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Original poster

FLEAS!!!

62 replies

Choice4567 · 04/02/2025 19:36

The cat has fleas. I have done everything! Noticed them about 3 weeks ago. She's had two rounds of drops, and now has a flea collar. I've washed everything. And I mean everything in the house. Bedding. Rugs. Blankets. Cushions. Cuddly toys.

I've gone through 3 bottles of flea spray and covered the carpets and sofas. Numerous times. All bedroom doors are now kept shut so she's only downstairs. I've combed her everyday. There's certainly a lot less fleas than at the beginning. But they're not going away, and me and the children are getting huge fresh bites everyday

I can't carry on like this! Is there something I haven't tried? Can a vet do anything more?

At this point (she's v old and likely got cat dementia) I'm almost willing to ask them to
Put her down. we can't carry on being this itchy

OP posts:
Fleasies · 05/02/2025 09:07

We had an outbreak last year for the first time (after years of never treating the cats with anything). Didn’t see an improvement with Frontline but sprayed the house with Indorex and then used food grade Diatomaceous earth sprinkled on the cats and all over the house and furniture, and left for as long as you can, before vacuuming.

You must make sure they, and you, don’t breathe it in whilst applying; a video on YouTube showed using a large bin bag over their head for the 30 seconds you need and a mask for you. It sounds cruel but all of our cats were fine with it. Check that it’s food grade too.

It was dusty and messy but we haven’t seen fleas since.

Original poster
Choice4567 · 05/02/2025 10:55

Thanks everyone. Very useful tips here. I've hoovered the whole house again, including taking the sofa apart this morning. (It's my day off so easy enough, much harder to do on working days!)

Will give the vet a call this morning too

I was getting a bit grumpy with the whole thing last night, not helped by DH's attitude that it'll all work out. He's not the one getting bitten from head to toe! Or doing any of the hoovering or looking for things to help. He's general advice last night was 'well take her to the vets if you really want but I'm sure they'll just go away eventually'!

OP posts:
fatandtrying · 05/02/2025 10:59

Choice4567 · 05/02/2025 10:55

Thanks everyone. Very useful tips here. I've hoovered the whole house again, including taking the sofa apart this morning. (It's my day off so easy enough, much harder to do on working days!)

Will give the vet a call this morning too

I was getting a bit grumpy with the whole thing last night, not helped by DH's attitude that it'll all work out. He's not the one getting bitten from head to toe! Or doing any of the hoovering or looking for things to help. He's general advice last night was 'well take her to the vets if you really want but I'm sure they'll just go away eventually'!

our flea infestation was summer last year and I was really embarrassed turned out everyone in the village was struggling with them! I thought ours would never end but we did get there in the end! we had not long moved into our house at the time so I cracked on with decorating and ripped all the old carpets up and had wooden floors down so hoping that's been a big help to us as well..... there is light at the end of the tunnel

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Sunshineandrainbow · 05/02/2025 11:03

Hope you get it sorted, an antihistamine might help with the itch!

Kneeboobs · 05/02/2025 11:10

I have 4 cats,each wears a seresto collar that lasts 8 months but I change every 7 and I indore the entire house every 11 months.
No fleas thank god.
I am looking into trying another flea treatment for a little while asworried they'll build resistance to the seresto collars as they've been on them for years.

Original poster
Choice4567 · 05/02/2025 11:27

@fatandtrying I did also point this out to DH. The carpets are hideous and it's a long term to replace them all. I suggested this morning we just rip them all out!

OP posts:
fatandtrying · 05/02/2025 15:19

Choice4567 · 05/02/2025 11:27

@fatandtrying I did also point this out to DH. The carpets are hideous and it's a long term to replace them all. I suggested this morning we just rip them all out!

best thing we ever did! Also I'm going back to a leather settee and chair just feels grim since the infestation!

Original poster
Choice4567 · 09/02/2025 12:17

We seem to have achieved riddance of fleas! Took the cat to the vet on Thursday. asked about Credelio but the cat is so bad with tablets, so she recommended NexGuard. It's a spot on combo flea/worm.

Spent Friday taking the house apart to Hoover and spray everything.

I've had no new bites since Thursday which is huge! I'll carry on hoovering and spraying this week. But I think we may have broken the back of it!

OP posts:
Wavescrashingonthebeach · 09/02/2025 15:07

Choice4567 · 05/02/2025 10:55

Thanks everyone. Very useful tips here. I've hoovered the whole house again, including taking the sofa apart this morning. (It's my day off so easy enough, much harder to do on working days!)

Will give the vet a call this morning too

I was getting a bit grumpy with the whole thing last night, not helped by DH's attitude that it'll all work out. He's not the one getting bitten from head to toe! Or doing any of the hoovering or looking for things to help. He's general advice last night was 'well take her to the vets if you really want but I'm sure they'll just go away eventually'!

It was driving a massive wedge between me and dp as he just wasn't taking it seriously enough either!!

Renamed · 10/02/2025 10:45

I’ve seen a similar lackadaisical attitude from a friend’s male partner when they had bed bugs ffs. How do you explain that? Does it go something like “Ew, housework, expense, might be roped in to vet trips, too much bother for little me”?

Wavescrashingonthebeach · 10/02/2025 19:10

Renamed · 10/02/2025 10:45

I’ve seen a similar lackadaisical attitude from a friend’s male partner when they had bed bugs ffs. How do you explain that? Does it go something like “Ew, housework, expense, might be roped in to vet trips, too much bother for little me”?

Me saying we need to hoover the house from to bottom and him doing nothing about it including clearing his stuff that he was meant to sort through and put away. Argh!

FiestyGemini · 10/08/2025 22:45

Choice4567 · 04/02/2025 20:00

My problem is I'm doing all that! I'm
Hoovering everyday, washing the blankets and rugs and then spraying them. It doesn't seem to be making any difference! I'm absolutely riddled with bites

I wasn't the biggest fan of this cat anyway. I'd quite like her to go and live outside until the fleas have gone!

I think the cycle of fleas lasts from weeks to months. You may be ontop of it but it doesn't feel like it. However if you hate the cat and didn't want it, perfect reason to rehome it.....you may still have fleas when it's gone for a while.

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