Fleas! Your best tactics?

[LanguidLobster]

I only let indoor cat out a few days ago for a few metres look around. I'm simultaneously impressed and revulsed at them popping up at home now on the basis of a few seconds walk outside.

They're incredible (abeit gross) aren't they?

Kitteh has been dosed, I've had an offer of some sort of flea can spray for the floor. And plenty of vacuuming.

Any pros on fleas here? What do you do?

[thecatneuterer]

I just do regular flea treatments (with proper stuff of course) and don't bother with anything else. I currently have around 30 full time feline residents in my house and have never had a flea infestation.

[Staying]

Get a treatment from the vet. There are ones that repell fleas and ones that attract them and kill them on the cat's body. When they're in the house, you need the latter.

Masses of hovering too.

Dark crevices, between cushions on sofa etc.

[LanguidLobster]

Actually before I opened the thread all the cats in one pic I gulped and wondered if that was you before I clicked!

So just a few stray ones? I'm not sure if I'd call this a full investation but cat is obviously upset, she's a sensitive little bunny though and hasn't had them for ages

[cpjoli]

Indorex flea spray and advocate treatment. Works a treat.

[MikeUniformMike]

Cheapo flea collar in the vacuum cleaner. Vacuum and vacuum again and again.
White socks will make it easy to spot them (yuk).
Flea collar on the cat.

[LanguidLobster]

Ohhh my friend offered me Indorex, I'll pick that up at the weekend, thanks cpjoli makes me feel reassured.

She's only had Bob Martin spot-on today.

[HardAsSnails]

Please don't use Bob Martin flea products, they can be at best useless and at worst toxic to cats. Please keep a cross eye on your cat.

The only non-prescription flea spot-on which works is Advantage.

[dementedpixie]

Bob Martin is not a good brand to use. Get a proper vet approved flea treatment

[HardAsSnails]

Do not put another treatment on the cat, I would suggest you call or pop into your vet to get a decent spot-on and ask how soon you can apply it after the BM stuff.

[HardAsSnails]

I meant CLOSE eye not cross eye

[LanguidLobster]

Ha! It's 5 weeks.

[thecatneuterer]

Yes, don't use any off the shelf flea treatments. Bob Martin used to kill cats. They have changed the active ingredient and now it just doesn't work. Other off the shelf treatments still have the dangerous ingredient.

Flea collars are another terrible idea. They don't work, they can cause skin irritation and of course strangle your cat if it gets caught on something.

If you don't want to go to a vet then you can use Advantage, which is a proper treatment, but you can get it from chemists, online and Pets at Home, but it's not 'off the shelf' as you have to ask a qualified person to sell it to you.

(And a photo with ALL my cats in - that'll be the day!)