Cat fleas, help we're being eaten alive!

RacyRed

sally06 wrote: »

The hoovering and spraying is finally paying off. I'm seeing less fleas around the house and I haven't been bitten for a few days (touch wood). Especially since I started adding a few drops of tea tree oil to my body lotion. Not sure if this is just a coincidence though or whether it actually works!

However, earlier I was checking all the cats with a flea comb. Two of them have no fleas...but I found 6 on one of the kittens:eek::eek:they were almost dead, so I finished them off, but how can he have fleas on him when I put advocate on him last thursday?????he also has a bit of flea dirt on him, or maybe it was dirt from the garden? I forgot to test it:rolleyes:

I'm sure the fleas are still alive and hopping on my patio. Maybe the fleas I found on the kitten had just jumped on him when he went outside? help!!

Have you tried washing down your patio with the hottest possible water to see if that stops the fleas jumping onto yout kitties?

I think one of my cats has become pals with a flea-ridden stray, he is going out "clean" and coming home with adult dying fleas on him, so he is obviously coming into contact with them outside.

I suppose as long as they are dying once they come into contact with my boy there is not too much to worry about. Wish he'd bring his pal home though so I can treat his/her fleas too!

How do you test for flea dirt?

BeenieCat

Hi, just wanted to say a huge thanks to stavrosh for posting. Very informative and interesting.

BitterAndTwisted

RacyRed wrote: »

How do you test for flea dirt?

Are you asking what flea-dirt/faeces looks like or how to tell whether those little black specks on your kitten really is dirt/faeces?

If you find any black specks on your cat (and they are about the size of the commas on here) put some on a piece of damp kitchen paper. If it turns red as it dissolves, it's flea-dirt

chris_n_tj

sally06 wrote: »

chris n tj, I haven't heard of zodiac. Where did you get it from? TIA

Tonight, I tried the candle on a saucer with oil and water. But so far nothing! I know the fleas are still with us though because I've been bitten again and I've seen them on my washing on the line:eek:I need to cut the lawn tomorrow, because I am sure they are hiding in the long grass and jumping onto my washing as soon as I put it out:rolleyes:

It's possible the fleas have got into my wardrobes too (the cats were always playing in there) How the hell can I get them out without having to wash everything? TIA

On a positive note, my 3 cats seem much happier since I put advocate on them. They still scratch occasionally, but I have checked them all with a flea comb and they don't have any live fleas on them, phew! everyone is talking about frontline. Is it better than advocate? I might try that next time. I don't intend to use the same treatment every month, incase they build up a resistance to it. I can't bear to go through this infestation nightmare again. Good luck to everyone else who is trying to evict these nasty things from their home.

you can get Zodiac from your vets or PAH is cheaper.

chris_n_tj

sally06 wrote: »

just a quick update; I have now found 2 fleas on my other kitten:mad: Not checked my other cat tonight as she is still out. It looks like the avocate has stopped working and I only put it on them last thursdayI called the vet and the lady on the reception said she would speak to the vet for me and get back to me tomorrow. I am really peed off now. I've spent endless hours cleaning and hoovering, not to mention the cost of the sprays - and all for nothing:mad:I don't think we will ever be flea free:(

Sally a couple of questions, first have you used the spray or drops please, also have you checked your garden for hedgehogs? If possible could you keep your cats indoors for a while just until you have things under control. I do know you can get the council to spray the whole house for you, the cost is around £18, this could be an option if you feel like you are fighting a losing battle. Although I think you are doing ok, keep your chin up, the cold weather will soon see off most of the dreaded things. Pleas efeel free to PM me if you need a shoulder, I know how easy it is to feel down when these things happen.
Chris n TJ

stavrosh

sally06 wrote: »

just a quick update; I have now found 2 fleas on my other kitten:mad: Not checked my other cat tonight as she is still out. It looks like the avocate has stopped working and I only put it on them last thursdayI called the vet and the lady on the reception said she would speak to the vet for me and get back to me tomorrow. I am really peed off now. I've spent endless hours cleaning and hoovering, not to mention the cost of the sprays - and all for nothing:mad:I don't think we will ever be flea free:(

The advocate does work, but as I stated above, it needs a few hours to kill the fleas. The ones you are finding have recently jumped on, either from in your house or from outside (do they visit anyone elses house?).

If you keep vacuuming, then you'll keep stimulating the eggs and larvae deep in the carpet to hatch, so essentially you're accellerating the natural process, which makes it look far worse. The council spray won't do anything the other environmental sprays do, and may acheive less as they only kill the adults - remember, the main issue is the eggs and larvae. Don't be under the illusion you have hundreds of adult fleas biding their time in the carpets. The guys you are finding have only just hatched.

The advocate is safe enough to use every 2 weeks, and this may work better in the face of a severe infestation.

sally06

Many thanks to stavrosh, chris n tj and RacyRed

I checked both kittens this morning with the flea comb and I couldn't see any fleas on them:TI now realise the problem is in my garden. I have quite a large garden and patio area which needs a good clear out TBH. The fleas are probably hiding out there waiting to leap on the cats as soon as they appear. I'm going to try to keep them in until I have sorted the garden out. I will let the older cat out as she never seems to get fleas

my council charge £81 to spray the house so I won't bother calling them in since I have a cubard full of sprays already.

rita-rabbit

thank goodness it's not just me! I treated my two with spot on stuff & left @ my parents for a week when I went on holiday - unfortunately I think some eggs must have hatched in my old bedroom - where they stayed last year! Or fleas picked up from the garden where my brother has been treating the indoor cat to fresh grass (she's too nervous to go outside at my flat, I live on 1st floor & she's not keen on other people) - but previously had been entertaining next doors dog....

NATCHO

Indorex is good for treating the house. I use Billy No Mates now on both my cats and it's brilliant. It's herbal, neem, lemon balm, fenugreek and a couple of other things. It costs me £12.50 and lasts two cats from Easter up until it gets cold, then I don't bother until next Easter.

I had an infestation when I moved into my new house about three years ago, used Indorex from the vets and got on with the Billy No Mates and haven't looked back, and one of my cats is longhaired. Makes their coats shine too and works well on ear mites. It's manufactured for dogs but the cats have the tincture. It's brilliant, can't recommend it enough and no pesticides.

Fire_Fox

I moved into a house with an active infestation and found it was far more cost effective to get a man in to spray the entire house than to DIY. You need to leave the chemicals down for two weeks without vaccuuming to allow the eggs to hatch. The company we used guaranteed the results so they ended up coming three times in total but only charging once.

We had no pets so were not being reinfested from outside. Later when we had out own cats we used the spot-on stuff every month all year round and never had a problem - this was as advised by the vets.