Fleas can make your pet miserable. Itching and hair loss are some of the common indications of an infestation of the cat flea, a common pest. To successfully get rid of them, it is important to treat your entire home as well as the pet to prevent re-infestation.

Keep in mind that cat fleas are commonly found on dogs too. They will also bite humans, especially in the ankle areas, but cannot infest them. Understanding the life cycle of the flea is important to successfully treating your pet and ridding them your home.

An adult flea lays its eggs on your pet. As the eggs dry, they drop off, settling into your furniture and carpets. As they hatch into the larval stage, they survive on organic matter and the fecal matter of the adult flea, which contains the blood the adults have ingested. In essence, the adult fleas provide food for their young by feeding on you and your pets.

Eventually, the larvae spin cocoons where they will stay as pupae until they change into fleas. When the juvenile fleas sense the presence of a host, they emerge from the cocoon and jump onto the host within seconds, and begin feeding within a few minutes. Knowing this, it is easy to appreciate how hard it can be to break their life cycle and stop them from infesting your home and animals.

If you notice your pet scratching furiously and suspect fleas may be the culprit, there is an easy way you can check. Get a paper towel slightly wet and place your pet over top of it. Brush the pet's fur, letting fur and pet dander fall onto the paper towel. If dark spots are visible, and turn red, it could be the blood in flea feces as it dissolves. By visiting your vet, flea presence can be confirmed.

Once you know for sure, begin treating your pet and home. Carefully read all instructions and warnings on the product label as some can be dangerous if improperly used or administered to the wrong type of animal. Some chemicals can affect people and are unsafe for use around fish tanks. Be sure to follow all directions.

Treat all areas your pet spends time in. This includes your vehicle and yard. Vacuuming thoroughly before using treatments can force fleas to emerge from their cocoons, ensuring you eradicate as many as possible. Always empty and clean your vacuum after use, and get rid of bags immediately, sealing them in plastic bags and disposing of them away from you home.

With persistence and vigilance, you can have success in ridding your pet and home of fleas. Sometimes a repeat treatment is necessary to ensure complete eradication. Breaking the flea life cycle is imperative to ensuring they are no longer a problem for your pet and in your home.