Talk me off the ledge!!! (fleas)

[KeyboardMash]

A couple of months ago we had an absolute nightmare with fleas. We've always treated our cats regularly, but briefly switched to flea collars - which didn't work, then resuming the previous treatment failed to get rid of them (and yes, we treated the house too).

We got the industrial strength stuff from the vets, continued nuking the house, and haven't seen a flea since October. UNTIL TODAY. I've just found one on my hand after a little snuggle with the cat.

Now, veteran flea-sufferers will know, the eggs can survive in your house a while, even if you hoover thoroughly - and the pupae can last aaaaaaaages. So it could just be a random one (hatched in the house or picked up outside) that was already destined for death as soon as it bit either cat, and would never have been able to breed. Or....not. I am getting the heebie-jeebies about the possibility of not. The treatment is due every 13 weeks, and next dose should be January 6th.

What do I do? Trust the vet-strength prescription stuff? Treat early? Cry?

I can understand this feeling. We buy cans of Indorex from Amazon every so often and spray the heck out of the house to put my mind at rest! But you do have to make sure your pets cannot get into the room while it does it's thing so just be careful with it. It is very effective though! I'm sure it'll be ok OP. I do worry too though so you're not alone.

Oh bless you. We are going through our first ever experience of fleas and its miserable. Our vet keeps telling us to stick with the spot on but even doing it every 3 weeks isn't helping

Aside from Indorex and treating the cats, the thing to do is vacuum rigorously and daily, then go over with a steam cleaner; including any hard flooring. Include your soft furnishings in the process, also machine wash all bedding that the cats have access to and things like cushion covers if possible. We shifted them in about two weeks doing that. Bonus for us was much cleaner carpets than we normally have 😁

We're in flea hell too! Frontline just doesn't work anymore apparently - despite regular treatments and another treatment when we spotted the fleas. Two weeks in, and things are much better, fingers crossed !!

This summer was fucking awful for fleas. I’m still a bit traumatised - and my cat is indoor so fuck knows how it got like it did. I’m keeping on top of 3 monthly treatments and I’ll Indorex again in the spring.
Edit: I had a vet knock down pill for the cat, vet strength spot on and did a religious Indorex + hoover every day for 7 days after trying less string treatments twice (cat) and 3 times (house).

I appreciate the camaraderie! For clarification, this is a "should I panic about one flea or chill out because it's likely nothing?" question. Not a "please give me advice on dealing with fleas" question. Believe me, I know all there is to know about what you do when you've got 'em!

Commiserations to everyone currently mired in the battle. Bloody pets!

I keep cans of Indorex in the bedroom, on the landing and in the kitchen. If I see a flea I nuke the room. I hoovered the cat last week as well. He didn't mind it, just lay there, the fleabag.

I would say it’s likely nothing but I would be exactly the same as you paranoia wise. I am still traumatised when we went through the same. It was awful. They are horrible!

Just trying to give you some hope! Sorry if I offended.

Not offended at all! Much of the advice was very helpful the first time round - I just did several Mumsnet threads and lots and lots (and lots and lots) of Googling so I've read it all over and over again and now get PTSD re-reading all the steps we lived through. I do appreciate your taking the time to reply, and you are of course entirely correct about the course of action (hence why I want to cry about the thought of having to DO it all over again.... 😭)

There’s a thread about this in the cat section. Basically fleas are AWFUL this year and are becoming resistant especially to the spot on stuff. You need the good tablets (Credelio), plus hoover daily and spray the heck out do the house. I used the bob martin spray which worked a treat

i wouldn’t panic for one flea but I would totally hoover and spray the whole house after christmas

Just seen the clarification post - apols. No I wouldn’t go mad but I would spray again once you are through Christmas. I am planning on spraying the whole house every month forever more

Took us 3 months. Was bitten to buggery (by fleas) in the meantime. Not fun.

It’s so horrible. My mum’s cat spent a month living in a tree this summer and would barely come down for meals. Regular steaming is the only thing that keeps killing the horrible things.

DH had a ring of bites above his sock line on each leg, while I (going bare-legged as it was summer) looked like I had a waist-down case of German Measles

Do you have a nit comb in the house?
We struggle with fleas due to local wildlife
Dcat2 is an amazing ratter as well

Between flea treatments this is what we do

I get a bowl of hot water sit it next to us and comb dcat 1 and 2 if I see a flea I dunk the nit comb in the water to remove it
They can kind of swim so either poke them back under or make sure the water is hot
Dcat1 gets them worse but he's darker so can't spot them
Both absolutely love a good comb as well

A drop of washing up liquid in the water breaks the surface tension so that they sink!

I find this quite therapeutic for me - although fleabag cat doesn't tolerate it for long.

Flea combs are great. Before spot on, and getting fed up of being covered in toxic powder, it used to be the go to method.

Many happy memories of chock full flea combs, running your finger down the edge of them, and popping all the fleas. Bit spornerish, but so satisfying.

Ah so following this post I got a flea comb and have discovered 3 fleas today (well 2 looked the same so who knows, one was massive!) I didn't have a water handy but the second I saw them they jumped and escaped who knows where 🤔i will keep at it. Will the comb help with eggs etc as well? I've been searching carpets for eggs and lavae but not seen any so thought the comb would help me understand what I was looking for!

Once you've nixed the little bastards, start putting a tea spoonful of coconut oil in their food every day. It's like garlic, exuding through their pores and fleas can't stand it. My dogs haven't been treated for fleas in 6 years and not had a single one.

Don’t treat the cat early - I was told not to do this. Treat the house instead.
Indorex the living daylights out of it.

No nits, fleas or bugs here! I spray Turkish lemon cologne on rugs and use it diluted on hard floors. It's pet friendly and not only kills fleas but they hate the smell so it deters them from coming back.

Oh I might try this! I don't have any in at the moment as I can't stand the smell but one for the Future!