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Why are fleas still in my bedroom after my cat died and I cleaned?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | British Shorthair | 3 years old

My cat died nearly a month ago, and I'm still constantly finding fleas in my bedroom, I pulled the whole room out and cleaned and washed everything

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Katie S

Certified Dog Trainer

Published on January 14th, 2016

Fleas have a cycle of about two weeks. Adult fleas living in your house (usually in the carpets) would lay eggs and take 10-14 days to hatch however they can lay dormant and wake up when they think there is food to feed on. This is probably another cycle hatching. They can be difficult to get rid of as you need to kill adults, wait until the next cycle starts and kill the newly hatched ones before they have time to lay eggs and breed again. This will also depend of the type of product used to treat your house. Depending where you live grocery stores and pet stores sell flea spray/powders but some will only kill actual fleas, some will also kill the eggs. You need to vacuum very well everyday )be sure to get rid of vacuum bag after), wash all bedding and treat carpets, wash floors etc. It'll take some work but you can get rid of them.

8Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on June 20th, 2017
I think what they are worried about is that a lot of the time with fleas the issue is the life cycle. Adult fleas will live on the pets, but eggs and larvae live in the soft dmfurnishibgs waiting to awaken. However, in your case if you brought the new dog in an killed the fleas quickly and also treated the house, it is unlikely that there would have been time for adults to jump off and lay eggs in your house. I would keep up to date on flea control
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on May 26th, 2019
It can take 24-48 hours sometimes to fully kill all fleas and eggs on the body. While you are waiting, you can use a flea comb to remove any that are still on the body that you find. Cleaning the environment is also important as warm weather can cause eggs that are in bedding, floorboards, baseboards, etc to hatch and cause a new infestation. Continued cleaning and treatment with flea medications can help prevent this.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on March 24th, 2020
That depends on what flea prevention you used. No all flea prevention is created equal. With any product applied directly to the pet, please remember that you may see some live fleas on your pet for a short time after spraying, shampooing, dipping, etc. In order for the fleas to die, they must come into contact with the insecticide, and absorb it.

Keep in mind that until all of the fleas in your home have died, you will probably still see some fleas, even on a treated pet, since some immature forms may continue to develop. This is especially true if you had a big flea problem to start with. Persistence is the key here. It is essential to keep following an effective flea control program for a long enough time to get rid of all of the fleas, in all life stages. This may take several weeks to 6 months or more, depending on your particular situation.

For cats I recommend Revolution or Cheristan. I hope this helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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A combination of using a vacuum every other day, flea powders or "bombs" and treating all animals that come into the house with a good-quality monthly flea preventative. After you vacuum, remove the bag and throw away outside so the fleas don't crawl back out. Vacuuming will help remove eggs to prevent hatching and the vibration attracts fleas from out of the carpet. Don't forget to get under beds, couches, tables, etc. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/

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My cat still has fleas after Avecta 2. How long until it works?

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Why are fleas still on my cat and in my house after treatment?

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Why do I see flea dirt but no fleas on my cat? How to treat them?

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My cats still have fleas after a year. How can I get rid of them?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I certainly understand your frustration. There are 2 products that I particularly like in these cases where different therapies have failed to help. I like Bravecto as a preventative and Capstar to be used concurrently as needed for fleas. Capstar is crucial because it can help kill a lot of fleas at once and it can be used as often as once daily to effect. Also, it is important to vacuum the house and all things that have contact with them frequently. Try this for 1-3 months and if does not make a difference, they may have another type of allergy such as a food allergy or environmental allergy. This is likely going to help. Good luck and have a good night!

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