Specific question about fucking fleas!!!!

[KeyboardMash]

Background: We diligently treated our cats with the monthly spot-on stuff. No fleas, but one very skittish cat, who flinched whenever we approached and disappeared for 24 hours after every application. We switched to flea collars: fucking fleas!!

I have: resumed spot-on stuff (Frontline Plus), smoke bombed all rooms, flea sprayed everything several times, hoovered everything every other day for just over three weeks. I have read a LOT online and now know more about the lifecycle of fleas than I ever wanted to have to know. Currently seeing far fewer fleas BUT one of the cats is still covered in eggs. I cannot understand this - everything I'm reading online says you can expect to see fleas still, because they all need to hatch out from their various stages and either come into contact with insecticide or bite the cat in order to die. But why am I seeing flea eggs still?

That's the specific question I can't find an answer to - if my cat is treated, and the house is treated, how are the fuckers still managing to lay new eggs?! Which part isn't working?!!!?!

I'm losing my mind over this. It's fucking horrible, my children have flea bites, I have tendon pain because my stupid hands don't work properly and hoovering eight times a minute is making them hurt, and I fully understand you came expect to see some fleas but why eggs? Why is this poor cat still shedding a snowstorm of eggs at this stage. I've cried twice today and I don't know what else I can do.

Are you rotating the treatment you’re using, instead of just using one brand.
Do you have other animals like rabbits ?

I think Frontline Plus is an OTC medication?

I would

a) see a vet and get something prescribed. They tend to know what is working best at the moment and in your local area and so in my experience, prescribe more reliable options
b) Indorex everywhere, if you haven't already.

You need to get flea treatments from the vet not over the counter. Made this mistake once with frontline and my cat got fleas.

Frontline Plus uses fipronil which many fleas are now immune to.you might need a different treatment.

Frontline stopped working for my cats. I have advantage on a monthly subscription from pets at home.
Also get a flea comb and comb cats through. Dip comb in warn washing up liquid water in between to kill eggs

Given that the Frontline worked for the ten months we were using it, it doesn't feel like that's what the issue is. We only got fleas when we switched to flea collars - which were over the counter ones, and I think that was the mistake. Prior to that the Frontline treatment was fine - we didn't see any.

Seek vet’s advice

We used Johnson’s 4fleas tablets (covered in Easypill paste) worked really well. Dose according to flea cycle to ensure no more eggs. Worked for us and also spraying Indorex.

OK.

We got back from holiday once to a house that was infested. Indorexed the house, switched from the ineffective Frontline and not had a problem in the 7 years or so since.

I feel your pain OP we are going through a similar problem at the moment. We've had cats for 17 years and this is the first time! It appears that one cat is the culprit, I've combed him with a nit comb for the last 5 days and all of the eggs have gone, although there is still the odd flea or 5. We've also sprayed the house with Indorex and hoovered every day. It's a bloody nightmare!

Frontline does not work. I'm surprised they are allowed to sell it.
Unfortunately the stuff that does work is much more expensive and you have to get from a vet.

See, I can understand seeing the odd flea. That makes sense - fucking horrible, but makes sense. I just can't understand why there are still so many eggs on her. All of the spraying and fogging plus treatment should prevent the new fleas that hatch from being able to lay eggs. But somehow they're still there!!!

When you say eggs so you mean black dots (flea dirt)?
fleas don’t lay eggs on the animal, they lay them in the carpet/skirting boards etc

I think you need to get your cats checked at the vets. It could be ineffective flea control (hence you still finding flea dirt) or an other sort of parasite accounting for “eggs” that you are seeing

As everyone else said, get prescription strength spot on . We have Broadline, Stronghold is also very good. BUT when we had a flea outbreak 15 years ago we found Indorex would work for 2 to 3 weeks and then a next wave would hatch and we'd be back to square one. In the end we got pest control in. He sprayed all over the floors and we weren't allowed to vacuum for 3 weeks. Grim. But that solved it 100%.

No, not flea dirt - white flea eggs. They do lay eggs on the animal according to everything I have read, and these then fall off around the house as the cat walks around. You can see white flea eggs wherever the cat has been lying.

This is sort of what I'm talking about though. When you say "back to square one" I'm assuming you mean new fleas would hatch out? But what I can't understand is why I seem to have got rid of the fleas (although I'm sure there are still some eggs/larvae/pupae in the environment waiting to develop) but one of the cats is covered in eggs. I haven't seen any fleas on her for a few days but lots of eggs wherever she's lying.

You need a vet trip to get a prescription medicine. Our vets don’t recommend frontline any more as there is too much resistance. And it is really rare to see flea eggs, they are minuscule. It could be lice instead which needs a different treatment. You’re wasting money on over the counter treatments when one from the vet will sort things.

I think spot treatments are useless.

I gave my cat a Johnson's4flea treatment this morning and lots of fleas have dropped dead right off him. It's my go to treatment.

I would recommend them.

Oh I bloody feel your pain because we had fleas when we got our kitten a good few years ago and I was ready to move home!!!
We went to the vet and have had prescription flea treatment ever since.
Plus I spent a small fortune on Indorex and just kept spraying and spraying, hoovering and washing.
Also sat with her and a nit comb with a bowl of soapy water next to me at least once felt like a million times a day.
I so hope you get on top of it soon but definitely go to the vet.

Definitely seek a vet prescription remedy - it's a bit like the difference between over the counter versus prescription pain killers!

Are you vaccing and spraying with indorex in the shady places as well, in your home, e.g. under the bed.

Washing all bedding throughly etc?

I'm afraid that this year has been an absolute shocker for fleas!

The eggs are indeed small, but they are plainly visible on dark surfaces - especially when there are lots of them! You can tell the difference between the eggs and the odd skin flake because they will pop under the back of your nail on a hard surface!

I've tried three different flea sprays that were all highly recommended, and a different brand of flea bomb, but will try Indorex next since people here have recommended that one. It's a two-week wait for a vet's appointment because they are swamped but I'll make one and see what they say about Frontline. It what the rescue place recommended, but I guess they don't really have cats long term.

We have a bad problem with fleas a good few years ago now.
I took my cat to the vets who prescribed some flea medication which was amazing (the fleas were literally falling off the cat and diying)
We bought some flea bombs from Johnson & Johnson and touch wood we've never seen them again.
We always get our flea medication prescribed from the vets now as it's the best available on the market

Lightly dust diatomaceous earth over the underside of seat cushions and anywhere the cat sleeps (NOT on the cat itself). Kills fleas without chemicals and you can leave the dust there indefinitely.

I do appreciate people taking the time to recommend things. I just feel like I'm no closer to the answer of why everything I'm doing seems to be killing fleas very effectively but somehow they are still managing to lay eggs. That was what I was specifically trying to understand, but I think maybe haven't managed to word it right!

Sounds great but is there a spot on? I can't get a tablet down my evil cat.