How to Comb Your Cat for Fleas and Remove Fleas Safely
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- Опубліковано 17 сер 2020
- If your cat has fleas, try combing them out using these tips and simple setup. All you need is a flea comb, dish soap, and a bowl.
Check out our video on giving a cat with fleas a bath: • How to Bathe a Cat wit...
Let us know in the comments how this worked for you and your cat! - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
No way my cat will be this calm. The cat in the video must be a paid actor!
I wish we could pay him! He was super chill and such a pretty boy for the camera
It’s weird but it’s so satisfying watching all those fleas being dumped into the bowl
It is satisfying to watch!
Your cat is so well-behaved, mine’s very energetic and cant stay in one place for more then just two seconds 😩
RT
Every cat is a little different! One thing we tried was waiting until he was in a calm mood. Not worth trying when he had the zoomies!
try combing cat while she is asleep or sleepy
@@ringothecat4593 "Zoomies!" I really like that term + an gonna steal from you too! Very good instructional video; I like how you emphasize checking the warmer areas like hind-legs in front shoulders too. Plus, RIngo is a VERY cute lil Tuxedo Kitty!
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You get more fleas with a dry comb and then you dip it in the soap solution you don't want to get your cat all wet after you dip the fleas in the soap solution you want to have a paper towel preferably white and Pat it dry and then come your cat again that is the best way to do that and don't brush the cats hair backwards specially when you have a wet soapy calm that will irritate their skin please try this I've been working with the fair with feral cats for 40 years trust me this way works a whole lot better don't hurt your cat don't irritate the cat skin
I wish I had read your message before I tried this. My kitten got all sneezy after I put that soapy water on him. I m still panicking. He’s so small don’t want to give him a bath as he’s so small. Don’t know what to do.
@@nidan3280 update?
@@nidan3280 just run water. i took a my kat a flee bath with the ADVANTAGE flee shampoo brand and i thought the shampoo was like other shampoos, slightly like dish soap or goo, but then i pourd some from neck to tail and it came out like water and some got in my cats face and she was sniffling and breathing hard that i literally sucked the liqoud out her nose
There’s probably more than one way to do it. We just shared what worked for our cat. 1-2 drops of dish soap diluted in water isn’t going to irritate the cats skin. Being careful around the eyes, ears, and nose should eliminate a lot of issues. Are you still working with fairs? I bet that was wild with the cats running around.
Thank you
Does anyone else find it satisfying to flea comb their cat? Lol. I love doing it.
It is oddly satisfying AND it helps your cat!
@@ringothecat4593 Yes! I don't want to use any more harmful chemicals on him. Years ago I did and his skin was inflamed :(
@@leahmelissa111Does this effectively remove all of them?
@chrissylouise3226 It helped in addition to vacuuming and mopping surfaces and washing linens. We naturally got him with zero fleas! A lot times flea meds are no longer working because the fleas are immune to them. Give it a try!
Yes I deffinatley do . Kinda like a gorilla picking bugs off her baby lol. I love knowing I'm helping her feel better tho . I also got a natural peppermint spray online I'm not sure how well it works but it makes my cat smell pretty
Minor correction: The dish soap does not 'break down the exoskeleton.' It breaks the surface tension of the water so that the fleas will sink and drown, as opposed to just floating around alive.
That’s definitely part of it to drown the fleas. thevets.com/blog/does-dawn-dish-wash-kill-fleas/ and a few others speak to it breaking down the exoskeleton and “if this becomes impaired water can enter the flea’s respiratory tract, drowning them”.
@@ringothecat4593 It does break down their exoskeleton.
Thank you so much, I recently got a kitten and I don’t want to use any chemicals or spend 20 dollars on flea medicine. One thing that I’ve found with this method is make sure your cat is sleepy and cuddly at the time you do this, they’ll usually be too tired to attack you. But this helped so much, I’m so glad people like you educate the ones who don’t know this stuff ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you! We were the same way. And you are definitely right to wait until the cat is in a more relaxed mood before bathing or using a flea comb. When they are on edge and excited it can make the process difficult!
