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AIBU?

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Original poster

Looking after cats with fleas? Advice please.

54 replies

redcherrie · 02/04/2025 20:34

My cousin said she needed someone to home her cats while she goes away for ten days skiing. I said I would, as my children would love the experience and thought it would help her out also.

On Monday she announced they had ear mites and said she’d pop to the vets for drops.

Today I went over to meet the cats, and she casually said one has fleas but both have had tablets. Nothing about her home being de flea’d etc.

I haven’t had animals before with fleas so not sure what this meant. I thought as they’d had treatment they’d no longer have fleas. But my husband is now saying we are absolutely not having them in our home especially as they haven’t de flea’d their house; potentially re infesting the cats.

I really don’t want to stitch my cousin up as she leaves Friday at 4:30pm, but equally I do not want two cats in our home who potentially still have fleas.

What to do? AIBU to say we don’t want them now? Or will they be de flea’d and it’ll be fine?

OP posts:
OneTC · 03/04/2025 16:02

I've only ever washed 2 cats like this and although I wouldn't say they loved it neither of them were much of a problem either. Drying them is the danger time

Pippa12 · 03/04/2025 16:08

Not a cat in hells chance id bring cats with fleas into my home. My sister rehomed a cat which resulted in her house being infested with fleas. She used the treatments, sprays, flea bombs the works and was still getting bitten. She reached out to the local council in the end who sent out pest control (at cost to her, she owns her home). It was a terrible time for her. Good job the cat was a beauty!

You cousin is being mighty unreasonable expecting you to take these cats on. Don’t let her silence guilt you into thinking anything else!

Original poster
redcherrie · 03/04/2025 16:13

Thank you. I still haven’t heard from her so either she’s going to just bring them over or she’s sorted something else out and just hasn’t told me!

OP posts:
MoanasTummy · 03/04/2025 16:17

Cats are territorial animals. They will not like being taken away from home for 10 days at all. They will be really stressed at your house.
And quite frankly if they’ve got fleas, your house soon will. Don’t do it OP, you’re on a hiding to nothing here.

Tekknonan · 03/04/2025 16:30

Get her to ask the vet if it's safe to give a veterinary spot-on treatment as well as the pills. Spot-on lasts for at least a month so it kills any fleas on the cats and prevents reinfestation.

I had to take in two flea-infested cats from a terminally ill friend (under the circs, I couldn't really get upset about the fleas, or not to her). Before they were moved, I got them done with a good veterinary spot-on treatment (not an over-the-coiunter one), confined them to one room for the first couple of weeks and vacuumed regularly. I never saw a flea or got a bite.

If they are coming to you, I would try and keep them in one room if you possibly can - cats don't like being moved and will feel insecure. I wouldn't blame you if you decided not the take them, though I can see it would make your relationship with your cousin tricky.

Absolutely no need to bath them. It doesn't get rid of the fleas - just means you have nice clean ones.

L0UISA · 03/04/2025 16:35

I took a friends cat for a week when they went on holiday ( I’m not a cat person but she said she couldn’t afford boarding ).

I got an infestation in the carpets in my house and had to get a company in to fumigate it. And I had to move out for a few days as I have asthma and reacted to the chemicals.

and I got bites all over my legs .

She’s now an ex friend.

Shatandfattered · 03/04/2025 16:37

I own multiple cats and the thought wouldnt even cross my mind for them to go to someone elses home! They would absolutely freak out at the strange place and that risks spraying or scratching furniture or escaping in panic! Absolute insanity. Cats should be pet sat in their own home or a professional cattery and thats in general without even broaching the fleas.

RandomWordsThrownTogether · 03/04/2025 16:52

Your cousin needs to spray her furniture and carpets with Indorex, it lasts about a month on the furniture and will kill any adult fleas that land on it. I had an infestation a few years ago and it got rid of them all. If I was taking in a cat that had a recent infection I would pretreat before they arrive so if they do still have any live ones they would die on contact with your furniture. They do bite humans some lucky people don’t react, I find it hurts like hell! I would never have a cat who doesn’t have a prescription strength treatment throughout the Spring and Summer.

There are different types of tablets so you would need to know exactly what the cats have been treated with - if it was from the vets it should be one that has a residual effect for a month but if it’s one she bought from a supermarket/pet shop it would only work short term.

WiddlinDiddlin · 03/04/2025 17:06

Most of a fleas life cycle is in the soft furnishings/crevices in the floor around the animals home, not ON the animal.

So unless the cats have been given something that kills fleas on contact, they may go home from the vets, fleas jump on, haven't yet bitten, and jump off in your home.

If she flea treats HER home and gives the cats Capstar (kills fleas on the cat in around 20 minutes) as well as whatever longer term flea treatment, I would not have these cats in my house without treating my home too. And I'd want her to pay for two cans of Indorex or Acclaim to treat the house.

Not on to ask someone else to have pet guests who have parasites!

caringcarer · 03/04/2025 17:43

Your cousin should be flexing her cats EVERY month not just when she's let them catch fleas.

Barney16 · 03/04/2025 17:52

We only took our cat to someone else's house once.when we went away. It escaped and made it's way back home. Quite a feat, it's wasn't nearby. After that we left it at home and someone popped round to feed it. I'm surprised they are coming to your house, with or without their fleas 🙂

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 03/04/2025 18:10

I have inherited fleas from previous owners with cats. It took six months to get rid of them and eventually had to fumigate the whole house twice.

