pet fleas - flea spray for your house

[misty]

If you have a cat - the warmer weather invariably brings with it fleas :'( (Despite the drops from the vet, my cat nearly always get fleas in the summer at least once) then to stop reinfection you have to treat the house - the spray usually says pet bed and skirting board but my cat lays wherever he feels like so I usually do each and every room to be on the safe side. The spray if bought from the vets is anything from £12 for a small can and £20 for a large. However if you buy a spray from your local environmental health office SPRAY KILL it is only £1.99. It is for domestic use and is CFC free. It smells no worse(or better) than those from the vets and is considerably cheaper. At my office you have to sign for it when you buy and say it is for cat fleas.

This is the stuff for the house - not the cat - you still have to buy the drops from the vet for the actual cat.

[Edinburghlass]

Great tip this Misty. I have three cats and a field at the back of the house inhabited by rabbits so I find fleas on the cats at all times of year and despite what some people say they do bite humans :'(

I buy the stuff from the vet and spray everywhere twice a year including the beds and bedding of the humans, so this would be a big saving for me.

Just recently shifted the pc to face the back door which is glass and as I type a fox has just ambled past, had sniff round the garden and when I rattled the key in the door, looked round at me and disappeared off into the field.

[trafalgar]

Haven't had my cats too long so haven't done this before ::)
Misty you say it doesn't smell any worse, does it smell a lot then and for how long and does it not ruin bedding etc ???
A bit bothered about spraying it everywhere but don,t want fleas either ;)

[misty]

It says on the tin of the one I've got "it is advisable to test soft and hard furnishings for colour fastness in an inconspicuous area" but I've never had any problems with duvet covers, sofas !etc. the woman in the pet shop told me fleas can live in water so washing them isn't enough. I only do all these because my cat likes to sleep all over the place. If yours sleeps in just one or two places then you only need to do these.

The smell isn't awful but isn't exactly fragrant either. I try and do it on a warm day when I'm going out. Spray round, leave the windows ajar and then go out. usually faded by the time I get back. You don't have to though - not like the old sprays.

[trafalgar]

Thanks for that Misty, I think I'll need to do it cause both my cats have taken over the house , I do flea them of course but like you say , they can still bring fleas home;D ;D
Thank you for the info ;D

[lenny]

JUST PHONED MY LOCAL OFFICE, AND THEY DONT SELL IT! ANYONE KNOW IF THIS CAN BE BROUGHT IN SHOPS?-I AGREE ,THE STUFF AT THE VETS IS WAY TOO EXPENSIVE , BUT THANKS FOR THE TIP ANYWAY ;)

[Sarahsaver]

I had this problem once cos a stray moggy wandered into my house. Ordinary fly spray worked, on the carpet and sofa, although i would recommend doing it in the morning and then going out for quite a while. Obviously dont have any food around, and its not suitable for those of you who have small kiddies about.

[misty]

JUST PHONED MY LOCAL OFFICE, AND THEY DONT SELL IT! ANYONE KNOW IF THIS CAN BE BROUGHT IN SHOPS?-I AGREE ,THE STUFF AT THE VETS IS WAY TOO EXPENSIVE , BUT THANKS FOR THE TIP ANYWAY ;)
I hope it's not just in my town that it's available then ??? You can't buy it in the shops which why the vets can charge a fortune. You can buy other sprays in the pet shops but I've found generally not v good and still pretty expensive.

[cathy]

Set up a plate of sudsy water with a light hovering over it. The fleas are attracted to this and drown themselves.


and you will know if youve got them or not ;D

[Fran]

Cathy, what do you mean "a light hovering over it"? (A you on a spaceship thread?!! ;)) Do you mean put a plate of water on the floor with a lamp by it or something? Why would animal fleas be attracted to it, I thought they just wanted blood? ???

[cathy]

they go to the heat, expecting blood. so yes, put an angle poise lamp over the dish

[Paul Varjak]

The spray I get from my vet not only kills any fleas in the house but stops re-infection for several months as well.

Does the spray you get from Environment Health claim the prevent re-infection?

[divadee]

I also use a metal toother nit comb to groom my cat with (if your cat will allow this without taking your arm off) i use frontline and then comb her every other day and she has only had 2 fleas in over a year :)

[wolvesinwales]

I had a terible time with fleas off my cat last year the whole house was infested in the end, i spent a fortune on sprays etc.
I was advised to treat the cat with Advantage spot on stuff even through winter to break the flea cycle, i have done this and not 1 flea so far this year.

[tiger_-_lilly]

i work in a vets, and you can get a drop on product that you use on back of neck of cats/dogs.... that does the environment and the pet. its one better than normal frontline, it called frontline combo. and if done regularly, cats every 3-4 wks, and dogs every 4-8 wks, you can prevent them from breeding.
origional frontline kills fleas. lice and ticks (ticks for one week), but combo actually prevents the cycle of the flea, ie if its an egg it wont hatch, adnn a lavae will not grow into a flea, etc etc.

Program injection is also worth while thinking about, it steralises the flea, so no egg hatching, but fleas can still jump on/off, but if used in conjunction with frontline, or a instant flea killin product like capstar it can work well, especiall for cats with a flea alergy. (capstar kills in 20mins all fleas on the cat/or dog, but only workes at the time of giving it).
All above products avaliable only from vets, tho the capstar is similar in working liek 4pets tablets avaliabe in petshops. the rest ar POM. prescription only medication.