F L E A S

[Smithy]

Back home in NZ we took a stray cat in who as it turned out was covered in fleas. Sure enough they were all over the house in no time. But a short trip to the vet who gave us some stuff (the kind you place under the fur on the neck), however the vet said let the cat go all over the house as the treatment would kill fleas in the house where the cat went within a couple of days.

I was slightly sceptical but within 2 to 3 days no more fleas. Unfortunately I can't recall the name of the stuff but it was expensive.

I'd recommend that whatever it's called.

 

[jamespowers]

Back home in NZ we took a stray cat in who as it turned out was covered in fleas. Sure enough they were all over the house in no time. But a short trip to the vet who gave us some stuff (the kind you place under the fur on the neck), however the vet said let the cat go all over the house as the treatment would kill fleas in the house where the cat went within a couple of days.

I was slightly sceptical but within 2 to 3 days no more fleas. Unfortunately I can't recall the name of the stuff but it was expensive.

I'd recommend that whatever it's called.

It truly does work because the fleas jump on the cat and get poisoned.
After my cat returned from an over one year hiatus:eusa_doh: , I housed her in my summer house in the back to be sure that she didn't have anything I needed to treat. Yep, you guessed it, she had fleas. A treatment or two with Advantage nailed the fleas on her and in the place where she lived.

Regards,

J

 

[epr25]

I swear by CAP STAR.

 

[surely]

Now I just have to deal with the SHAME AND SELF-DISGUST of being a fleabitten disgusting-person.

understanding & acceptance of who one is is the first step toward enlightenment....

 

[dhermann1]

If you've have animals that go outdoors, some day, sooner or later, you will experience fleas. Fleas spend 90% of their lives OFF the host animal. That means they're in the environment. I've had to dust the entire house when strays we took in turned out to be infested. One thing not mentioned so far among the very good suggestions listed here, is to put moth balls in your vacuum cleaner. The fleas that get vacuumed up will be quickly killed.
But don't get a complex about having fleas!!! LOTS of people have lived through the experience. They give you the world's itchiest bite, but they can be dealt with.

 

[Paisley]

Here in Colorado, fleas are almost non-existent, but my vet has seen a few this year. (I took my dog, Molly, to the vet yesterday because she has been so itchy.) Last week I was bitten by something, and she said it might have been sarcoptes mites, which cause mange in dogs. She gave me a package of Frontline and antihistamines for my dog.

BTW, time was when even royalty had head lice, and bedbugs infestations are now becoming epidemic. There's no shame in having these things, only in not doing anything to get rid of them.

 

[scotrace]

In reading about The Pilgrims last year, many of their remaining diary accounts of visiting Native American villages speak of the huts teeming with visible insects.

I just involuntarily scratched my head.

 

[jamespowers]

In reading about The Pilgrims last year, many of their remaining diary accounts of visiting Native American villages speak of the huts teeming with visible insects.

I am treating the dog and cat with Advantage as soon as I get home tonight.

 

[ITG]

We use Advantage. I'd also recommend letting the animals outside for a few hours and setting off one of those fogger bombs and leaving with the family on an outing for a few hours.

You could try a household spray. We have a green top spray can we got at Target that worked really well which we've sprayed on furniture before. I think it's called Nature's Gaurdian.

 

[Vintage Betty]

How to deal with fleas

I'd like to chime in, because we have had about 25 cats over the years, from feral to dumped at our home (a very unfortunate common occurance of animals where we live. Our neighbors called us Dr. and Mrs Doolittle because we took in almost every animal dumped in the neighborhood).

Here are my suggestions:

• Buy Frontline. It is the least non-toxic of the flea preventive products and is much more safe than Advantage for your daughter to come in contact with. I spent about six months researching this information.
• Buy Frontline from a vet, not off ebay. I bought some off ebay and am convinced it was fake, though the packaging was perfect, the stuff didn't do anything.
• Get your cats to a groomer and get them washed. It is a myth that cats don't need baths.
• Get your cats to the vet to get their shots current, including rabies, heartworm testing, etc. Talk to your vet about the cats lifestyle and the fact they are outside cats.
• Wash your pet linens once a week. I put a sheet on top of our couch, bed, dog bed, etc and remove those each week. It cuts down on the pesky buggers since the linens are washed in hot water, the fleas go bye.
• Dump your litter and replace with fresh litter once a week, so if flea eggs are present in the litter, they will be removed from the house. Remember to put the old litter in a sealed bag, like a ziplock bag, or a plastic bag tied off.
• Try to keep the litter box out of hot areas (bathroom), where fleas eggs are most likely to hatch.
• Treat your house if necessary with whatever method works best for you (Powder,, spray etc) . Rmemember to open closets, lift up carpets if they are on top of carpets (we put our carpet runners over chair backs) and cover eating areas/countertops with newspaper. Leave for the day. In our house, the first person in the house has the job of opening all the windows and leaving immediately for a minimum 15 minutes - 30 minutes to let the house air out and the toxic chemicals to leave.
• Buy a Dyson Pet Vacuum with the Ball. It's the best vacuum on the market, and I did a lot of research before buying mine. You can expect to pay $500, and it's worth every penny. We used our old vacuum and ran it twice on our carpet before we ran out to buy our Dyson. We came home, and our Dyson was full with one foot of our carpet when we tried it. It honestly took six carpet cleanings of one rug before our Dyson was not picking up anything else. Dyson rocks. The ball makes it much easier for your wrist and has much less strain, and the suction will pick up the little critters in your carpet.
• Dust more
• Clean your drapes - shaking them out will work
• Brush your cats!
• Improve their diet to provide for natural resistance. A number of other Loungers have already suggested ideas. My idea is to go to a specialty pet store and buy Flint River Cat Food or order it off the internet. It is high quality food which will provide vitamins and minerals for your cat, and improve their immunity.

I'm sure I'll come up with more ideas, but even if you do some of these, your family should be better. And remember, Autumn in around the corner.

Good luck-
Vintage Betty