Your cat is so gentle. Mine won't ever let me touch his belly, he would scratch the hell out of me
Time and trust. I don't work so i can rub my face in my kittys belly as long as i want and i know she'll never attack me for it. Omg i love it and just grabbing hsndfulls when its bed time and she lays across my chest (altho now i understand how cats accidentally kill bsbies by laying on them 😱😭) my kitty is almost too heavy for my adult chest !
Hoping next time my kitten will let me do her belly easier too . I only got one comb done. She was like that for under her chin tho until all of a sudden she raised her head so I am hopeful her belly will be easier next time. I also did this as she was getting ready to sleep for the night! :D
You mentioned that it was dirt coming off Ringo when you combed him, but usually it’s flea eggs and also their poop.
Thanks for commenting. You are right!
Yes, but this is commonly referred to as “flea dirt”
This is exactly what I was looking for; how to comb effectively and get those buggers! Thank you!
You are so welcome!
Thank you thank you ! My cat took months to trust me again after bathing her and I don’t want to stress her out like that again. I will do this instead , again thank you so much !
Great idea! Glad it helped!
Very good! I have kittens that are too young for regular fleakillers and this is a lifesaver!
So glad it helped!
My vet told me to just use dawn dish soap on my kittens
Thank you!
That will work with my older cat, up to a point, but my younger cat has a really thick fur coat. To make it worse, she appears to be allergic to flea treatment (a little bit of fur missing from the treatment site). I'd never get flea comb through her thick fur. I have a brush that she likes, so maybe I'll try that, but it probably won't trap the fleas.
just came away from flea combing my kitten . at first it was like NO . then she must have felt some fleas stopped moving on her and she relaxed and even at the end lifted her chin as if to say "get those!" lol Thank you! Love this method of helping her get rid of her fleas!!
That is fantastic to hear! Hopefully everything is better now!
I just got back from the hospital ER after combing my cat.......🤩🤩
My cat has fleas and I can tell because shes got white fur, poor baby! Wish me good luck! Also thanks for the vid!
Poor thing. Hope it has gotten better!
You're "lucky", the cat who lives in my house is all black and she is VERY uncooperative. Not violent for the most part, just willing to enforce what she wants with whaps. (No claw control either, so whaps usually means blood)
Thanks. Beautiful tuxedo! I had one for 14 years.
Thank you! Tuxedo cats are great, I bet yours was well loved too.
I tried to brush my cat to get rid of fleas but when I got one it started to jump and I got scared. I didn't put it into the water but in next time I'll definitely try this. Thanks for making this video ☺️
Awesome job for trying! It took me a little bit to get over how gross the fleas were. They are tricky and will try to get away! Give us an update how it goes!
@@ringothecat4593 yes it totally works! But it's so hard to catch them😅
put flea drops on then wait a couple of days the fleas are more docile brush the cat and put the brush in the boul as quickly as possible. it should work out better for you hopefully. good luck
Im finding the lost fleas at the base of the tail and hind quarters.
Thanks for this helpful video!!
Thank you so much for sharing this.
You’re welcome!
This a great video thank you so much it helped me my cat is so much happier these days.
Glad it helped!
Nice please keep posting
very helpful!
thanks for the helpful video!
You’re welcome!
Ringo is so cute and well-behaved!
Thanks you!
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Wow ! Im definitely checking my cat we just move from Hesperia California to Tennessee and although I put medicine on her to prevent it she sure is scratching we didn't have fleas in a high desert so thank you for that
It’s always good to check. We live in the Southeastern United States too…definitely different than the high desert!
They concentrate from the bridge of the nose up to the top of the head too. That's where I find them on my cats most.
Fleas do like the face and head
Yes I noticed the same with the fleas on the head and sides of their face.
V helpful thank you!
What a lovely little boi! Thanks for the tips, definitely gonna try a comb and medicine combo. Never had fleas in the house before, until we got our cats. Now it’s been nonstop, and I’ve also been victimized by the little assholes.
😂
Hope that it helped! We suffered a few flea bites during this time too.
Definitely works , 👍
Unfortunately it doesn’t trap the baby fleas 0.5 to 1 mm even with the other comb 😐
Nice video. Thanks so much for sharing. 😊
You’re welcome. Thanks for watching!
Very cute - such a sweet little cat...mine would have my hand off if I tried that!
Thanks!
