Does your pet have a flea in its ear?
Ever witnessed your cat or dog psychotically scratching its inflamed skin while gawking at you with desperate eyes? That’s right, you’ve guessed it. Your pet has fleas – and so will you, if you don’t operate promptly.
As the owner of a young tabby red with a balcony and plants, I too have been through this. Worry not, fellow pet owner, cat and dog lover, I shall advise you on the matter so you can get through this ordeal as smoothly as Puss in Boots romancing Kitty Soft Paws.
With worms, fleas are the most common types of parasites in cats. Yes, they can become a nightmare for both pets and their owners – but thankfully remedies exist to bring it to an end with the pestering bugs. Next stop: your local chemist or your favourite online pet shop.
Fleas are ferociously hungry parasites that bite and suck their host’s blood for survival. A whole house can be infested within hours, hence the importance of acting quickly. Fleas are not fussy eaters, and will happily jump from your pet’s fur to your shoulder, settling in your hair in a few minutes. Although they are not dangerous – except in some extreme cases where they can provoke anemia – they cause an unpleasant itching sensation to their host and often disrupt sleep -especially if they choose to take up residence in your bed.
Flea treatments are generally easy enough to use; the main challenge is to keep the cat immobile, since it would usually feel the urge to scratch every five seconds. You should also make sure that your pet does not lick off the flea treatment – hence the importance of applying it to an area he cannot access such as between the shoulders.
I had never used a flea treatment before, and to my great relief this first try turned out to be quick and effective. After 24 hours I could already see the difference: my cat had definitely stopped lacerating his skin and was now in a much more social mood than in previous days. Most of the dead fleas fall out by themselves -but you can speed up the process by brushing the animal vigorously with a cat or dog brush if you feel so inclined.
So if you see your animal scratching suspiciously, think fast and act quickly. Your issue could very well be sorted by the next day.