First month flea FREE (*£2.99 P&P first month only)
Speedy same day dispatch**
12+ million flea & worm packs sold
Tailored to your pet
Blog Home
Flea
Ticks & Lice
Worming
Itch News
Itch Insights
Q&A
Table of Contents
Step 1: Understand how fleas multiply flea
Step 2: Treat your cat
Step 3: Treat the home and environment
Important things to know
Step 4: Prevention & Staying flea-free long term
FAQs & Things to watch out for
Summary of steps to kill 100% of fleas
Your cat is scratching like mad, or you’ve seen tiny dark specks (flea dirt) in their fur… Ah, hello fleas. If you’re reading this, it seems like your current flea killing approach isn’t working. This is more than likely because you’re not attacking the source. Sorry to break it to you but the fleas you're seeing are really only the tip of the iceberg. Flea eggs and larvae (flea stages before they develop into adults) lurk in your carpets, soft furnishings, or the garden. This means treating just your cat won’t cut it. To get rid of 100% of fleas, you need a combination of proper pet treatment, deep home cleaning, and consistent prevention. So here’s what you’re going to do…
Before you go to war with fleas, you’ve got to know what you’re dealing with. Fleas go through 4 different life stages making up a hard-to-break flea life cycle:
Eggs
Laid by adult fleas on your pet, but they drop into carpets, bedding etc.
Larvae
Hatch from the eggs, hide in cracks, deep in carpets or floorboards.
Pupae
This is the tricky bit, they cocoon and can lie dormant for weeks or months waiting for the right moment.
Adult fleas
Once triggered (by warmth, movement, host presence) they emerge, jump on your pet (or even you) and start feeding & breeding.
Because of this cycle, you can’t rely on a one-time treatment of your pet and think you’re done. Those eggs, larvae and pupae are lurking. If you skip treating the home or environment, you have a high chance of getting a full-blown flea infestation.
The first thing you must do is treat your cat.
Find the right flea treatment for your cat. Spot-on treatments like Itch Flea Treatment for Cats is tailored specifically to your pet’s age, weight and lifestyle. With a vet strength double-action formula, Itch Flea kills adult fleas in 24 hours and stops the development of flea eggs and larvae to halt infestation. Top tip! It’s key to use flea treatment that is specifically for cats as dog flea treatments can contain Permethrin, which is toxic to cats.
If you’ve got multiple pets it’s necessary to treat them all, at the same time because fleas will hop around and bounce from meal to meal (your pets).
After treating your cat this time, remember to keep up the treatment regularly. Even if you’re treating an indoor cat. Vets recommend you treat your pet every month to prevent fleas from hopping on and causing an infestation. This is important because without ongoing treatment adult fleas will keep biting, breeding and you’ll have a never-ending infestation.
Whether it’s your Ragdoll, Maine Coon, British Shorthair or any other breed, Itch Flea Treatment is suitable and tailored for all cats.
Itch Flea kills all adult fleas on your cat in 24 hours and halts all other life stages. Delivered for free, every month, exactly when you need it.
Shop now
Now we get to the gritty cleaning and environment part. We won’t lie, this is the most labour-intensive part but it’s absolutely essential.
What to do in step-by-step order:
Hoover everywhere. You need to clean your carpets, rugs, under furniture, along skirting boards, cracks in floorboards. Vacuum anywhere you possibly can and after the bag / container is full, empty in an outside bin to avoid fleas getting back into your home.
Wash all pet bedding, your bedding, soft furnishings and anything that can be washed where you’ve seen fleas. Wash at 60 °C or higher as fleas will survive any temperature lower than this.
If your infestation is bad, you might want to invest in a steamer. The high heat means you can blitz areas that you can’t wash, like your mattress and sofa.
After cleaning your entire home, use a home-environment flea spray that covers all life stages like Itch Flea House Spray which kills adult fleas and stops the development of flea eggs and larvae for up to 12 months. Top tip! Not all sprays are pet-friendly, make sure to follow instructions precisely.
Don’t forget the garden or outdoor areas if your cat spends time outside (or there are stray animals). Fleas may be lurking there too.
