Can You Vacuum Fleas off Cat and Dog? (Read This First)

With the global market for vacuum cleaners valued at over $10 billion in 2020 and an expected annual growth rate of 9.6% between now and 2028, you might think you already have a flea solution for your pet at home.

So, can you vacuum fleas off cat and dog fur?

You can vacuum fleas off cats and dogs. According to a study conducted by Ohio State University, vacuuming is an effective weapon against fleas and kills them in all stages of life.

However, it’s important to use a pet-approved vacuum cleaner and recognize that vacuuming fleas isn’t a permanent solution to a flea infestation. In this post, you will learn the best way to rid your pets of fleas.

Understanding a Flea’s Life Cycle

Before we address the question, “Can you vacuum fleas off cat and dog fur?” let’s explore a flea’s life cycle. 

Fleas go through the following four stages:

• Egg
• Larvae
• Pupae
• Adult

The process happens quickly, with eggs hatching as early as one day. The rate at which the larvae spin a cocoon and the adult fleas hatch from it varies, though, according to environmental conditions. 

Fleas become alerted to nearby hosts from their movement, breathing, and body heat vibrations. Since they prefer animals to humans, adult fleas will target your cat or dog instead of resorting to the humans.

Can You Vacuum Fleas off a Cat?

Given a cat’s small size and fragility, you should never vacuum your cat with a traditional vacuum cleaner. Nevertheless, some companies offer cat-friendly mini vacuum cleaners, such as the Groom Pet Vac.

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In this case, the vacuum will simultaneously remove loose hair from your cat, while the suction helps dislodge fleas and sucks them into a plastic storage area that you can then discard.

Can You Vacuum Fleas off a Dog?

Yes, you can vacuum fleas off a dog. However, you should use a vacuum to get the current fleas off your dog after already treating them for fleas to prevent a new batch from arriving.

To vacuum fleas off a dog, purchase a special vacuum attachment like the FURminator. There are different models cats and dogs (short and long hair), so you can browse the product on Amazon

Alternatively, you can also use a handheld vacuum to suck up fleas from dogs, like the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser. Although the purpose of these tools is to remove dog hair, the suction can also help remove fleas.

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When To Use a Vacuum Cleaner on Fleas

Although it’s often a bad idea to directly vacuum fleas off your cat or dog with traditional vacuum cleaners, these machines play a crucial role in ridding your home of these pests once you use pet-safe ways to kill fleas.

According to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, vacuuming your floor helps remove fleas in the following life cycle stages:

• Eggs
• Larvae
• Pupae

Furthermore, by thoroughly vacuuming your home, the cleaner will encourage flea cocoons to hatch prematurely, thus exposing adult fleas to any flea killer you may have treated your floor with.

Vacuuming flea-infested rugs can also help insecticide spread and penetrate the carpet’s fibers. Should you have such good eyes that you see fleas escaping as you vacuum your floor, don’t try to kill them with your hands. These pests are excellent and fast jumpers. So, it’s best to catch them with your vacuum cleaner.

How Long Can Fleas Live in a Vacuum Cleaner?

According to a study performed on Ctenocephalides Felis, vacuuming kills this common flea regardless of its stage of life. The study was conducted by Ohio State University.

Researchers found that a massive 96% of adult fleas living in tightly woven carpets died at the hand of a vacuum cleaner. They believe the reason for this is the vacuum cleaner’s suction, which destroys a flea’s waxy external layer, causing them to dry up. 

Nevertheless, some fleas will inevitably live in your vacuum cleaner unharmed. And given that fleas can live up to two weeks without a host, it’s crucial that you take quick action to get them out of your vacuum cleaner when you know you’ve vacuumed a flea-infested area.

So, when you finish vacuuming, immediately remove the vacuum bag from your cleaner, seal it, and throw it away in an outdoor garbage can.

Better Flea Treatments Than Vacuum Cleaners

Vacuum cleaners undoubtedly have their place for a temporary fix to remove fleas from your cat or dog. But, you shouldn’t rely on a vacuum cleaner alone to solve the problem—females lay around 40 eggs a day.

So, even a single flea escaping the wrath of a vacuum cleaner can lead to another flea outbreak on your pet and in your home. Therefore, you should use one of the following methods on your dog or cat to eliminate their flea problem and prevent it from happening again.

• Oral flea medication
• Bath with anti-flea shampoo
• Flea collar

When in doubt, take your pet to the veterinarian. That’s especially the case if you notice your dog or cat experiencing inflammation or bloody skin, as it could be because of an infection or flea allergy.

Tips for Removing Fleas From Your Pet

If you’d rather not purchase a specialized vacuum cleaner for what is hopefully a one-time flea infestation on your dog or cat, you can try some other cheaper strategies.

Buying a fine-tooth comb and running that through your pet’s hair will help pull up fleas. You can also bathe them with anti-flea shampoo or spray an anti-flea solution directly onto their dry fur.

For a holistic approach, you can mix apple cider vinegar with water and spray it onto your dog or cat’s coat. Apple cider vinegar won’t kill fleas. However, fleas don’t like it, so they may decide to vacate your pet.

Finally, let your pet groom itself.

Both cats and dogs will lick and bite at their fur more often when they have fleas. They don’t only do this because they’re itchy, but because they’re trying to get these pests off their bodies. 

The Bottom Line

So, can you vacuum fleas off cat and dog fur?

Yes, you can vacuum fleas off your pet, and doing so will likely kill the pests in the process. However, vacuuming fleas won’t permanently resolve your dog or cat’s flea infestation.

Instead, you’ll need to combine physical flea removal with medication to kill the fleas in all their life stages and keep your pet on a preventative flea treatment schedule.

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