A flea infestation is unpleasant for both you and your cat and therefore it is important that it is treated, and most importantly prevented completely.
Fleas bite their host (your pet) to feed from their blood, which causes an inflammatory reaction and an itchy irritation. Fleas can cause fur loss and in severe cases anemia and they can even transmit diseases. Some animals may also react to the flea’s saliva which can cause sores after just a few bites. This is known as miliary dermatitis in cats.
Most fleas are picked up from flea infested environments and can even be picked up by you and passed on to your pet, which means that even house cats are at risk.
The good news is that fleas can be easily treated with an effective flea treatment such as Frontline for cats, which will prevent flea infestation and effectively kill any fleas on your pet. Frontline spot on is easy and painless to administer to the back of the neck. To prevent future flea infestations it is important that it is applied every five weeks for cats. Frontline also protects your cat from ticks for one month after each application.
The biggest problem of a flea infestation is the environment which contains most of the immature stages of the flea such as the eggs and larvae, therefore it is also important that you treat this problem too. The most effective method is to vacuum, especially concentrating on the area where your pet sleeps and to apply an environmental insecticide to your furniture and the animal’s bed.
Worms are also a serious health threat to your cat as cats are constantly at risk of coming into contact with them, even if they are mostly kept inside. Symptoms are often not shown until the problem is severe and they can cause diarrheic, lethargy, weight loss and if not treated, death, therefore it is very important that you prevent the problem. Cats should be wormed every three months with an effective broad-spectrum worming treatment Over-the-Counter at your nearest pet supply store.
There are four main types of worms that your pet can pick up, these include; roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and heartworms. They can be ingested by your pet eating contaminated soil, mice and birds, which contain worm eggs. These eggs then develop into adult worms inside your pet, which then shed more eggs continuing the cycle, unless treated. Fleas can also transmit worms as larvae are released into the bloodstream, of which fleas feed and then pass on to other animals.
Prevention of worms includes worming, cleaning feces regularly from the garden and using an effective flea treatment frequently.