How the Feck do you get rid of cat fleas?

[WebTone]

Feck all to do with bikes or anything vaguely like but...

Ok. I finally gave in and allowed the girls to get two kittens. House, kittens and all occupants are now infestyed with fleas.

Tried sprays, tablets, drops, household sprays. brushing,combing.flea shampoos and just about everything including shallow bowl/light/washing up liquid and cooking oil.

These bastxxrds won't give in.

I know the life cycle is supposed to be around 4 weeks but I can't shift them.

Help?

[WebTone]

This could be worse than the bees saga

[richy rich]

happend wiv my cat...wen my cat had fleas they got into the carpets and thats why they kept coming back...we had to use this powder stuff that killed all of them but we couldnt go in the house all day because the powder was so strong....it was called fleabomb or something....might be the same reason you cant get rid of them!

[WebTone]

Thanks RR. I tried one of those last weekend. Still got 'em.

Come on folks. More please?

[richy rich]

ohhh thought it was worth a try....it almost killed me:eek:

[WebTone]

And my kids too. Now there's an idea. LOL

[richy rich]

i wondered why my mom never told me about it !!!!! lol

[MICKTLS]

you could call the vet they might have a solution to help you

[Jetski]

I've had cats all my life, and have therefore at one time or another had a serious problem with these little w*nk*rs

The problem will usually get worst over really warm spells. Which doesn't seem to be right now - have you turned your heating on or up recently??

Basically, you're right in so much as its the larvae thats causing the problem. If you have lots of fleas, they lay billions of eggs in the soft furnishings, which usually hatch when its nice and warm (and they can lay dormant for quite a while too).

It sounds like you've tried everything, but you need to be persistent as it can take a few weeks, maybe a month to get rid of them completely, but you will notice them decreasing over that time.

You'll need to treat the cats and the house at the same time. As they are only kittens you'll need something especially for them. The best stuff is frontline, for kittens, that you can only get from the vets. Although it is pretty pricey so be warned. You'll need to totally drench them in it, all over - instructions on the bottle, but needless to say, they look like an old mans haircut afterwards :D Combing is ok and does remove fleas, but it also brushes out any spray you have applied, so be careful. If you can find a 'spot on' treatment for kittens that young, its worth using that a week or so after too - and even flea collars as an extra precaution - just be careful that what you use is ok for kittens.

To treat the house, you can either go the expensive option, and buy from the vets, but if you're thorough enough, the stuff from the pet shops is strong enough. Make sure you look for one that kills both the larvae and the fleas. There's one that Pets at Home sell that kills both for up to 12 months.

You need to treat everywhere the cats have been, and sleep. A can of spray usually covers a specific area - be generous with it. You'll probably need to leave the rooms to air for quite a while. The air bombs are quite good too. You set them off and they do their stuff.

Regular hoovering helps too of course. Although thats where it gets expensive, because with many of the products (apart from powders) they say not to hoover too often, as you remove the product - so you have to re apply it.

Pets at home do a really strong spray - I'll try and find the name of it - can't remember it of the top of my head!

At first I only sprayed some stuff and used spot on and was generally pretty casual about it and although it calmed them down, they were back in full force within a few days.

Then, I did all of the above over the course of a week (I used spray, bombs AND powder in the house, frontline spray, spot on and collars on the cats!!) and they were gone in two weeks bar a few and all evidence was gone in 3-4 weeks (but they say it takes around a month anyway). You'll know when its working when you find all the creepy crawlies in your house have run out of hiding and died on the carpet!!

Basically, you've got to launch a full scale offensive from all sides :)

[kasandrich]

We too have always had cats, and have therefore been in your situation in the past.

You can call a pest control company, that would do mice, rats, wasps etc. They can come and spray your entire house, carpets and soft furnishings. Does a thorough job if you are at desparation stakes. We have been there and would recommend it.

Long term the best solution is the drops on the back of the neck regularly.

The answer is to keep on top of it and don't let it get out of hand. If you notice your cat scratching then deal with it.

Best of luck!

Did you know that flea larvae can lay dormant in soft furnings and carpet for several years, then they can detect your body heat coming, hatch out and jump on your leg as you pass by! Absolutely phenomenal.

[WebTone]

I bloody love this forum for the people in it. Thank you to all for the advice. I have tried the vet. The nurse simply advised drops, combing and a spray which was the same as we have.

