This question has been in my head for while.
A few months back our vet found “flea dirt” on one of our cats and prescribed a flea treatment. When I brought the cat and Rx home, my boyfriend said that he doubted the diagnosis. His theory was if we had fleas, they would be attacking us as well as the cats.
At the time, only two cats had visible flea dirt, but everyone was treated. We no longer have any flea indicators.
Thoughts?
Your cat can easily have fleas without it being obvious to you. Usually the ‘flea dirt’ they leave behind is a big giveaway. I would definitely follow the vet’s advice.
Fleas are usually species-specific. The most common species of flea, the cat flea, feeds exclusively on cats and dogs, not humans at all.
EDIT: It’s also very easy for fleas to travel. If all of your cats are inside cats, that’s pretty odd for them to get fleas. If one of your cats got outside even once, though, they could return indoors with a whole bunch of nasty bugs on them. Or it’s possible that a couple hitched a ride on you or your boyfriend, maybe. If they’re indoor pets, though, getting fleas should be a pretty rare occurrence.
It’s very possible that you could have brought them into your house somehow. My daughter’s friend had a dog that had fleas and she must have had them on her clothing or something, because a week later, my strictly indoor cat had fleas. If your vet found flea dirt, your cat definitely had fleas. Flea dirt doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. Also, you won’t notice fleas in your house until the outbreak is bad! So it’s possible that they only had them for a little while.
It doesn’t seem likely. The cats would have to get fleas from somewhere. If you have a dog or something that might bring them it maybe, or if your brought them someplace. Maybe the caught them at the vets?
This sounds fishy!
I have cats and they are all indoors and we do not and have NEVER had fleas not one. The cats have never been on a flea treatment.
yes becuase if the cat doesn’t get bathed enough then it can
I have worked for a veterinarian for over 20 years and have seen many, many indoor-only cats with serious flea infestations. Think about for a minute. Have you ever seen an ant in your house or maybe a spider or cricket? They got in somehow…why couldn’t a flea? It’s a bug like the rest. You have to have a mega flea problem if the fleas are getting on you…they prefer cats and dogs to people. Flea collars don’t work and are sometimes dangerous. Baths are a pretty much useless way to control fleas. Also, be careful of the flea preventatives that are available over the counter…they can be VERY dangerous.