My Dog Has Cat Fleas?

What the…..

It sounds like a joke but the fleas you are seeing on your dog are most likely the Ctenocephalides felis, or cat flea. This is the most common type of flea, and it doesn’t really care if it hitches a ride on a cat or dog or any other animal, as long as it is warm-blooded. Given that humans are warm-blooded, we aren’t safe from cat fleas either. In fact, because cat fleas are versatile little suckers and don’t discriminate at all, they have been known to hitch their wagons to over 50 types of animal species.

Fleas can have some babies!

So, your dog has cat fleas, here’s what you need to know: The chance of them going anywhere on their own is right between slim and none, and the fact that you are seeing fleas or evidence of fleas (flea dirt) on your pet means there are more where that came from. Female fleas can lay up to 4,000 eggs in just a few weeks’ time. Any guesses where they like laying those 4,000 eggs? Yep, right on their warm-blooded host. Such givers, these fleas.

Luckily for the host who was the recipient of these 4,000 gifts, the flea egg is not sticky like those of other parasites and will usually fall off within the first eight hours. This is great news for the host but not so much for the area where the host spends its time. Pet beds, carpet, furniture, cool and shady parts of the yard and other areas the host visited while the eggs were falling off become the breeding grounds for the cat fleas. Lovely, right? Not so much.  

How To Get Rid of Fleas

What to do, what to do? First, bust out that vacuum and get busy! Vacuum, vacuum, and vacuum some more. If it can’t fit in the washing machine – vacuum it. If it can fit in the washing machine – wash it, for crying out loud – on hot! Be sure to wash all bedding (yours and your pet’s), clothes (yours and your pet’s – if that is how your pet rolls), small rugs, and anything else where you suspect there might be fleas. Make sure you empty your vacuum cannister or change the vacuum bag after each vacuuming session.

Next, it’s time to address the fur babies that most likely brought the fleas into your home. The combination of a fine-toothed flea comb and a good flea shampoo is an effective way to get rid of the critters that are crawling all over your pet. Cat fleas love a good bath about as much as cats do.

Once the vacuuming and washing and combing and shampooing are done, it’s time to bring in the big guns – or big gun – because Precor 2000 Plus Premise Spray is pretty much all you’ll need for the final step of Operation Flea Removal. It is specially formulated to work against adult fleas (and ticks, too) for up to two weeks, it kills flea eggs, and prevents infestation for up to seven months. Now that is what I’m talking about.

So, if your dog has cat fleas, or your cat has cat fleas, or you have cat fleas, have no fear, freedom from cat fleas is just on the other side of the vacuum, the washing machine, the flea comb, the flea shampoo, and the flea spray!  Check out our other fantastic flea products here!