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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Please help - fleas ruining my life!

49 replies

Sofiabella · 15/08/2022 21:35

As the title says please help 😞

So long story short our neighbours moved and left their cat behind. Cat took to crying outside our door and stupidly we took pity on him and let him in. Turns out he has fleas - as soon as we found this out we stopped letting him in and contacted his owners via FB.
So cat has now gone from the house but the fleas have not. My little boy has been bitten to pieces, his poor legs. I feel like the worst mum in the world.
I am hoovering, flea bombing, spraying, washing on hot temps, setting traps every night with washing up liquid and light sources but literally every day there are more bites and it's honestly making me feel sick.
Is the only way to get a professional in? Will the absence of a host to feed on help us? Literally sat sobbing about my poor little boys legs, hate myself for it.

OP posts:

AmbushedByCake1 · 15/08/2022 21:39

Have you sprayed with Indorex? That's the best spray imo.

Smithy8001 · 15/08/2022 21:43

You need Indorex OP. Spray it in every room then hoover for seven days.
You did a kind thing letting the cat in, don’t feel guilty.

ofwarren · 15/08/2022 21:44

I use indorex and flea traps that you can get from amazon. Cleared them up in 2 days

OneTC · 15/08/2022 21:45

I've never known an infestation to persist long after the animal has moved on.

We managed to keep them out of our bedroom with citrusy type essential oils but I don't know if that's a good idea if there's kids about

hilbil21 · 15/08/2022 21:45

Definitely indorex.

Ratbagcatbag · 15/08/2022 21:45

Indorex. Off Amazon next day delivery, or a local vets.

Strip all soft furnishing/teddies the lot and boil wash. Then go for it with the indorex. Make sure you get in all the gaps between skirting board and carpet, and all mattresses. Open windows and air room.

it kills them pretty much instantly.

Original poster

Sofiabella · 15/08/2022 21:54

Ordered Indorex thank you, unfortunately it won't come until the 18th but at least it's on the way. In the meantime I'm planning to flea bomb both kids rooms while they're out tomorrow, all bedding has already been on a hot wash. I've been spraying everywhere I can think of with Bob Martin spray as that's all my local shop had. I can't see any fleas jumping on carpets etc but it's the thought of eggs hatching everywhere and the cycle never ending that makes me feel so hopeless. To make matters worse the cats new home isn't far and he keeps coming back and trying to climb through the window and crying. Absolute nightmare.

OP posts:

Haus1234 · 15/08/2022 21:57

Indorex for sure (and Bravecto for the cat! Though not if it’s not yours of course). It works wonders. Also, it’s not your fault this happened and it absolutely doesn’t make you a bad mum. Insect bites are a fact of life.

Realistically it’s kinder for the cat not to let them in if it’s not their house any more, it has to get used to it’s new home.

SwelegantParty · 15/08/2022 21:59

If you can't wait till the 18th, vets usually sell inorex.

excitingusername · 15/08/2022 21:59

It's not endless, you'll get rid. Our cat had them when I was a kid and I don't remember them being around for too long. Hiss and run at the cat when it comes, it will stop yowling at the window. Seems mean, but it will get the message.

You're not the worst mum and you mustn't get upset. You did a kind thing and life happened. He'll recover!

shreddednips · 15/08/2022 22:03

The indorex will sort it out, you need to be persistent and keep hoovering/treating the house for a while after the bites stop to make sure you've got them all.

I made a flea deterrent spray (not sure where I read about it) by boiling a load of lemon peel with water, letting the mixture cool, then putting it in a spray bottle. Sprayed my feet and ankles with it and it kept the fleas off a bit until I'd murdered them all.

Don't feel guilty OP, you did a kind thing. These things happen

category12 · 15/08/2022 22:10

Bob Martin stuff is useless.

You'd be better off using ordinary fly spray and going round all the flooring spraying, while you wait for the Indorex. It won't kill the eggs, but it'll knock back the adults.

Pop to your nearest vet's tomorrow and get what they recommend. And you'll need to break their lifecycle, so it'll take a few treatments.

