Jennifer asked 7 years ago
Hi, I put flea drops on both my cats on Friday (one had fleas). I vacuumed the whole house on Saturday, including their climbing trees, threw away their bedding, toys and igloo as well. I have sprayed the house and climbing trees with spray from the vets. Still washing everything in sight. I will be vacuuming at least every other day. When will it be safe to put new bedding/blankets and igloos down for them?
Adam Retzer Staff answered 7 years ago
With the cats treated, it should be safe to allow them to access the bedding and igloos. The flea drops contain an adulticide that kills adult fleas before they can mate and reproduce. Thus, no new eggs will be laid which would’ve otherwise fallen onto the bedding to develop.
Also, most flea drops contain an insect growth regulator (IGR), either pyriproxyfen or methoprene. Trace amounts of these compounds will rub off into the environment and help prevent fleas from developing. This is useful, because it will rub off where cats spend the most time, which are the flea hot-spots.
I’m not sure it was necessary to throw away the old bedding and igloos. Laundering pet bedding and blankets will kill any fleas (though some items aren’t washable). However, by disposing of the items, you likely eliminated a very large portion of the developing fleas, so it certainly didn’t hurt.
If you adhere to the labeled instructions on the spray, it should be safe to spray the new items. Pay attention to the active ingredient permethrin. This ingredient is highly toxic to cats, and it’s included in many house sprays. It can be used safely if the instructions are followed, but it may be wise to opt for sprays that don’t contain permethrin at all
The most effective ingredient in environmental flea sprays is the IGR. IGRs are considered safer than traditional compounds because they specifically target insect hormones that regulate development. Once exposed, eggs and larvae aren’t able to reach adulthood. The nice thing about IGRs is they remain active indoors for 7 months, so they can prevent future infestations. Instead of using a spray with multiple compounds (adulticides and IGR), you may want to consider just using an IGR. For example, Martin’s IGR.
Warm regards,
Adam
