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Do your cats already have fleas? Or are you out to stop the infestation before it starts? Your answer determines your plan of attack.
To test your house for fleas:
1. Prepare a shallow pan full of water mixed with dish detergent.
2. Set this on the floor near where you suspect the bugs may be nesting.
3. Position a gooseneck lamp with the light on about six inches above the liquid, and leave it there overnight. If there are fleas in the area, they'll leap toward the light, fall into the water, and drown.
4. Check the pan in the morning.
If you find you have unwelcome visitors, the first thing to do is clean them off the cats. Prescription spot treatments are the newest weapon in the anti-flea arsenal. They are also spectacularly successful. Wearing rubber gloves, apply two or three drops of liquid to the skin at the back of the cat's neck, where it cannot lick itself. If fleas are present, 98 to 100% of them will be killed within twenty four hours. They can then be combed out with a steel flea comb, along with any remaining eggs and larvae. Brand names include Advantage (Imidacloprid) and Frontline Top Spot (Fipronil). Some formulas are safe for dogs but not for cats, so be sure to ask your vet for a recommendation.
Next, you'll need to treat your whole house. Fleas spend part of their life cycle snoozing in rugs, under furniture, and in closets. To eradicate them for good, you must ambush them where they hide. Carpet aerosols are more effective than foggers, as the mist can be directed into every nook and cranny. Vacuum thoroughly afterwards, seal the vacuum bag, and dispose of it.
Your local pest control company can treat your house (and your yard, if your cats are allowed to roam) with an insect growth regulator (IGR). This is a hormone which prevents eggs and larvae from developing into reproducing adults. IGRs don't actually kill adult fleas, so you may want to combine it with an insecticide.
If the water pan test shows no evidence of fleas, apply a preventative spot treatment to each cat once every three months.
Finally, keep your cats indoors. Statistics show that indoor kitties pick up fewer fleas than their roaming cousins. They also live longer, and stay healthier!
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