You need another bigger bowl with clean water to RINSE the soapy comb out each time then change the water again. If you dont rinse the comb oit each time the fur baby will have soap in his fur which is not safe or good for them.
thank you THATS what i always said.
If that works for you and your cat, go for it! We shared what worked for Ringo. The amount of dish soap is so small (1-2 drops diluted in water) that Ringo was never bothered by it. If someone is really concerned about it, then they could use the flea comb and rinse the cat with water after using the flea comb.
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
thank you, my cat was an outdoor cat, for a year now, never had flea problem, until when my cat went missing for 3 days and came back, itching so much, i tried so many methods, sprays, anti reppellent, they help in the long run, but flea combing regularly is such a fast way to get rid of them.
It definitely helps!!
thank you!
You're welcome!
The water bowl is a good trick. I have been trying to squish them but it's quite difficult as they jump quickly and can take a lot of damage before dying lol
🙌 yes the water bowl trick helps so much!
Add a drop or two of Dawn to the water, and it will really drown them quickly when you dip the comb into it. They can squirm quickly out of the comb, so keep your water nearby. I use an old drinking glass with warm water and the comb gets totally covered with the water/dawn mix. Be sure you get any fleas off the comb and into the water before you comb again. It does help to do this, but I have 8 cats, so I also buy the flea killer drops for their necks.
Great Video. Thanks a lot
Thanks for watching!
thank you so much! i didnt realise tat you need to use the brush in a scoopng motion - or that the little buggers will jump off the brush so fast X-X but got so many of them today thank u
Glad to help!!
Yes those buggers are fast and they can jump on you !! I hate them and the problems they cause!
My cat loves this shit! N I do too! The bonding we have means so much to us
Bonding one flea at a time!!
Nice stuff...Cute cat
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing. This is very helpful
Glad you found it helpful!
I just use water and do it same way,and yes it is satisfying!
Glad it works for you!
Adorable 😍 😂❤😂
i have 2 they both get stressed if i touch their belly, also the spring time iv notice there is more fleas
thank you so much for this my cat JUST got fleas and im here freaking out omg 😰
Hope you were able to get rid of them!
Saved a bunch of stray cats. They're all neutered and well fed, but they often have fleas. Two of them are overwhelmingly fluffy, so it's harder to comb them. Been using this method for months, but the devil fleas keep coming back. But, it's oddly therapeutic to remove them. Luckily, no flea bites on us yet.
It does feel good to comb the fleas out. Nice work savings the strays!
The key is to have a dehumidifier and get the humidity down to 40-45% in your home. This kills all stages of fleas.
@@loribach534wow thanks I didn't think of that. I live at the coast so..
Well done
Thank you!
I just knew I had to watch a video on how to flea comb for tips. I've been flea combing my cat daily for awhile now just dry with a nice comb I got and it still does work great .. I only tried making the comb wet but never kept doing it that way and I didn't know about the specific soap . The scruff around the neck Is where I regularly do it on my cat since she sits on my lap all the time anyway I just comb her while she's there. I also have natural peppermint spray . I'm not sure how well it works tho since the source of fleas isn't going away because those people don't actively clean there cats so it always comes back on the carpet floor and gets on my cat. My cat wouldn't even have fleas if it wasn't for the asshole who live below me in my house .
That catto is SO well behaved what the heck... my cats are good girls, but they definitely get the turn-aroundies when flea combing.
He was still a kitten at the time and maybe didn’t know any better! Thanks and good luck with yours!
My little Tabby is three years old and she got flees for the first time in her life! It's so annoying! I brush her more then once a day sometimes, AT LEAST, once a day, and there is always 1 or two of them. They must be hiding somewhere or mature very fast! I used Zodiac Tic and Flea Shampoo on her and it helped a lot, but I finding it hard to get rid of these last few arse holes. I also vacuum EVERYDAY! The Entire house. I'm wondering if they are coming from somewhere else.
Sometimes it takes time, but that does sound a little off that there’s still a few stragglers.
Did they go away? I’ve started hovering the whole house as well and the vet recommended the informed spray, hopefully it works
Another reason for using they detergent dish soap is because it breaks down the water surface tension and allows the flea to sink down instead of resting on top of the water and possibly eventually making it to the edge of the container and escaping.