Looks like its war or the pros in.

Thanks again folks:clap

[two]

when my cats brought fleas home... we used sprays and powder..... the carpet powder we left on the carpets for a good couple of hours before hoovering

[harriebird]

see, tony, you should have got a greyhound :grin2 i did try and tell you :grin2

[Hells]

sorry if some one has already answered this ... but here is my imput!

from experience..... you have to make one big effort and kill them all at the same time!!!

so firstly put down loads of carpet powder and leave it for as long as you can (ie go to work and leave it all day).... and do NOT EVER use the rubbish you can get from tesco or pet shops... it will be naff ..
go to the vet and either get front line drops or if your really desperate you can get an injection for the kitties....

then just hoover and hoover the house!!!..

the flea stuff is quite expensive but does the trick!!!

[Jetski]

and do NOT EVER use the rubbish you can get from tesco or pet shops... it will be naff ..


The stuff from Pets at home worked extremely well for me!! ;)

[SDM]

Me........I would just get rid of the cats :laugh1 problem solved,

ps DONT TELL DAWN :grin2

[auroredj]

Me........I would just get rid of the cats :laugh1 problem solved,

ps DONT TELL DAWN :grin2

Do you think my babies would follow you out the door then luvvy :clap :clap :clap

[WebTone]

Yes Harrie you did tell me. I hate know it all women.LOL

Thanks again. Great advice. Love the don't tell Dawn bit. I won't tell my Dawn if you don't tell yours. LOL

I'm going for mass assault this weekend. Powders, bombs, sprays, (wehave frontline from the vets) and then when the kitties go for their snip or whatever the girlie equiv is they will have the injections.

If it all fails you will see the house on local tv. BURNT DOWN.

[DJMCJERICO]

Be careful with front line, It can cause neurological problems to reptiles so can't be much good if you breath it in yourself or mix with other chemicals.


I say burn the cats :eek:

[WebTone]

Be careful with front line, It can cause neurological problems to reptiles so can't be much good if you breath it in yourself or mix with other chemicals.


I say burn the cats :eek:

Can't burn them or let you have them for your pets lunch. Sorry.

I let the girls have them so it took the focus off their mum.

[harriebird]

If it all fails you will see the house on local tv. BURNT DOWN.

my god, man, you are obsessed with burning things...i'm sure there was another thread on here a while ago about you setting fire to something?

maybe i'm imagining that....

btw bubble has got fleas at the moment, looks like yours are airborne and making their way towards clacton......THANKS A LOT!!!!!! :cuddle

[WebTone]

You didn't dream it. That was the bees that was.

HaHa. These are SUPERFleas. Trip to yours is no problem for them.

Olivia absolutely loved your dog.

Oh, and your husband. But that's another story:clap

[porka]

sometimes people have 2 get the whole house sprayed or sumfin these people cum in n do it 4 u cant remember wat its called!!

[WebTone]

Right. Went to Pets at home. Spoke to in-store vet. They have stuff they sell. Exact same as off the shelf Johnson spray. So I bought that.

What about injections says I? Exact same as using the tablets that you can buy off the shelf. Releases killing stuff through the cats pores.

Should I use powder and/or bombs? Not worth the expense if you use copious amounts of the spray. Its what we use in the surgery.

So, Loads of spray went down. Two cans for good measure and Frontline drops applied and new collars fitted (all kitten safe).

Today I have had just the one try to jump me (bit like my life story with ladies..but that's another post)

So it looks like it might work.

I'll let you know in about 5 weeks if anymore have hatched.

[harriebird]

bubble was frontlined last night and looks miserable. he's a very fussy dog and hates bad hair days :rolleyes:

[2E]

Ive pmed you my input but for everybody elses reference here..

if your pet has fleas you also need to WORM them.. it might be obvious, but fleas carry worms as well.. which when they bite they pass onto your animal.. if you ignored a vet telling you then they were not really trying to con you out of more money, take my word for it.. ive just completed a course in animal care so i do know what im talking about! :laugh1

Webtone i hope what ive told you in the pm helps you out.

Some really good advice in here as well guys..

[WebTone]

Thanks Tooey and all others.

Update:

Still got a few and kittens are in for speying, injections and stuff this weekend so that will be them sorted.

House is being done by the pros this weekend.

Now if I could just get rid of these crabs. Lol.