Cat Flea Control
Schedule An Inspection!
Click To Contact
Cat Flea Treatment
Stride Pest Control provides cat flea control for homes and businesses across Central Texas, where the cat flea is behind nearly every household flea problem, infesting cats, dogs, and homes alike despite its name. Cat fleas are hard to clear on your own because the adults on a pet are a small fraction of the problem, while the eggs, larvae, and pupae develop in carpet, bedding, and the yard and keep hatching for weeks.
Stride treats cat fleas through the Stride Forward integrated pest management process, using products with an insect growth regulator that breaks the flea life cycle rather than just killing the adults, and treating the home and yard together.
Every treatment is backed by a same-day service option and a satisfaction guarantee, and the products we use are odorless and colorless once dry. Cat fleas are the main flea Stride treats, covered under our broader flea control and general pest control services.
Cat Fleas In Central Texas
The cat flea is, despite its name, the flea responsible for almost all flea infestations on both cats and dogs and in homes.
| Trait | Cat Flea |
|---|---|
| Appearance | About 1/8 inch, dark reddish-brown, and flat from side to side |
| Hosts | Cats, dogs, and wildlife, and they will bite people |
| Where the young develop | Off the host, in carpet, pet bedding, and shaded soil |
| Life cycle | Egg, larva, pupa, adult, and the pupa can wait weeks for a host |
| The truth about the name | Nearly every flea found on a dog is actually a cat flea |
| Health risks | Flea-allergy dermatitis, tapeworm, and flea-borne typhus |
Because only the adult cat fleas live on the pet while the rest of the population develops in the environment, treating the pet alone never solves it, which is why Stride treats the home and yard together, an approach the Texas A&M AgriLife flea guide describes.
Signs You Have Cat Fleas
Cat fleas leave clear signs on pets and around the home:
- Pets scratching, biting, or licking around the tail, belly, and hindquarters.
- Flea dirt, black pepper-like specks in the fur and bedding that turn red-brown when wet.
- Small, fast bugs jumping off pets, carpet, or your ankles.
- Bites on people, small itchy bumps clustered on the lower legs.
- Hair loss or scabbing on pets from constant scratching.
Are Cat Fleas Dangerous?
Cat fleas are mostly a pet-health and comfort problem, but they carry real risks. Flea-allergy dermatitis, a reaction to flea saliva, is one of the most common skin conditions in dogs and cats, and heavy infestations can cause anemia in young or small pets. Cat fleas also pass tapeworm to pets that swallow them while grooming.
They affect people too. In Central and South Texas the cat flea can spread flea-borne typhus, which the Texas DSHS tracks across the state, so a cat flea problem is worth clearing promptly.
How We Get Rid of Cat Fleas
Stride treats cat fleas through the five-step Stride Forward process, built around the whole life cycle:
- Inspect. We check the pets’ resting areas, the carpet, and the shaded yard spots where larvae develop.
- Identify. We confirm cat fleas and gauge how far they have spread between home and yard.
- Recommend. We coordinate with your vet on the pet’s flea preventive and walk you through vacuuming and laundering.
- Treat. We treat the interior with a product that includes an insect growth regulator to stop eggs and larvae from developing, and treat the shaded yard where fleas breed.
- Evaluate. We re-treat on a follow-up visit, since flea pupae are protected and keep hatching for weeks.
Our GreenPro certification guides this reduced-risk approach.
How to Keep Cat Fleas Away
Keeping cat fleas down comes back to the pets, the home, and the yard together:
- Keep pets on a vet-recommended flea preventive year-round.
- Vacuum regularly, which removes eggs and larvae and coaxes pupae out.
- Wash pet bedding on hot every week or two.
- Mow and reduce shade and moisture in the yard where larvae develop.
- Discourage rodents, strays, and wildlife that carry fleas in.
Cat Flea Control Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have cat fleas or dog fleas?
Almost certainly cat fleas. Despite the name, the cat flea is the flea found on the great majority of dogs and cats and in nearly all household infestations, while the true dog flea is uncommon.
Can I have cat fleas without a cat?
Yes. Cat fleas infest dogs and are carried in by rodents, strays, and wildlife, and they can survive in a yard or in carpet a previous tenant left behind, so a home with no cat can still have them.
Why do fleas keep coming back after I treat?
The eggs, larvae, and pupae hidden in carpet, bedding, and soil keep hatching for weeks after the adults are gone. Breaking the cycle takes treating the pet, home, and yard together with a growth regulator.
Do cat fleas bite people?
They do, usually around the ankles and lower legs. Cat fleas prefer furry hosts, so people are a secondary target, but a heavy infestation will bite anyone in the home.
THE STRIDE FORWARD PROGRAM
Our Strategic ECO-BASED Protocol
Stride Forward is our Integrated Pest Management program where we partner with our clients in the long-term removal and prevention of pests. Keeping your property free of unwanted insects and rodents works best when we work together.
The program combines habitat manipulation, biological control, cultural behavior changes, and the targeted use of products designed to repel or eradicate pests. Our approach follows five steps, with non-chemical methods prioritized before any product application.
Our Certifications & Awards
Stride Pest Control holds QualityPro and GreenPro certifications through the NPMA’s Foundation for Professional Pest Management, and fewer than 3% of pest control companies nationwide hold both. QualityPro requires background checks on every service member, a drug-free workplace, and 16 standards that exceed state and federal requirements.
Our Austin and Round Rock office operates under Texas Department of Agriculture license TPCL #667951, with Burton Johnston as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our San Antonio office operates under TPCL #827449, with Alex Randall as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our office manager, Michael Honeycutt, is an Associate Certified Entomologist through the Entomological Society of America.
Founded in 2013, we have served nearly 12,000 customers across Central Texas and hold a 4.9-star rating across 2,400+ reviews with an A+ from the BBB.
Customer Testimonials
Danielle N.
Google Reviewer
Stacey L.
Google Local Guide
John N.
Google Local Guide
Stride Pest Control received an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars
based on 2,400+ reviews.
Ready For FastSafeReliable Pest Control?
You do not have to live with pests. Stride Pest Control offers same-day service across Central Texas with a satisfaction guarantee on every treatment.
4.9 stars across 2,400+ reviews | QualityPro certified | Satisfaction guaranteed