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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DP and Fleas!!!

55 replies

Fleaminraging · 08/03/2019 04:14

So I have name changed in case he sees this but please note this is mostly light hearted...

DS (2y/o) recently came out with various red spots all over him. No bother, thought it was chicken pox! Until I see this little black bug on him - he had just been smothering the cat. This put me into a fit of anxiety that these spots were flea bites! So DP assures me I am being ridiculous there is no sign of fleas any where else, it's probably just a little bug from the garden.

I've spent the last 3 days convinced there are fleas in this house but DP has started getting annoyed at me and clearly showing he is frustrated with me.

Well tonight, in comes Archie (the cat), scratching his ears off of his head, while sitting on my bed. I take one look at him with a flea comb and he has tons of the little buggers!!! I did frontline him at the start of the week and have RIP flea spray for the house but please, does anyone have any tips to get rid of these asap?!

AIBU to be a in a grump with dp for not taking me seriously and then leaving me to deal with the cat tonight!!

If you read this far, thanks for letting me vent, haha. My anxiety is through the roof right now!

OP posts:
HomeMadeMadness · 08/03/2019 07:32

Vacuum like mad many times. It's mainly places like the foot of the bed, the foot of the sofa and the sofa itself. It's expensive but you an pay an exterminator to do the whole house. We did this and it just got rid of them in one go.

Mog6840 · 08/03/2019 07:40

My best friend and her husband are vets and when I brought my kitten home and it had fleas, they highly recommended the Indorex household spray. You can buy online or from the vets. It really did do the job!
You can't just treat the cat...you need to kill the eggs and larvae in your soft furnishings and carpets or they will keep hopping back on the cat.
Also change from frontline to Stronghold. Frontline is no longer as effective as it was.

Whoopsies · 08/03/2019 07:40

Definitely get the strongest flea treatment you can for the cat and make sure you're on top of it. Don't feel too bad, I had the same with ds a few years ago and had to admit to nursery that the spots all over him were flea bites!!!

Original poster
Fleaminraging · 08/03/2019 07:44

Thank you so much, lots of brilliant advice from everyone.

I will phone the vets as soon as they are open for more flea treatment - it was then I got the frontline from through!!

Am currently in a cleaning fury!

OP posts:
Amicompletelyinsane · 08/03/2019 07:48

We've stopped selling frontline where I work because of all the issues. Once everywhere is sprayed and cat treated let the cat go eberywhereb it previously did. The treated cat is part of the cycle to kill the fleas.

AwkwardPaws27 · 08/03/2019 07:57

Make sure you use the spray properly - hoover, then spray, then hoover again. You may need to repeat a couple of times.
The hoovering is important as the warmth and vibrations encourage the fleas to come out of their hiding places and it may encourage eggs to hatch (the spray isn't as effective on the eggs).
The sudden warm spell will have caused lots of flea activity so don't feel too bad (you often see outbreaks in late autumn too, when everyone turns on their heating!).

bellabasset · 08/03/2019 07:57

I have a health club subscription for my cat, which includes flea and worming treatment. I have one that last 3 months and they change the product regularly.

Indorex can be bought at Pets at Home, steam cleaner brilliant.

Eliza9917 · 08/03/2019 07:57

Diatomous earth gets rid of fleas. I've probably spelt it wrong but Google will know what it is.

Pinkbendyman · 08/03/2019 08:07

95% of fleas LIVE and BREED in the home.

Only 5% of fleas are on the pets.

If you don’t treat the home correctly, you will never get rid of them.

SaucyJack · 08/03/2019 08:23

The flea bombs are good.

You can also get flea tablets which will kill any live fleas on your cat and hide them in food. They get temporary relief from an infestation. This won’t kill any eggs tho, so you’ll need to use it alongside a more effective flea spot-on, and keep using it everytime you see the cat suffering.