The surface tension of the water actually prevents something as light as a flea from breaking through and sinking to the bottom. If the surface tension of the water is not lessened, then the flea may eventually work its way to the edge where the water meets the container and the dastardly flea could possibly escape to wreak havoc once again! 🫠
the detergent molecules break apart the forces holding the water together. The flea is no longer supported and so sinks to the bottom!
This is a great add. The soap definitely helps retain the fleas in the dish!
good
Спасибо
Could you do reviews on the edible flea treatments? Please
@adrianarizo We also tried a topical treatment too. We’ve never used an edible version.
my cat would claw the hell out of me to try and brush its belly but we used to do that with outher cats I've had and washing up liquid dous the same job the fleas cant get out the boul.
My Cat looks exactly the same as Ringo lmao 😂
You must have a good looking cat!
Do you need to wash off the soap?
When your cat has fleas obviously they will be all over the house, will regular flea treatment stop the cat from getting them ?
Is it any dish soap or does it have to be the blue dawn?
That's cat be like :hey leave me
😅 That’s how cats be sometimes. My favorite is when Ringo wants me to pet him, then he lets me for about 2 seconds and then starts biting me before he runs off…”thanks and now I bite you”.
I got flea comb at petsmart I did start combing my cat and there were 12 fleas yuck!!! So I'm doing it everyday cant stand my cat itching everytime and I got few flea bites so I had to do what's the best for her.
Sorry to hear that!! Yes, daily combing helps. Keeping other areas clean and vacuuming helps too. Hopefully they’re gone now!
12 fleas?? My outside boy I got about 30 first run.
How often do you need to do this? I’ve done my cat 3 days in a row now and I’m still getting new fleas that I missed the days prior! Is this something I should do every day for a month straight to make sure no new ones come?
We did the flea comb fairly frequently. It is probably a good idea to do a flea shampoo bath and make sure the house is cleaned from any infestation on any soft surfaces.
@@ringothecat4593 vacuum and then throw the bag away like away outside in the dumster.you have to vacuum your carpet and couches.
vacuum your carpet and furniture then throw the bag away outside.you have to do this.
Cat be like : yo girl what are u doing.....you better feed me more right after this😂
🤣🤣🤣
now I just have to catch my cat
😅😅😅
I'm not sure my furry friend will let me hold him on my lap. I will try though as something has definitely bitten me, but only on one leg. I've put the mats etc on a hot wash cycle. At least Buddy will let me comb him
Sounds like you are on the right track! Good luck and thanks for watching!
This may seem obvious but today my vet reminded me to be careful using dawn soap if you give your cat topical flea treatment bc it will strip it right off
That’s great advice, thanks!
Wow
I already ordered the comb with the much longer teeth on the comb.
Should i order one like this if my cat has about same cat hair length as your pretty kitty. ?
Try the comb you ordered first and see how it works. I think it should work fine. Good luck getting rid of the fleas!
just don’t use a cheap plastic one it hurts them.the cat i mean.🐈🐈⬛
The question is how do you do this with a cat who loves you but will turn into a combine harvester if you try to hold him in anyway other than what I call 'The God Grip'? :O
You could always wear those chain mail gloves that shark divers wear.
Thank you for this video. I've never had to deal with fleas before and I've been at war with fleas for two weeks now. I feel like we live with them now and I'm trying everything.. ill continue to brush em and hope this ends soon.
We felt like that too! Continue working on it and they’ll eventually be gone.
Treat your home with indorex
Sofa, bedding between crevices. You need to treat the home as much as possible. Also vacuum the house especially bedding etc. The vibrations will likely increase the likelihood of eggs hatching and being in contact with indorex flea killer
I have been beaten by fleas. They seem to like me. Getting rid of them is multi angled approach.
@zahraansari3710 thank you for the advice. I've been spraying, vacuuming, and washing everything every other day and I brush my cats a few times everyday. I tried giving them baths and that was a nightmare so I'm trying to find alternatives.
Look up natural flea killer... It's basically applectder vinegar warm water and honey in a spray bottle
I comb and catch fleas every 30 minutes for my 2 kittens, fleas lays eggs slower than me
I hate fleas on my kittens 😉
I just got a flea comb. Tried getting one last weekend and all stores were empty! I treated my cat almost a week ago and been cleaning and spraying house. I noticed you didn’t comb the sides of kitty. Is that cause fleas don’t like it there? I’m going to try all over my kitty first. Thanks for the video!