Don't let them near your house. The fleas won't be dead yet and any in the house will keep landing on them to die [but only if she regularly treats them]. They can lie dormant for up to 2 years if memory serves in an egg state in an empty property but will hatch with movement and vibration.

If you don't want to let her down then drive over there once a day and feed them. You can easily leave out enough food daily unless they only eat wet food which will get a bit smelly if it's warm. She can also invest in an auto feeder with a daily check in from you.
If you go over there, wear pale trousers [as you can see any land on you], and tuck your trousers into your socks to avoid bites. They shouldn't leave with you as they have the cats as a food source. Avoid cuddling the cats or letting the kids do so.

Cats that go outdoors need monthly treating with decent stuff from the vet. Most off the shelf stuff in pet food stores has no impact as fleas are now immune to it.

NuitDeSable · 03/04/2025 18:21

I look after cats in their own homes for relatives and a few people who live nearby when they have to go in hospital or on holiday.

The cats are settled in their homes and enjoy a cuddle with me and their food and water replenished.

Never mind the fleas the cats are not boys to be suddenly introduced to a home with unfamiliar people and children who expect to pet and cuddle them, they may well be terrified.

LizzieW1969 · 03/04/2025 18:38

I really wouldn’t risk it, especially as I get really bad bites from fleas. I’m therefore very careful to keep up to date with my 3 cats’ flea treatment. We therefore don’t have a problem with fleas.

Anyway, cats should be looked after in their own home.

NuitDeSable · 03/04/2025 18:39

Toys ^

northerneast · 03/04/2025 18:59

Don’t take them, we had an infestation a few years ago after taking in a cat for a few weeks and when I tell you it took MONTHS to get on top of it…

TheBuffetInspector · 03/04/2025 19:05

I own 2 cats and fleas are the worst. You need the most expensive spot on (Advantage? There's another one..)

Plus Indorex which is about 12 quid a can, 2-3 cans for a household.

No, I wouldn't bring cats with fleas into my house willingly
I chose the buggers though so, rough with the smooth.

Stick with the smooth.

How old are the children? All soft toys etc will need to be deflead...

If they can afford to ski... Cattery for 10 days!

TheBuffetInspector · 03/04/2025 19:08

northerneast · 03/04/2025 18:59

Don’t take them, we had an infestation a few years ago after taking in a cat for a few weeks and when I tell you it took MONTHS to get on top of it…

Same here. I swear it was the weather one year that just made it almost impossible to keep on top of them.
Breeding everywhere 😭

PeekabooRoots · 03/04/2025 19:26

Cats aren’t very good at being temporarily relocated - they tend to be tied to a place rather than people. They may try and escape and often try and return to their home even if it’s miles away.

We had a cat taken many miles from our home and he spent years making his way back.

This is obviously aside from the flea issue which would make me say absolutely not to taking them into your house. She should pay a neighbours kids or local cat sitter to feed them.

Caterina99 · 03/04/2025 20:02

Have you looked after the cats at your house before Op?

Cats are usually really territorial and don’t like being moved. It’s normally much better for them to stay in their own home. They’ll also be fine fed once a day and dry food and water left out for them.

And then there’s fleas - absolutely you are not being unreasonable to not want them in your house. My cat had fleas last summer. Horrible experience. There is no way I would willingly invite fleas into my home!

GlitteryUnicornSparkles · 03/04/2025 20:51

A few things to unpack here, if the cats have ear mites the vet would need to see the cat before prescribing treatment. I would therefore assume that she got flea treatment directly from the vets? (you can get treatment in tablet form not just spot-on), if not many over the counter treatments are ineffective and may not even work.

Things to consider:

  • Flea treatments (regardless of form) are monthly, it takes 3 months to break the lifecycle of a flea, the treatments kill off adults they do not kill off larve or eggs that have not yet hatched.
  • The majority of fleas live in the environment not on the animal, by the time you see them on your cat the infestation in the house is likely to be fairly severe.
  • Due to the above you need to treat the whole house (not just the cat) and vacuum daily.
  • Fleas are the main transmitter of tapeworm, have the cats also been wormed?
  • Cats are territorial and often do not cope well being moved, its likely bringing them to you will cause them significant stress. Stressed cats can display a multitude of unwanted behaviours, not least of which is often inappropriate toileting and spraying in your house, hiding, not eating etc.
  • Yes fleas can bite people.

I have 4 cats, they are preventatively treated every month, given the life cycle I’m with your husband, I wouldn’t knowingly have any cats in my house that hadn’t received at least 3 - 4 months consecutive treatment following an infestation nor would I expect anyone else too. I assume you’ll also have to continue the ear mite treatments to boot.

From the cats happiness point of view it would be kinder to get a pet sitter or neighbour in to feed and medicate if you aren’t close enough to pop in to theirs.

Darkclothes · 04/04/2025 15:11

Any update OP?

Original poster
redcherrie · 04/04/2025 18:00

She text me 15 mins ago to say she has someone staying at hers…

OP posts:
Darkclothes · 04/04/2025 20:34

redcherrie · 04/04/2025 18:00

She text me 15 mins ago to say she has someone staying at hers…

Horrah! You dodged a bullet and months of fleas in your house and biting your family! I'm sure the cats will be happier staying at home too!

I hope the person took some anti-itch cream with them. I've been scratching just thinking about this thread. 😬

GlitteryUnicornSparkles · 04/04/2025 21:00

redcherrie · 04/04/2025 18:00

She text me 15 mins ago to say she has someone staying at hers…

Thats good. Saves you any issues and the cats will be happier too.