if live ones aren’t visible.
• Appearance of Live Fleas
Fleas appear as tiny, fast-moving dark specks in the fur. The parasites are typically 1-3 mm long, dark brown to black in color, and jump quickly when disturbed. Cats that are active groomers may even ingest many, leaving few visible. However, parting the fur or using a flea comb often reveals them despite their ability to conceal themselves.
How to Address Flea Infestation in Indoor Cats?
In order to treat fleas in your indoor cat, it is important that you treat all the pets in your home, including other cats or dogs. It is also important that you clean any bedding that your pets use, along with rugs, carpets, plush toys, and all other materials in your home that can harbor flea eggs.
You must eliminate all life stages of fleas in order to prevent reinfestation.
The following products work excellently to treat flea infestation in cats.
- Oral Treatments: Capstar & Credelio
- Spot-on Treatments: Frontline Plus, Advantage Multi, Bravecto Spot-on, and NexGard Combo
- Collars: Seresto Collar & Bob Martin Tick and Flea Collar
- Powder: Ultrum Flea and Tick Powder
- Shampoo: Bob Martin Clear Tick and Flea Shampoo
How to Prevent Flea Infestation in Indoor Cats?
Here are some efficient ways to prevent flea infestation in indoor cats.
• Ensure Year-Round Prevention
To keep your feline baby safe from fleas, you must administer year-round flea and tick preventives that are formulated to keep your pet protected from new infestations. The preventives come in the form of spot-on solutions, oral tablets, and collars. You may get in touch with your vet to determine the treatment that suits your cat’s needs and lifestyle.
• Vacuum Daily
To keep your home and pets safe from flea infestations, you should vacuum your carpets, furniture, and upholstery daily to eliminate any flea eggs and larvae. Also, seal and dispose of the vacuum bag outdoors.
• Wash their Beddings Frequently
As your cat’s beds and blankets are one of the most favorable breeding spots for fleas, you must wash them frequently to kill any eggs and larvae.
• Use Flea Combs
To catch fleas early, you should groom your pet regularly with the help of a fine-toothed flea comb, especially around the neck, tail base, and armpits. After grooming, make sure to dip the comb in soapy water to eliminate any fleas and dispose of them properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is It Common for House Cats to Get Fleas?
It is common for house cats to get fleas, as these parasites easily hitch rides on people, other pets, furniture, or even rodents and enter homes to infest even the most sheltered cats.
Q. How to Find Out If an Indoor Cat Has Fleas?
The following are the symptoms of flea infestations in indoor cats:
- Excessive Scratching
- Hair Loss
- Red Skin
You can confirm whether your cat has a flea infestation by grooming it with a flea comb. If you happen to find fleas or flea dirt on the comb, it means that your pal is infested with the parasites.
Q. How Do I Get Rid of Fleas on My Indoor Cat?
You can treat flea infestations in your indoor cat by administering spot-on treatments, oral tablets, or using flea and tick collars that are designed to kill existing fleas on cats. You can also bathe your feline with flea and tick shampoo that is formulated to wash off fleas, their eggs, and larvae from your cat’s coat.
Q. Can Humans Catch Fleas from Cats?
Humans aren’t the ideal hosts for fleas. They may still be infested when there is no other animal to latch onto; fleas may latch onto humans for blood meals.
Ending Note
Even if you always keep your feline companion secured inside your home, it can still get infested by fleas. Therefore, consistent flea preventatives are vital as a single flea can lay up to 50 eggs daily, leading to rapid household infestations. With proactive year-round prevention and home cleaning, you will be able to ensure your cat’s safety and keep them itch-free.
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