Figuring out how to get rid of cat fleas in the house can be easier said than done. Sometimes you may find that even after killing all of your cat’s fleas they quickly become re-infested. This is most likely due to lingering eggs or fleas hiding out in your house. Pretty soon this creates a vicious cycle that you feel may never end!
Fear not pet parents, because today we’re going to help you squash those nasty little biters for good! We’ll help you to not only treat your house to eliminate any lingering eggs or adult fleas, but we’ll also help you to treat your cat to make sure he can’t get infested again. It can certainly be a battle to get your flea problems under control, but we’ve got the tools to help!
Ugh! Why do I still have fleas?!
In order to know how to get rid of cat fleas in the house, you need to realize that fleas have a life cycle. Once you spot a couple of adult fleas, you can bet that they are quickly multiplying. A single adult female flea can lay 40 eggs per day! It’s easy to see how the problem can quickly get out of hand. This is also how people end up in a continuous cycle of never getting rid of their flea problem. Many people treat the cat and then they just stop, but unfortunately there are tons of fleas hiding in your house just waiting to lay more eggs.
In order to get rid of your fleas for good you need to break the flea’s life cycle. It can take anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks for fleas to hatch, but the eggs can even go dormant for months in your carpets! Here’s how to get rid of them.
How to get rid of cat fleas in the house
Step 1: Make sure the cat can’t get more fleas!
If you’ve already treated your cat once, then you may be surprised to see him infested again. The unfortunate reality is that it could take a few months to break the flea’s life cycle. Up until that point, they will be constantly hatching and trying to re-establish themselves on your cat. So, the first step to beating the fleas in your home is making sure that your cat can not become a safe space for these little vermin anymore.
The best way to do that is by investing in a high quality flea treatment. Sometimes flea medications can be misleading, because while they do work to kill the adult fleas, they may only work once! This leaves your poor fur baby open to just getting them again. Instead, choose a product which will continually kill fleas over a long period of time. The fleas need blood to reproduce, and by using a preventative flea treatment you can rob them of this.
Our top pick for this is the Seresto Flea Collar. These babies do an awesome job killing fleas, and they work for 8 months. That means your cat will be protected long after you break the flea cycle, effectively starving the fleas and killing any new ones that try to hatch. You can read our full review of this product here.
While this is a great product, and likely the best option to get rid of fleas, keep in mind that some pets can be sensitive to it. Always make sure to check your pet frequently for signs of rash or redness on their neck. If you see these signs then this collar is not for them and you should seek other treatment options. Not every medication works for every pet.
Step 2: Treat the house with a high quality spray
Once the cat is flea free, it’s time to treat the house. Flea eggs can lay dormant in carpets or furniture for months, waiting for the opportunity to hop back on your cat or irritate the human occupants of your home until then. In order to get rid of them for good, you’ll likely need to treat the house as well as the animals that live there.
This is best accomplished by using a high quality flea killer spray which you will need to religiously spray into offending areas where you see fleas. Don’t do it just once and quit! Many times the eggs will survive, and you need to kill the adults before they can breed again.
An excellent product for this is Flea Bully, this is a strong flea and tick killer which you can use to treat your home. It’s also safe for pets and children, so there’s no worry about harming your pets or kids while you’re treating play areas or living areas. The company also gives you full instructions on how to treat your house to make sure the fleas don’t come back. The product is very effective and it doesn’t include anything that can harm your pets or kids.
Some key areas to make sure you treat include carpets, rugs, beds, sofas, and chairs. All of these items can be prime hiding places for fleas to try to wait you out. Make sure to get underneath the furniture too! Particularly if you have wall to wall carpeting.
Step 3: Make sure you’re not bringing fleas back in the house
If you want to know how to get rid of cat fleas in the house, then you should really look past your doors. It’s entirely possible that you are bringing fleas back into your home. Humans can easily carry pests into the house without knowing it as they are coming or going. This can be especially true if you go somewhere that there are other animals who may not be treated such as the vet’s office or the dog park. It’s impossible to protect yourself 100% from this, but there are a few tricks here.
For starters, make sure to spray your flea treatment near the entryways to keep any offending pests from jumping in when the door is open. It can also help to keep plants trimmed back away from the house if your have planters, as it makes it less attractive for bugs to hand out there.
Lastly, make sure your pet is always wearing a preventative flea treatment like the Seresto Collars to make sure that fleas don’t want to be near them. These collars actually slowly release flea killer which makes its way to the animal’s fur. Fleas will not want to stay long when using this product.
It can also be a good idea to treat your yard with something like CedarCide, which is an all natural insect killer. You can douse your yard in this stuff without worrying about harming your pets, children or even beneficial insects like bees and butterflies, because it doesn’t effect them at all, which is pretty cool!
