FIELD GUIDE to FLEA CONTROL for CATS
The ordinary cat flea - (Ctenocephalides felis) is the most common parasite on the cat’s skin. Fleas survive by jumping onto a host animal, cutting open their skin, and feeding on the blood. In most cases, they cause only a mild itch; but a heavy infestation, especially of kittens or older, ill cats, might cause severe anemia or even the death of the cat. Fleas also are an intermediate host of tapeworm.
An effective flea control strategy requires an understanding of the flea life cycle.
- Eggs - After taking a blood meal, fleas mate on the skin of the cat.
The female lays eggs within 24 to 48 hours, and may produce up to 2,000
eggs in a four-month life span. When your cat scratches, jumps, moves
and sleeps, the eggs fall off and incubate beneath furniture and in
carpets or cracks, with the highest concentration in your cats preferred
spots such as bedding.
- Larvae - In 10 days the eggs hatch into larvae that feed on local debris, and avoid light by residing deep in carpet fibers under furniture or rugs and in crevices. In approximately 7-18 days flea larvae spin a cocoon and go into a pupal stage.
- Pupae - Fleas are most resistant to insecticides in the pupal stage. It takes approximately 7-10 days for the pupae to develop into a pre-emerged adult flea but the flea can remain in this state for days or months. Then, under ideal temperature and humidity conditions, in the presence of vibrations or exhaled carbon dioxide, fleas can emerge rapidly.
- Adult flea - The adult flea emerges within seconds when stimulated by
vibrations, warmth or the breath of a host. Immature adult fleas search
for a host immediately after hatching, but can live for one or two weeks
without feeding.
New Topical and Environmental Flea Control Product - CedarCide Industries BEST YET formulation, developed specifically for troops serving in Iraq, combines a proprietary cedar oil blend of Texas Red Cedar, and a carrier created from liquefied quartz. According to product literature, these two ingredients create a new molecule that has superior penetration abilities, and provides instant kill to fleas, ticks, mites and bed bugs. Regular use of BEST YET is advertised to replace the need for spot-on flea treatments for domestic pets. Recent research has strongly indicated that the results of the active ingredients in spot-on treatments, as carcinogenics, are often more harmful (if not fatal) to pets than the parasite they seek to eliminate. Research also suggests the use of spot-on treatments may cause a 25% reduction in the life span of pets treated with such products. (See following LINK for related data) http://www.apnm.org/publications/resources/fleachemfin.pdf . Best Yet can be applied to the pet and/or the environment, and is advertised to have beneficial effects on the pets skin and hair.
Topical Flea Control - Available flea control products include sprays, collars, washes, combs, powders, oral suspension and spot on treatments. Flea powders, sprays and shampoos will only kill the adult fleas present on your pet at the time of application. At any given time, about 1 percent of the flea population is composed of adult fleas, while 99 percent remain in the egg, larval, and pupal stages. An effective flea control program requires killing adult fleas PLUS their eggs and developing larvae in the environment.
Scientific evidence regarding dietary supplementation with vitamin B, Brewer's Yeast, or garlic suggests these methods are of little value. Scientific evidence has also shown that ultrasonic and insecticidal flea collars are not very effective.
Spot-on products that treat infestations on the cat and in the environment by killing three stages of the flea’s life cycle include: Revolution, Advantage, Advantage Multi, Frontline, Frontline Plus, Biospot Topical, and Advocate. Some spot-on products are also effective treatments for heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, ear mites, some intestinal parasites, ticks, lice, and sarcoptic mange. Program, an insect development inhibitor (IDI) sold through veterinarians, is given orally or by injection and disrupts egg and larval development, but does not kill adult fleas. Capstar given orally kills adult fleas. Frontline Spray and Biospot Mist act similarly to their topical counterparts. Because all of these products prevent fleas from reproducing they eventually rid the environment of fleas. Note that many products that are safe for dogs are not safe for cats. Please consult your vet for the best treatment for your cat.
Environmental Flea Control – To immediately reduce fleas in the house or for severe infestations, thoroughly clean the entire house then apply environmental flea products, insecticides or IGRs. This can be done by vacuuming, washing bedding and rugs, and using sprays or powders containing insecticides or IGRs on the carpet. Light traps placed around the home, especially where the pet frequents, may collect fleas upon emergence from their cocoons. Yet it is doubtful that this trap will attract fleas off the pet. Vacuuming will only remove eggs and food sources from the carpet. Larvae curl up around carpet fibers and pupae stick to the carpet. It is important to restrict pet access from areas that are hard to treat, such as children's playrooms, crowded garages, and work areas. For effective control, the home must also be treated, primarily in areas most frequented by the animal, where eggs and larvae are developing.
Sprays or Powders to be applied to carpeted floors may contain: Sodium polyborate powder (electrostatically charged); Diatomaceous earth; Pyrethrins- derived from chrysanthemums; Methoprene- IGR; Fenoxycarb-IGR; or Nylar-IGR. Insect growth regulators (IGR) disrupt egg and larval development, but do not kill adult fleas. IGRs are often sold through veterinarians and pest control operators and are available in environmental sprays and fleas collars.
Foggers, many are toxic to cats, usually contain: Pyrethroids- synergized natural pyrethrins or; Permethrin a neurotoxin that is highly toxic to cats. Some foggers also contain IGRs. Mist may not settle into cracks in upholstery and beneath furniture. Do not use foggers in rooms inhabited by young children because high residue levels can remain for a week or longer.
(From the NRDC article Poisons on Pets) Flea control products now on the market also include seven "organophosphate insecticides" (OPs). OPs work by interfering with the transmission of nerve signals in the brains and nervous systems of insects, pets and humans alike. In overdoses, OPs can kill people and pets as well as insects. But even with normal use of flea-control products containing OPs, pets and children may be in danger.
The seven OPs are chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, phosmet, naled, tetrachlorvinphos, diazinon and malathion. They are the active ingredients in dozens of pet products. (A comprehensive list of products appears in Table 1 of the NRDC article.) It includes major pet pesticide brands, such as Alco, Americare, Beaphar, Double Duty, Ford's, Freedom Five, Happy Jack, Hartz, Hopkins, Kill-Ko, Protection, Rabon, Riverdale, Sergeant, Unicorn, Vet-Kem, Victory and Zema.
The continued exposure of people and pets to OPs contained in pet products is distressing because safer alternatives are available. Physical measures, like frequent washing and combing of the pet and vacuuming carpets and furniture, can bring mild flea infestations under control. Alternatives include insect growth regulators, or IGRs, which are chemicals that arrest the growth and development of young fleas. These include methoprene, fenoxycarb, pyriproxyfen and lufenuron (Program®). Alternatives also include newer pesticide products sprayed or spotted onto pets, such as fipronil (Frontline®) or imidacloprid (Advantage®). When used in combination with physical measures, the safety and effectiveness of these newer chemical products makes the use of pet products containing OPs rash and unnecessary. Cats are particularly vulnerable, since they often lack key enzymes for metabolizing or detoxifying OPs. As with children, a cat's small size and unique behavior -- in this case, grooming -- work against them as well, making them particularly vulnerable to OP poisoning.