Controlling Fleas in Your Home

Fleas can be a major problem for cats and their owners. Even if they never leave the house, cats can be exposed to these blood-sucking parasites. Preventing flea infestations is the best protection against them. Assurity^® for cats is a fast-acting, topical flea control that’s easy to apply and effective: It kills 98–100% of fleas in 12 hours^1,2 (before they can lay eggs) and provides your cat with a whole month of flea protection.

Why are fleas so hard to control?

Once in your home, a female flea can produce 40–50 eggs per day³, so even a few fleas can quickly turn into a major infestation. Flea larvae turn into pupae, which are generally more impervious to flea control products applied to the animal or its environment. Adult fleas erupt out of their pupal stage, or cocoon, and quickly find a host, such as your cat. Because these cocoons can be found almost anywhere, including your own living room, it seems to pet owners that fleas appear out of nowhere. Learn more about the flea lifecycle.

This is why it's important to treat fleas as quickly as possible and to make sure your cat is protected, even before she encounters fleas.

What you can do to control flea infestations

Even with flea protection for your cat, you still want to be sure your household is rid of fleas that were hidden in egg, larva or pupa stages when you treated your cat. The most effective means of controlling severe environmental flea infestations is the use of a pest management specialist (exterminator). If you discover fleas in your home:

• Consult your veterinarian. Your veterinarian is your best source of information on flea control for your cat. Depending on your individual situation, your veterinarian might make specific recommendations.
• Eliminate fleas on your cat. Assurity kills fleas quickly,^1,2 providing fast relief.
• Eliminate fleas in your home. While treating your cat is an important step, you should also kill fleas in your home to prevent family members and any unprotected pets that visit your home from becoming infested. See suggestions for killing fleas in your home, in the sidebar on the left.
• Prevent future infestations. Once-monthly Assurity for cats kills cat fleas before they can lay eggs. A key to preventing infestations is making sure other pets in the household are protected too. Check out our other products that control fleas on your dog, too!

How your vet can help

Your veterinarian is the best source of information regarding your pet’s health. When talking with your veterinarian about flea protection, your visit might include:

• A thorough examination of your pet to determine the severity and possible sources of flea infestation
• A review of flea control options, including immediate remedies as well as a long-term flea protection program
• An assessment of your lifestyle and that of your pet’s to determine which flea product is best suited for your specific needs
• A discussion of the need for year-round flea protection

See our Frequently Asked Questions page for discussion points you might find useful to cover with your veterinarian.

Or visit our About Assurity page for more information about how to use Assurity for cats.