95% of fleas live in your home environment, not on your pet.
To break the fast and furious flea life cycle, treat your home with Itch Flea Home Spray. In one blast, it will help turf out the little blighters — and any dust mites too — as well as put a halt to the development of flea eggs and larvae for up to 12 months.
Shop now
Flea pupae can lie dormant for weeks or even months and will only emerge when conditions are right. That means your home could seem clear, then a few weeks later boom, new fleas.
Some home-sprays for fleas may contain insect growth regulators (IGRs) which block egg/larvae development. Professionals use them in heavy infestations. Try and use a spray with an IGR so you can prevent fleas in future.
If you treat the home, avoid cleaning out/resurfacing the treated areas too soon, you may remove the residual effect.
Getting rid of them is one thing but now you are going to need to keep them at bay.
Here's what to do:
Keep your cat on a regular flea treatment schedule (preferably every month) even if they’re indoors only. Fleas are not just for summer.
Maintain the cleaning regime. Vacuum often, wash bedding, check your pet. If you slack off, eggs can settle and start the next generation of fleas.
Groom your cat and check for fleas/flea dirt regularly. Even quick comb checks help you catch things early.
Be alert if you bring in new pets, have visitors with pets, or your cat wanders outside there is a chance of fleas coming back.
In outdoor or less-used areas (sheds, garages, lofts) keep them clean, tidy, dry. Fleas like dark, undisturbed spots.
How long does it take to clear a flea infestation?
Even with everything done right, you’re looking at weeks. Adult fleas may die quickly but flea eggs, larvae and pupae take a few weeks to hatch, be eliminated, or die off. Expect 3-4 weeks or more until you’re mostly clear.
What about natural remedies?
There are loads of suggested remedies (diatomaceous earth, essential oils, etc) but vets don’t advise this. Some are not proven and some may be unsafe for cats. For serious infestations, rely on vet-approved treatments.
What if I’ve tried everything and they keep coming back?
It may be that one of the 3 steps above that is less effective than you think. Or you may have missed a hiding-place for pupae. In such cases, try a specialist flea treatment like the Itch Flea Eradication Kit to Get Rid of Fleas. With every treatment you need included, the Itch Flea Eradication Kit will tackle the fleas on your pet and in your home, to stop infestation and prevent them from coming back. And for stressful moments during your infestation, expert advice is on hand to help calm your worries and guide you through the flea killing process.
Treat your cat. Get the right treatment, make sure it’s vet-approved and apply regularly (usually once a month).
Clean the home comprehensively. Vacuum your home top to bottom, wash your bedding and anywhere your pet sleeps on a high heat and make sure to use household flea sprays to kill the fleas living in your home.
Keep up with prevention so they don’t creep back in. Schedule in your cat’s flea treatment date so you always apply on time and regularly groom them to spot any fleas before they infest.
Yes. It might feel like a bit of a mission but the more thorough you are, the faster you can stop the fleas. We know just how frustrating a flea infestation can be, which is why we’re just a phone call or message away from helping you fight fleas. Contact us here for flea specialist advice.
Is your home riddled with fleas?
The Itch Flea Eradication Kit is our proven method to eliminate fleas from your pet and your home! It’s got everything you need to get rid of fleas fast with fast, free overnight delivery.
Shop now
Share
If you’re a cat owner, the thought of your furry friend having worms is skin crawling. And once your cat is infested by worms, you might be asking yourself all sorts of questions - Can you get worms? Can they contaminate your home? Don’t worry, we have all the answers so let’s get a wriggle on and keep your cat worm free!
Your pet is still scratching after treatment? Spotted a flea even though you protect your pet? If this sound familiar, it’s likely your pet's flea treatment isn’t effective. In most cases, this is due to incorrect application of the product. Keep reading to find out if you’re the problem, not the treatment…
Ahhhh f*ck you’ve got fleas! Right, let’s get to work getting rid of these little blighters so you can sleep at night. Keep reading to find out how to clean your home properly without losing your mind or your favourite rug…
