After three wild days outside, my normally indoor cat returned home pregnant and with fleas. I didn’t realize either for a little while but soon, her belly began to bulge out on the sides and there was black dirt on the table where she loves to sit. I’m pretty new to cats, so when I asked my friend about this, she said, “It sounds like flea dust.” And it was.
I’ve never had to deal with a flea infestation before, so I called the vet. She recommended the typical pesticides but I was wary about using these chemicals since she was pregnant. I asked around. Turned out almost everyone I knew had had a flea experience and advice to give. My neighbor recommended diatamaceous earth, a fine powder that kills fleas and is safe for people and animals. I sprinkled it liberally around my house and covered the cats in it. And I started vacuuming. The vacuum cleaner and I had never spent so much time together.
After about a week and a half of this, I looked upward and bemoaned my fate. Why the fleas? I began to look for meaning. Are there parasites in my life? I checked Google and looked up “flea animal guide” and found that when fleas come into your life, it may mean that there is a form of vampirism, or codependency, going on. Hmm…
I kept sprinkling the earth, vacuuming, cleaning and mopping. After another week of this, the situation seemed to be under control. Looking around my house, I realized it had never been cleaner. This led me to the true lesson of fleas, and messes in general. They make you clean up your act. Whether it’s a difficult relationship or a challenging encounter or fleas spawning in the fibers of one’s carpet, these things offer you an opportunity to dig deeply into the dirt, find your inner vacuum cleaner, and clean up what isn’t working so you can have a cleaner home and life afterwards. Thank you fleas!
