can house cats get fleas

All cats are at risk of getting fleas—yes, even if your cat lives indoors. There are many ways your indoor cat can get fleas, from moving into a new home to taking a routine trip to the vet.

Prevention of Fleas and Ticks for Indoor Cats

The best line of defense against fleas on your cat is regular administration of effective flea prevention to all household pets. The most common veterinarian-approved flea preventions for your cat are:

Your veterinarian can help you decide which flea and tick preventative medicine is best for your cat based on their lifestyle, age, and weight. These preventatives require a prescription.

Even for cats that live inside, fleas can be a serious issue. In addition to the itching and discomfort caused by fleas, some cats may experience an allergic reaction. Particularly for kittens, flea infestations can be immediately dangerous because they can result in anemia.

Additionally, fleas can spread to humans parasites like cat scratch disease and tapeworms. It’s crucial to practice flea prevention and detection if you want to protect your family’s health as well as that of your cat.

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Originally from Fort Worth, Barri Morrison presently resides there. Lauderdale, Florida. She went to University of Florida for her.

Humans in the Home

Fleas can latch onto humans, their belongings, including clothes and shoes, and ride them straight into your house. Even though fleas lack wings, they can jump very far, making it simple for them to attach themselves to humans.

What you can do:

After visitors, tidy up the home, making sure to wash the floors, bedding, bathrooms, couches, towels, and upholstery.
Make a fast inspection if you think your cat may have come into contact with a flea-carrying visitor. Typically, fleas congregate on a cat’s underbelly, along the back by the base of the tail, and behind the head.
You may find “flea dirt,” or black flecks that are the excrement of fleas, even if you don’t see any. If you find flea dirt on your cat, it indicates that your home is probably infested with fleas as well.

Not only are fleas drawn to dogs and cats, but they also inhabit and consume a variety of other mammals. If you have a mouse or rat problem in your home, they might also bring in fleas. The fleas hop from the rats to your cat and then into your house.

What you can do:

To keep rodents away, keep your countertops and floors spotless and free of food scraps.
To prevent rodents from entering your home, use humane traps, metal screens over plumbing and ventilation pipes, and tight seals on your screens, windows, and doors.

So you think your indoor cat can’t get fleas?

Sadly, that is not true; although indoor cats are less likely to get fleas (as well as other annoyances like ticks and worms), they can still get them. Your cat may not go outside, so it is not at risk of catching fleas.

FAQ

How can my indoor cat get fleas?

How do fleas reach your indoor cat? Almost any living creature or inanimate object can bring a flea into your home. Other pets such as dogs are obvious culprits, but fleas can also jump onto your clothes, shoes and bags and be inadvertently carried indoors that way.

How do you know if your cat has fleas?

A:Signs of fleas can include itching, scratching, hair loss, scabbed bumps all over the body, flea dirt, and the actual fleas themselves that move fast and jump. Adult fleas have six legs. A tick usually feels like a small, stationary bump where the tick has attached itself to the cat.

Can fleas live in litter boxes?

The first thing you may be wondering is, “Can fleas live in cat litter?” Unfortunately, the answer is yes; fleas thrive in humid environments like your cat’s litter box. The good news is, a flea family won’t just decide to set up shop in the litter box.

Can fleas from a cat infest your house?

Yes! If your cat has fleas, there is a high chance that they will also be present in the house. Adult fleas will live on your cat and feed on its blood but also lay eggs on the cat’s fur which then fall into your home. This is especially likely on carpets, bedding, and any place your cat likes to go to.