Don’t let your cat become a victim of fleas this summer. We look at a range of products designed to eliminate these pesky insects and prevent them from returning.

Chances are your cat will be exposed to fleas and the diseases these insects carry at some time in his life.

Not only can fleas be extremely irritating for both you and your pet, but bites can lead to the serious skin condition flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), and blood loss and anaemia in kittens. Fleas can also carry tapeworm, an intestinal parasite.

Once these irritating insects have found their way onto your pet they will take a bite and mate. Within 36 to 48 hours, the female will start to lay her eggs which will then fall off and develop into larvae, pupae and finally into adult fleas on the sofa, in the carpet and even in your bed!

Treating your pet with a product that stops fleas laying viable eggs will mean you won’t end up trying to chase possibly hundreds of larvae around the house.

Bayer Animal Health product manager Meike Tobschall says: “Prevention is always better than cure and by preventing a flea infestation in the first place it means healthier pets and less stress for both pet and owner. Regular preventative flea treatments, coupled with good basic hygiene, will help ensure that the whole family remains healthy and happy all year long.”

However, if your pet has an existing heavy flea infestation it will be necessary to treat him with a product to kill them. Discovering fleas on a pet is unpleasant but adult fleas on a host may represent only five per cent of the whole infestation. The other 95 percent consists of eggs and larvae which canbe spread throughout the house. It is therefore essential to also treat your house. If the home isn’t treated fleas will jump back onto the cat and re-infest it.

Collars
Contain insect growth regulators but make sure they have a safety release buckle in case your cat gets the collar caught up in something.

What do they contain?
An insecticide that kills fleas on cats and prevents their return.

How to use: Fasten around the neck.

Prescription only
A number of prescription-only parasite treatments by Bayer Animal Health are also available from your vet. These include flea only treatments as well as specialist products such as a combination spot-on treatment for fleas, roundworms and mites. To find out more talk to your local vet. For more information on parasites, visit ww.lucyandbanjo.co.uk

Flea facts

30 to 40: is the number of eggs a female flea can lay in
one day.

200: is the number of eggs there may be around the house for every flea you can see on your cat.

400: is the number of days a flea’s natural life cycle from egg to death can last. 10,000: is the amount of times animal fleas have been known to jump without stopping when trying to find a host.

20: is the distance in feet that larvae can crawl up to.

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