Can indoor cats get fleas? In short, yes.
It’s a common misconception that indoor-only cats can’t pick up fleas and it can be a nasty shock when an infestation strikes.
The truth is all cats are at risk of picking up fleas whether they spend their days rummaging through the undergrowth in your garden or lounging on the couch. While indoor cats are at a lower risk of parasites than their outdoor counterparts, it’s still important to protect your indoor cat against these troublesome parasites.
So, how do indoor cats get fleas? Read on to find out and included are some helpful suggestions of how you can stop fleas invading your home.
Potential flea transmitter #1: Other pets
Your other family pets are most likely the culprits. Your dog or other outdoor cats could bring fleas into your home.
And even if your dog never goes near your indoor cat, forgetting to treat your indoor cat for fleas means that flea eggs are shed around your home, which then develop into adult fleas that can jump onto your dog or other pets!
Furthermore, fleas are not host specific, meaning that while their preferred host is a cat or dog, they will happily feed on either.
Because of this, you need to protect ALL of your pets against fleas ALL year round.
Visiting pets are also a risk. Make sure to check visitors’ animals are protected with a preventative flea treatment before letting them into your home.
Advantage™ for cats is an easy to use, monthly topical flea treatment which kills fleas and flea larvae through contact and is applied to the back of your cat’s head. Find out more.
Whenever applying flea treatments, always make sure you read the label and consult your vet clinic if you’re unsure about any of the instructions.
Potential flea transmitter #2: Humans
While the common cat flea prefers a fluffy host, they will also happily bite humans and can hitch a ride on our clothes and or shoes. Once a preferable fluffy victim is nearby, fleas will easily jump more than 100 times their own length to transfer from person to pet.
It’s not possible to check every person that comes into your home for fleas and ticks (and not the social norm), but there are things you can do to reduce the chances of a flea infestation in your home.
- Regularly cleaning your home including vacuuming floors, carpets and upholstery, can help destroy flea eggs, flea larvae and get rid of any invaders brought in by visitors.
- Wash guest sheets and towels after visitors stay and
- Routinely put your pet’s bedding and blankets on a hot wash cycle. The hot water will help kill fleas, flea larvae and remove flea dirt (a food source for immature fleas).
Don’t forget to check your pets too! Use a flea comb to groom your indoor cat/other outdoor cats and gently part their fur to look for the tell-tale signs of bites, flea dirt or fleas themselves.
Potential flea transmitter #3: Wild animals
Wild animals, such as rodents, can make their way inside your home, particularly if you live rurally or have a garden. While rodents are unlikely to want to stay within claws reach of a healthy cat, rats and mice are like a hotbed for fleas. It’s certainly possible, especially if you end up with an infestation, that rats and mice can drop flea eggs in your home, which can then hatch and find their way to your cat.
Cats in themselves can help discourage rodents, but you can also help by keeping your home free of food and waste. Make sure your kitchen bin has a heavy lid, empty it regularly and keep it outside. Food scraps should be immediately transferred to the compost pile, if you have one, or thrown away.
If hungry invaders are still a problem, check your home for possible entry points, and seal up any gaps in doors and windows and place grills over ventilation and plumbing openings. You also might find it helpful to consult a pest control expert who can advise you about prevention.
Potential flea transmitter #4: Trips out
Sooner or later your indoor cat will become a temporary outdoor cat when you need to take them to the vet, to the groomers, a cat boarding facility or a pet sitter.
Here, they can come into contact with other animals and could potentially pick up fleas. The best protection is a regular flea treatment, so keep a calendar reminder to stay up-to-date with regular doses.
Potential flea transmitter #5: Second-hand items
Pets love sleeping on our soft furnishings, whether that’s cosying up to us on the couch or sleeping on our bed. The problem is, when a pet has fleas, large numbers of eggs can fall off their coat especially in places they rest, sleep and play onto our soft furnishings; putting you and your family at risk of flea bites and a possible flea infestation.
While your cat might not have fleas, second-hand goods that you’ve inherited or brought into your home may do. Keep this in mind and when bringing back bargains from charity shops, flea markets and antique stores, conduct a thorough clean. Any soft furnishings should be washed on a hot cycle and other items like luggage should be wiped down to remove any potential flea eggs.
Potential flea transmitter #6: Moving into a new home
Just because you’ve moved into a new home, doesn’t mean the risk of fleas is any less. Unfortunately flea pupae can lay dormant for months, waiting for their next host and will then hatch out in response to body warmth or the vibration of a pet passing.
If a flea cannot find a dog or cat, it’s not uncommon for them to jump on and bite people. This is why some people experience flea infestations after moving into a new home.
It takes really low temperatures to kill fleas off, such as 3°C for 10 days or -1°C for 5 days to kill development at the pre-adult stages, and that's why fleas can survive all year round in most parts of New Zealand.
When you move into a new home, plan for the worst and hope for the best. Clean your new home as though it has an infestation. You can do this yourself or simply call in the professionals.
By now you’ve probably realised that fleas are crafty parasites which can smuggle themselves into our homes in many surprising ways; from hitchhiking on unwanted rodents and visitors, to leaving dormant eggs in soft furnishings.
What’s more, don’t forget that indoor cats are never truly 100% indoors, in that trips to the vet, groomer and cattery are prime opportunities to pick up fleas. Fleas can cause all kinds of health problems and can be hard work to get rid of, so no matter how much time your cat spends indoors, it’s important to treat them for fleas ALL year round.
