Cat fleas can be a nuisance and even a more serious health concern for any pet. However, they can also cause discomfort, pain, and medical troubles for human cat owners as well. In order to ensure that your cat's fleas will not be able to bite you as well, you'll need to take special precautions. Generally, the best ways to prevent cat fleas on yourself and the other people in your home is to treat your cat of his fleas as promptly as possible, and to ensure that your home is clean and an inhospitable environment for fleas.
Use a Spot-On Flea Treatment
Spot-on flea treatments are those that involve the direct application of an ointment or topical medicine to your cat in order to eliminate his fleas. The medicine will permeate your pet's skin and spread throughout his body, causing him no harm whatsoever but proving fatal to the fleas that live on the surface of his body. These treatments tend to be more effective than flea collars and other modes of treating fleas on cats. They're helpful at preventing cat fleas on humans, because they ensure that the fleas do not have time to leave your cat's body and to position themselves in your home or on people.
Vacuum Regularly to Get Rid of the Flea Eggs
If you have carpets or rugs, these are areas in which flea eggs can position themselves and hatch. Even if you eliminate the living fleas from your cat's body, the eggs that are in the environment may hatch and bring about another outbreak of fleas. Therefore, vacuuming those carpets and rugs regularly is important in order to get rid of the flea eggs that are laying in other parts of your home.
Cat Flea Baths
Treating your cat with a flea bath is another good way to help ensure that you don't suffer from cat fleas as well. Your cat may not enjoy the bath, but it's a very effective way at eliminating living fleas from his body and ensuring that they don't attack you as well. When you treat your pet in this way, it's a good idea to repeat the bath at least one additional time in the next few days, to be sure that you've eliminated all of the fleas.
Use an Area Treatment
Although many people would prefer to avoid an area treatment to get rid of fleas and eggs in the home, these treatments can be very effective if necessary. If you've found that your cat has fleas and you have not been able to rid him of these parasites, or if you've noticed fleas in other areas of your home or on yourself, a flea bomb or other area treatment device can be a very effective way of eliminating the pest once and for all.
For more specific information about flea treatments for your cat, consult with a vet. Visit a pet supply store for information on ways of preventing fleas in your home.