Can washing a cat kill fleas?

Washing a cat cannot kill fleas, and if done incorrectly, it can cause the cat to catch a cold or be stimulated, potentially leading to illness. If your cat is infected with fleas, it is recommended to use flea control drugs promptly, usually containing ingredients such as selenium sulfide. It is advised to choose the appropriate dose according to the cat's weight and develop a regular habit of deworming.

Although washing a cat can remove some fleas stuck in the cat's fur, it does not fundamentally kill the fleas. Fleas will still be present in large numbers in the cat's fur, and since fleas can lay a large number of eggs daily, even washing the cat cannot completely eliminate fleas.

In case of a flea infection in cats, it is recommended to use related external parasite control drugs, such as those containing selenium sulfide and permethrin. External parasite control drugs are relatively simple to use and have less stimulation to the cat. Generally, the drug is directly applied to the cat's skin, such as the neck area. However, when applying the drug, be sure to avoid getting it on the cat's fur, as applying a large amount of drug on the fur will not be effective. External parasite control drugs are mainly absorbed through the sebaceous glands, so do not wash the cat before using the drug to avoid removing too much sebum from the skin, which affects drug absorption.

At the same time, it is also necessary to spray insecticides in the environment, as fleas will lay eggs in the environment. If you only focus on deworming the cat and not paying attention to environmental insect control, the hatched fleas in the environment will infect the cat again.

Lastly, always regularly apply external parasite control to the cat, especially during hot seasons, it is recommended to do it once a month. Since fleas can also transmit common intestinal parasites such as tapeworms, it is also necessary to take care of internal deworming.