CAT WITH FLEAS!!!!!

[Aravis Clanneed]

So I posted a thread about a week ago on this. I have been using frontline monthly for my cat, but as my schedule became busy I forgot about it! Also during this season fleas are easier for cats to pick up, so I have bathed my cat 3 times, which has been... A LOT... I have used diatomaceous earth on her and we fogged our house today. We may need to fog the house again because when I bathed my cat again today, I noticed she still has a good amount of fleas! I know this is my fault, but it feels like it is never ending, and I really just want to put an end to this once and for all! If you have any advice please tell!!!

 

[Isadora]

I stopped using Frontline because the fleas were resistant to it.
The last time our cats got fleas, which was several years ago at this point, we switched to revolution. It does require a veterinarian prescription, but it's worth it.

 

[Isadora]

Would a flea bath work or will that be toxic

Flea baths, medications, flea collars are toxic by nature because they're supposed to kill fleas.
I don't like to use them but it's far better than a flea infestation.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Getting rid of fleas is a multi step process and can be difficult. Because you have to not just kill the live fleas but also take care of the eggs which can take several weeks to hatch. So you have to treat the day and the environment.

Every part of the house needs to be thoroughly vacuumed. You can use the DE or other carpet treatment to sprinkle everywhere first. Also vacuum any upholstered furniture. Dispose of the vacuum bag in the trash immediately, outside the house. Plan on repeating this at least once a week for a few weeks.

You also need to vacuum or wash any pet bedding, and also your bedding if the cat ever gets on your bed.

Instead of harsh flea shampoos bath the cat using Dawn dishwashing liquid. Coat it on fairly thick and let it sit for about 5 minutes then rinse thoroughly. This smothers the fleas and then washes them away. A vet taught me this and I have done it many times with good results. No the cat won't like it. Be careful not to get bit or scratched.

After the cat is thoroughly dry use your flea prevention. If you have used Frontline for a long time your fleas might be resistant so you may want to switch to a different brand.

Hope that helps.

 

[Dinogrrl]

Dawn baths will kill the fleas on them at that moment BUT don't bathe them right before or after applying topical flea medication because you'll just wash the meds off.
You'll need to vacuum daily. Yes, even hardwood floors. Throw out the bag/dump out the canister each time. Wash all bedding the cat likes to sit on. And keep up on a flea preventative. Frontline, while a good product, does unfortunately seem to have resistance problems. I do second using Revolution, or Bravecto (which is a three-month application BUT also basically as expensive as 3 months of Revolution, but it may be worth it if you don't want to apply stuff monthly!). You can use something like Vet-Kem spray in the house to kill the fleas in there. Outdoors you'll probably want to hire a pest control company.

It's going to take at least three months to get rid of an infestation, unfortunately. There is no substance that will kill all the flea life stages so you have to keep up with preventative measures as long as it takes all the fleas present to go from egg to all the larval stages to pupa to adult. That's why you'll seem to get the problem under control, and then it pops up again--you just killed the current generation of fleas but there's more waiting to hatch!

Yes, it's obnoxious. Don't panic, just keep at it, and it'll go away eventually.
Keep an eye out for tapeworms on the cat too, those are carried by fleas and it's not uncommon for cats to end up with tapeworms after a heavy flea infestation. Again, don't panic, it can be treated, just be aware (and no you can't catch tapeworms from your cat).

 

[sdm111]

I would advise to not use seresto (?) Flea collars. Without concrete proof my wife is convinced it gave her cat throat cancer which eventually killed him

 

[Aravis Clanneed]

So far, I have not treated my yard it is very big, and I didn’t know that treating you yard for fleas was a thing till today. I have used apple cider vinegar in my house. I have sprayed it on myself and on my bed. So far we are keeping my cat outside till we have this situation under control. I bathe her with Dawn soap, and I have powdered her in DE. I’ll try some of those remedies in the article that you sent me.

 

[Aravis Clanneed]

Would a flea bath work or will that be toxic

 

[Gizabelle]

X3 on Revolution.
I've been using Revolution for several years now, and haven't had any flea problems.
I've tried Frontline and Advantage in the past, but both only worked marginally well. Not enough to stop and infestation. Capstar is also great for killing all fleas on the animal in one go. Its a bit more controversial, but has been used by vet offices for years. It only works for 24hrs though, and you'll still need the monthly topical applied shortly afterwards, and the whole house cleaning as described above.
One more thing though... I've been told to leave vacuum bags out in the sun for a while before throwing in the trash. Make sure those things are good and dead before you toss.

 

[RDchicken99]

Coconut oil suffocates fleas, give your cat a good rub down with it and that should take care of SOME of them. X3 on Dawn soap, it will kill them and isn’t harsh on cat’s skin, we had to bathe our kittens almost every other day. It was pretty tiring, but it helped loads. DE does help to prevent, we use it whenever we see fleas on our cat, and it does kill on contact, BUT because fleas are hard bodied, unlike mites, it doesn’t work as effectively because it’s harder for it to penetrate the exoskeleton. Vacuum daily, to get rid of eggs.