Fleas spark cat spat

#Middlebury #Fleas

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I visited my friend’s house with my cat back in March. Now my friend says my cat, Chuckles, gave her cat fleas. She wants me to pay for flea treatment. I say my cat doesn’t have fleas and I don’t owe her a thing. What do you say? – Sierra in Modesto, California

DEAR SIERRA: This is one of those spats that sometimes end up being resolved on a TV court show. While entertaining for the audience, it can be heartbreaking for both parties and can end the friendship.

There is, of course, no proof that will convince your friend that Chuckles didn’t have fleas back in March. She may not even accept the fact that it’s possible to pick up fleas or flea eggs while walking outdoors and bring them into the house, where they can hatch and then hop on board a pet’s fur. And now that flea and tick season is in full swing, what may have started out as a few fleas is now a full-blown infestation.

I’m not a relationship therapist, but if you value the friendship, offer to compromise somehow. You might pay for half the cost of the flea treatment – topical treatments can be pricey. You could purchase flea prevention products and offer to help apply them in and around her home – with the promise that you’ll apply them to your home, too, as a preventative measure.

In the meantime, double check that Chuckles is flea-free. Comb through his hair and look for dark speckles or visible fleas near his skin. If there are certain spots he scratches frequently, pay special attention. Even the most diligent cat mamas may deal with fleas at the height of the season.

Learn more about flea prevention in my ebook, Fighting Fleas, available on Amazon.com. And send your flea prevention tips to ask@pawscorner.com.

© 2020 King Features Synd. Inc.

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