Smithy8001 · 15/08/2022 22:11

My two cats are treated monthly with stronghold from the vet and they still bring in the occasional flea from the garden. The vet told me there’s been a bit of a flea population explosion with this heat. I use Indorex whenever I spot one on them. I took my toddler to his 2 year check at the HV the other day and he merrily announced “we got fleas in my house!” Thanks kid. Hope you’re ok OP.

CheapFoodShits · 15/08/2022 22:12

Another vote for Indorex. Unbelievable stuff.

Spinasaurus · 15/08/2022 22:13

One of my old houses had fleas, thanks to the previous occupants cats. Honestly nothing worked for us until we got professionals in.

RainbowBridge21 · 15/08/2022 22:13

I agree with pps, indorex was the only thing that worked for us.

PeppaPigOinkOinkOink · 15/08/2022 22:13

Pets at home stock indorex! I noticed the other day. It's amazing stuff

MissMaple82 · 15/08/2022 22:20

Your problem.is using Bob Martin shit. Ring council, thars what I did. Poor cat, why give him back to arseholes who left him behind ? I don't understand that, you were quite happy to keep him until the fleas made their presence known!

dreamygirl25 · 15/08/2022 22:22

I've been in your situation. Indorex. We used three cans over 6 months. They didvd go after six months but I felt like the never would.

You need to keep hoovering every day and empty the bags outside. The hoovering vibrates and hatches the eggs as they think a vibration is an animal (host) so they hatch, then you spray indorex/hoover again to kill them.
If it gets cooler, get light coloured joggers and tuck them into white socks, white sheets on the bed. Liquid soap kills them so have some ready to pour onto the little bastards.

Also you could get changed into pj's at night /get dressed by standing in the bath and before taking your socks/bottoms off, brush your legs with a hairbrush over the bath and be horrified by how many fleas were clinging onto your legs 😭😭😭 but at least they won't get your skin if you tuck your socks over whatever bottoms you are wearing

It totally sucks, we had this problem in the first lockdown and it was absolute HELL but its not a problem now. So it will go away!
Also, take antihistamine if you are having reactions.

Original poster

Sofiabella · 15/08/2022 22:23

@MissMaple82 I never wanted to keep him I just couldn't listen to him crying outside in 30degree heat. Obviously wish I hadn't let him in now but he's not mine and I do not want a cat. He's their responsibility what else was I supposed to do with him?

OP posts:

BellaLab · 15/08/2022 22:25

We’ve never had fleas in the house but I use Indorex at this time every year to deter spiders in the house - I haven’t seen one in the house for years using it.

Gardeningismythingwithawine · 15/08/2022 22:39

Yes indorex. Everything else we used was rubbish. The vet gave the cat a tablet and indorex for the house. My sons arms were a mess with bites. My son is always lifting the cat and sleeping with it. It cleared the house in a few days.

shazshaz · 15/08/2022 22:50

I used a combination of bombs, Indorex and vacuuming to get rid of them. They are like headline - if you leave one egg or one flea you will have an infestation before you know it. Vibration makes the eggs hatch so make sure you have used flea bomb and Indorex spray before you vacuum - that way the young fleas die straight away before laying eggs. Before you hoover spray Indorex up the vacuum nozzle so it gets in the bag. Then once you are done take the whole vacuum outside and then put the bag into the rubbish so you aren't spreading eggs or fleas inside. You need to vacuum every day and get rid of the bag every day. Its hard work but worth it. I think the Indorex leaves a residue that lasts for 6 months so once they are gone you are safe for a while.

Halstead · 15/08/2022 22:57

Sofiabella · 15/08/2022 22:23

You take him to a rescue. The owners left him behind in 30 degree heat for crying out loud. Why on earth return him to them? Jeez.

VioletInsolence · 15/08/2022 22:59

They’ll go if you keep hoovering ….just make sure you hoover everywhere and empty outside. We had fleas and even with two dogs still in the house they had gone within a few weeks. With no pet in the house you don’t have them leaping back on and hiding from the hoover.

Spraying chemicals all over the house is going to do more damage than a few bites.

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