Villanellesproudmum · 08/03/2019 08:23

Agree Indorex is great! Don’t buy it from the Vets though, it’s cheaper online.

The shallow water and candle is great for checking if they’re still around.

Thishatisnotmine · 08/03/2019 08:49

Indorex spray. Safe for pets and children as it dries. Spray it in the vacuum! The eggs live for ages off the cat so you need to do your house too.

Original poster
Fleaminraging · 08/03/2019 08:58

Anyone have experience with RIP flea spray? That's what we were given at the vet.

Also I was wrong, it was broadline they gave me at the start of the week not frontline. Is that any better??

OP posts:
gamerchick · 08/03/2019 09:00

was then I got the frontline from through!!

Ask them why they're still selling it when it doesnt work.
I would say the massive amounts of threads on here about fleas use frontline.

ABC1234DEF · 08/03/2019 09:15

*Anyone have experience with RIP flea spray? That's what we were given at the vet.

Also I was wrong, it was broadline they gave me at the start of the week not frontline. Is that any better??*

This combination of products is fine, they're both very effective. Make sure you treat the whole house with the spray. You'll then need to vacuum vigorously, daily. The vibrations will stimulate them to come out. They won't disappear overnight, it will take a couple of weeks as the eggs hatch out in waves, but you should see a reduction in numbers quite quickly.

sheskilledmyplant · 08/03/2019 09:22

This happened to me last year op. In the height of the heatwave we had last summer my cat was riddled in fleas after the vet gave me frontline! I moved vets because the vet was saying there was no problem with it. The new vet gave me stronghold and he has never had them since. I got indorex (bloody amazing stuff) and did the whole house. Have had no problems since.

sheskilledmyplant · 08/03/2019 09:23

Does anyone know if indorex works on bed bugs and carpet beetles?????That's my new problem 😩😩😩

ABC1234DEF · 08/03/2019 09:28

@sheskilledmyplant should do. Kills spiders too!

TanselleTooTall · 08/03/2019 09:28

Prinovox is what is prescribed by my vets and indorex for any unexpected emergencies! Never had an infestation as to date.

Deathraystare · 08/03/2019 09:32

You have to boil wash the bedding and clean all upholstery with a steam cleaner OP....curtains too! Anywhere the cat sleeps.

All the above but do let Archie sleep in your DP's sock drawer. After all, he DID say there were no fleas.

RissolePlease · 08/03/2019 09:37

Don't forget to change your hoover bag and remove it from house after hoovering, or put a flea collar in the bag.

I dont envy you OP, I have had a couple of infestations in my life time and I never stop worrying about having them at home again.

I would call out pest control to spray everywhere if it were me, much more effective and worth the money.

longtimelurkerhelen · 08/03/2019 09:39

Never buy indorex from vet. get it online or pets at home. My vet charged me £34 for one 500ml spray can. I looked online and bought some for £8. Got a refund from vet, they really take the piss with the prices.

I would always buy the spot on from the vets though as over the counter meds at best just do not work or at worst can kill the cat (read the reviews).

Check with vet when you can re dose your cat as it can be dangerous to do it twice in a short time period. Get a flea comb in the meantime.

gamerchick · 08/03/2019 09:57

Yeah I got indorex from Amazon. No way I was paying those silly prices from the vets.

Hotterthanahotthing · 08/03/2019 10:06

Another who had this last year.
Lots of spraying and hoovering each day,including beds/sofa.
Decent flea stuff from the vet for the cat and let the cat in all areas as fleas will jump on and die.This is essential if like mine your cat sleeps under beds.
I also combed my cats everyday with the soapy water.
I got as far as getting bombs but seemed to win without.Good luck,it is grim but killing the little buggers is satisfying.

SrSteveOskowski · 08/03/2019 10:06

As a number of previous posters have said, Frontline doesn't seem to work anymore. The fleas have pretty much become immune.
You need to get Bravecto. Much better and a bonus is that it only needs to be used every three months instead of every month.

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