Hope it’s getting better. It’s good to check all over. We noticed that the fleas tended to stay near our cat’s head and neck.
@@ringothecat4593 Yes that’s what we have noticed also!
Not me suddenly feel all itchy
Lol I know what you mean
My 15 yr old indoor somehow got fleas! We’ve given her frontline (vet recommended) and will try the comb tomorrow, she’s been through enough.. did anyone’s home get infested?? And if yes what did you do?? The vet said we will need to get our home treated. Eggs may hatch and we could get a big problem!!
Oh no! Hopefully things are going better now after the treatment. We made sure to vacuum regularly and clean any fabrics our cat frequented. We didn’t have any lingering problems afterwards.
It’s flea feces (poop) not dirt unfortunately. Your Kitty is so good!!!
Thanks, you’re right.
What if a flea in the cats ear
I wish my cat don't hate being held. I haven't even managed to get a 2nd swipe when she flies off with her claws. I don't think I'm able to do this.
Ringo ❤️🥰
I have a question. My cat had fleas she gave borth to kittens and now they do too but theyre only a week old is the dishsoap going to be safe for them?
The dish soap should be fine in very small quantities for kittens that young.
Not the best solution but for those who find it satisfying, you can take a credit card to the flea comb to crunch and pop all the fleas.
#oddlysatisfying lol
I use ice water ,that incapacitates them when they're in the water
If it works, go for it!
well both my cats have fleas, I feel scared. Buying two Seresto collars tomorrow and giving them a bath with the shampoo. I plan on fumigating and excessive vacuuming. Both my cats are long-haired I'm expecting the worst. I know I am in it for the long haul, wish me luck. Any tips on cleaning the Cat tree?
I hope that it’s going well and not as bad as you thought. You could possibly use a vacuum extension to clean the cat tree? Let us know your update!
@@ringothecat4593 I was definitely being dramatic and went overboard but better safe than sorry. The main infestation seemed to be in one of their tails. I think we are on the other side of this thankfully
Can I use any kind of dish wash liquid? The famous Dawn Dishwashing liquid isn't available in India
Any dishwashing liquid will work. We used a non-name brand.
No! Only the blue dawn dish soap is 100% safe
Hello I'm late, but may I know where you bought the comb? My kitten has fleas and I want to get rid of it.
We got one off Amazon.com. Pet stores should have them too
Might sound like a dumb question; where do you dispose of the water when you are done combing your cat?
I think we poured them down the sink drain
@@ringothecat4593 Thank you!
I have a flea comb for my cat and try to do this, but the fleas tend to get trapped between the teeth of the flea comb and do not come out when I dip it in the water. So I end up going in with my fingernails to scrape the flea out and most times I do get it out eventually but then the teeth of the comb get bent permanently. Is there a better way to get the fleas out of the comb or do I just need a better quality comb? Idk what to do. My cat has fleas pretty bad. We're giving her topical treatments on the back of the neck once a month and spraying down our furniture with a natural flea spray, but she still has some left over.
The flea comb should trap the fleas like you’re saying. Sometimes it takes using your finger to slide the fleas down and out of the comb’s teeth as opposed to pushing the flea through the comb. Hopefully that makes sense and you get rid of the fleas quickly!
@@ringothecat4593 Thank you. I actually got just bought a sturdier comb. The one I had before was plastic but this one is stainless steel. It works MUCH better. And yes, I do know you have to kind of push them off the comb. It's so gross but... for the sake of my furbaby it's worth it to give her some relief.
Nothing beats a cheap toothbrush to remove them from the comb. Just do it with the flea comb in the water.
you need Revolution. it’s prescription only by a vet but it works it’s like 20 dollars.
@@WeepingWillow422 never use a plastic one their cheap and don’t work as good.
Doesn’t the soap residue left on the fur disagree with them when they’re grooming themselves, later?
It’s a pretty small amount of soap (1-2 drops in the water bowl). It never bothered Ringo.
Just dry it with a paper towel before going through the fur again .
