They are our fluffy companion, unpredictable, interesting, funny, and the internet loves them. There are scientific proofs that having a cat for a pet can actually have a lot of benefits for your health. In the past, humans brought cats into their homes to get rid of rodents. Now, they are adopted into the family as a member of the family.
Once you bring a cat into your home, it is your responsibility to see that their health and well-being are also taken into account. As a pet owner, you must keep your pets groomed and well-fed. Keeping your pet groomed is important because one of the most common things that infest your pet is fleas.
Fleas in cats
Fleas in cats are natural and uncommon, but they are an unpleasant thing. A flea infestation makes the cat irritated, restless, and your cat will end suffering from various flea-related illnesses. It is easier to spot a flea infection in dogs than in cats as dogs will tend to furiously scratch while cats usually appear to be grooming instead of scratching due to the fleas.
Fleas can threaten the health of your cat as they bite and draw blood. If your cat gets infested with fleas, then it can lead to anemia due to blood loss, and it can even become life-threatening if not treated on time.
This is why you must immediately treat your cat from any type of flea infestation. There are several home remedies to treat your cat from flea infestation. Some of the common home remedies are apple cider vinegar, lemons, dish soap, spices, etc.
What is Dawn Dish Soap?
Many people consider Dawn dish soap as the perfect soap for washing dishes as it can cut through thick grease and grime, which sticks on the dishes. Due to the chemical compound present in dawn soap, which can reduce the surface tension of a liquid when it dissolves, we use it in many other ways.
We have seen videos where Dawn dish soap is used for cleaning birds with oil spills or tar stuck to the feathers. You may be wondering that if dawn can effectively clean the bird’s feather, then it could also be effective in getting rid of fleas on your cat.
Using Dawn Dish Soap to Kill Fleas
Using dawn soap to kill fleas is very simple. You can follow a quick step-by-step process if you wish to get rid of the fleas with dawn dish soap.
Step 1: Dilute the dawn soap in a small quantity of water
Step 2: Dip a flea comb in the solution and comb through your cat’s fur
Step 3: Brush your cat’s hair thoroughly. This will suffocate the fleas and kill it
How Effective is Dawn Dish Soap for Killing Fleas?
Dawn dish soap can kill fleas, but it is not a long-term remedy as it doesn’t prevent flea infestations permanently. Using dawn soap on your cat will kill the fleas, but it is more of a temporary fix and not a permanent solution.
Experts say that only a small percentage of the fleas are on your pet at a given time, as fleas tend to easily hop out and right back into the fur of your cat. This eventually leads back to the restart of the infestation cycle. The flea population, on the other hand, can grow quickly. A single adult flea can lay over 50 eggs per daily, so even if 20 percent of the eggs hatch, then that would be ten fleas.
The eggs which the female fleas lay fall into the environment around where your cat wanders. The eggs hatch over a period of days. The eggs then turn into larvae and then forms into a pupa, which in a few days, grows into adult fleas.
Dawn was not developed to be a flea repellent as it doesn’t contain the ingredients or the chemical which will eradicate the population of fleas on your cat. Although Dawn dish soap can kill adult fleas, there are three other stages of a flea’s life stages you need to consider.
Even after cleaning your cat with dawn dish soap and killing all the adult fleas, the moment your cat steps outside, the eggs which are now fully developed adults hop back right in.
Drawbacks: Dawn Dish Soap Can Irritate a Pet’s Skin
Due to the well-being of your cat’s health, veterinarians generally do not recommend dawn soap for treating fleas. If your cat is already suffering from irritation due to the flea infestation, then it can potentially worsen the skin.
Using dawn on your cat is not the wisest decision as it isn’t a product designed for cats or dogs. You should instead opt for treating your cat with products that are specifically designed for the desired purpose.
Best Cases for Using Dawn Dish Soap on your Cat
Dawn dish soap can be of use only in rare cases. If you have a kitten who is infested with fleas and you need to immediately remove the fleas, then, in this case, you can use a dawn dish wash. Since kittens are too young to be treated with flea eradicating methods and chemicals, so this is when you are recommended to use dawn soap.
While using dawn dish soap on young kittens, you should remember to use it in very small quantities by diluting the substance in water first. Once you have treated your kitten with the diluted dawn dish soap, you can remove any remaining dead or dying fleas with a comb.
You can also use dawn soap on your cat to remove the fleas that are directly attached to the skin and fur coat. Pet owners can use this procedure in those rare cases when your cat has been exposed to fleas from other pets during playdates at the park or the pet daycare.
The best way to keep your pet protected from fleas, however, is to always make frequent checks and take preventative measures in the first place. The next step is to prepare yourself by stocking your counter with products that are specifically developed to kill fleas in an instant. As a pet owner, you can also keep your surroundings treated and cleaned all year round to prevent flea infestations or infestations of any kind.