Perrrrfect... Lol
🤣
Is AJAX dish soap safe for cats?
I think most liquid dish soaps will work. We used a generic brand. If in doubt, check with your vet first.
That’s ok if I could do that
Mine won’t let you near him fr that or brush
Lol my vet can do anything to him
Your vet must be the cat whisperer
A spot on treatment is more effective. If your cat gets irritated by a flea bite it could get infected,it happened to my dog.
Sorry to hear about your dog getting an infection! Spot treatment could be better if it’s caught early and only a few fleas in a concentrated area. Ringo had them all over so we felt this was the best option for him.
scabs.
We've used a spot on every month without fail, but it stopped working after 3 years. We're now waiting to change him to a stronger one which goes on every 3 months. But vacuuming, flea combing, washing everything regularly plus a household treatment is all needed if you want to stop fleas taking over.
My cats long furred. Slightly worried it will be difficult
Take it slow and see how it goes!
I'm concerned about rinsing soap off comb each time, else cat will be licking some dish soap when cleaning fur??
You can try without soap. But a drop or two of soap diluted in a bowl of water isn’t going to bother a cat even if it licks it’s fur afterwards.
I find that I'm never able to rid my cat of fleas and ticks. I try to use flea medication on him every once or 2 months, use medicated shampoo once in a while too. Maybe it has to do with the area I live in, cause we have tons of mosquitoes and cockroaches too. My last dog died because of a heavy pest infestation which led to anaemia. That's why I'm very careful and super protective of my cat now
It sounds like you are doing the best you can! How is your cat doing now?
@@ringothecat4593 yeah he's doing really well. I give him tick medication every month and also bathe him properly. He has much less itching now, just licks his body like any usual cat does. So it's good so far ❤️
use Revolution it works.
Someone else here commented that getting a dehumidifier is helpful in keeping home flea free. I'm at the coast so all those pests are rampant in summer
@@BarbzSAWe have one and it hasn't helped at all with fleas.
The soap doesn't get rinsed off? What about when they groom?
It’s a minimal amount of soap (1-2 drops in a bowl of water) and our cat didn’t have any issues. You could always comb and then bathe to rinse out any soap if you’re really concerned about it.
My cat I recently found fleas on him and we got him medicine. I only found one on him but over 2 days that he’s had medicine I’ve found 6 dead ones. I just did a flea brush on him and only found one dead one. Is that a good sign? Does that mean there’s no fleas on him?
Hi Briana- what medicine did you use and did it work?
Depends on the "medicine" (I'm guessing a spot-on?) you used. Usually, spot-ons work on the basis of the flea biting the cat, thus drinking its blood - already with the chemicals - and dying. My favourite are Advantage or Broadline - a little on the expensive side here in our country, but they work magic.
I only brushed kittens I used to shelter as they were too young for spot-ons and then I would never use any detergent - irritates skin, is not healthy once they lick themselves. The safest, although not the easiest way is to mechanically kill the flea (using your nail). Sounds gruesome, but I have not come up with any better solution for the little ones as yet (apart from an anti-flea bath, which is not always applicable if you find a feral cat - sometimes you just cannot hold the cat long enough to treat it in the bath).
@@klaramickova9409 Revolution is the best.20. a vet has to give it to you.
You didn't wipe the dish wash mixture out, so will it be a problem if my cat licks her fur??
You should only use a little bit of soap. So yes there may be some soap residue left in the fur, but not enough to do any harm. If you’re concerned about it you could try rinsing the fur with a bath.
I noticed that you don't wipe the liquid off of the comb. Does it help to have it wet? Keep fleas away I mean?
Some people in the comments say we should have wiped off the liquid before combing again. For us, it was tough to control the cat and take the extra step to wipe off the liquid. It’s not like it was super wet. I also felt the comb went through the fur a little better when it was slightly wet. We never claimed to be animal experts. Just wanted to share what helped us have success getting rid of a fairly large flea infestation.
@@ringothecat4593 thank you for the reply! I've been leaving the comb a little wet as well, and it hasn't harmed them one bit! Thanks again! ❤️😻😻
@@ringothecat4593 do you have carpet floors and other pets that go outdoors ?
From where u buy this comb...?
eBay is good.