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Original poster

to want to get rid of my cats

84 replies

BEAUTlFUL · 27/05/2008 22:34

I don't mean hurl them off a bridge, I mean sell them to a nicer home.

We have two cats, a mother (6) and her son (3). Despite our using Spot-On, both cats are riddled with fleas which are now rife in our beds, curtains, carpets and sofas. We've used those Bob Martin flea bomb things all over the house, to no effect.

DS1 has flea bites all over him, and DS2 had a flea crawling on his face today! And two days ago, the son-cat nibbled on DS2's tiny little fingers. I couldn't tell if it was a sweet, grooming-kind of nibble or a preliminary munch.

Both cats love all the baby's stuff (playmat, cot, pram) and I'm forever turfing them out. They wind round my legs when I'm going downstairs, and when I'm in the kitchen.

I've had enough.

Can I take them to the Cat's Protection League and have them re-homed? What should I do?

OP posts:
Original poster
BEAUTlFUL · 27/05/2008 22:35

I sound horrible. But really. Babies and cats aren't a good mix, are they?

OP posts:
bethoo · 27/05/2008 22:37

have you tried frontline? the combo one also kills fleas on the furniture.
many cat re homing centres are over run and alot cant take on any more. many of these cats are in these centres for a very very long time.
but then i believe a pet is for life.

bethoo · 27/05/2008 22:38

i have two 7 year old cats and a 15 month old ds so they can get on. my ds loves them.

MsHighwater · 27/05/2008 22:39

Babies and cats are a perfectly good mix! It's not the cats that are causing the problem, is it? It's the fleas.

Have you consulted a vet for advice about dealing with the fleas? If not, I suggest you do so.

CarGirl · 27/05/2008 22:40

you need to go to the vets and get some proper deflea stuff and keep it up and also get some stuff from the vet to deflea the house. Do your cats have anywhere to go during the day away from your dc? Our cat has free use of the cat flap at night so tends to sleep all day (on the sunniest bed) is awake in the evening with us & goes out at night.

spicemonster · 27/05/2008 22:41

You need to Frontline your cats and get some proper flea spray from the vets (bob martin stuff is useless). You can also get an instant flea killer from the vets to treat all the existing fleas on the cats.

If you send them to cats protection league they will probably be put down.

I have a baby and two cats. I have had moments where they have driven me mad but they were here before he was so I made a commitment to them

EsmeWeatherwax · 27/05/2008 22:42

I was recently in this situation, thankfully found a good home with a friend for my cat. It does feel horrible, and you do feel guilty as hell, but if you are absolutely sure you want to give them up then best for them and you if you do. I know some people do babies and cats absolutely fine, but some don't.

If its really the fleas, can you get the properfleaspot on stuff from the vets? It really works well. Could you keep them downstairs away from the kids cots etc?

TigerFeet · 27/05/2008 22:43

Those shop bought Bob Martin things are crap. I would get yourself down to the vet and get some frontline and some proper furniture spray.

Our cat and my dd get along just fine - he has nipped her (no broken skin) when she tormented him and she didn't do it again. She has respect for him and he tolerates her. I think it's good for her tbh.

LyraSilvertongue · 27/05/2008 22:46

I'd say stick with it and get some better flea treatment. It's not fair on the cats to get thrown out of their home because of the fleas. And things will get easier with the baby as he gets older.
I've just rehomed a cat (ie, taken one in) and believe me no-one wants the older cats. Everyone wants the little ones. So yours could be left on the shelf for months if not years.

DragonsEye · 27/05/2008 22:47

we gave our cat to my mum when our 2nd dc was born, basically for the same reasons youre mentioning. Is there anyone you know who would like them? That way your dcs may be able to still have contact with them.

soopermum1 · 27/05/2008 22:48

frontline really is the only thing that does the job for fleas. i think babies and cats do mix, i have 2 cats and they get on pretty well with DS, mostly avoiding him. when he was v young i kept them apart now i let them all get on with it

CombustibleLemon · 27/05/2008 22:49

You can treat the cats with something like frontline, then treat the house by spraying carpets, curtains etc.

If you're really getting annoyed with the cats winding round your legs in the kitchen though, you might want to get them rehomed. That's pretty basic, 'I want attention/food' behaviour. If you're sick of that, you probably don't want cats with or without fleas.

egyptianprincess · 27/05/2008 22:54

Hi Beautiful
Despite having had huge arguments about this with DH before DD was born (DH wanted cat to go, I was adamant she would stay) I ended up giving my cat to a colleague a couple of days after DD was born...I felt really guilty but knew that she was going to a nice home with a garden. I just got too stressed having my skittish and unpredictable cat around DD. I just didn't feel like I could take any chances. Do what you feel is right for you and your children. You will feel better if find your cat a home with someone you know though..I couldnt face the idea of the Cats Protection League.

booge · 27/05/2008 22:55

I went right off our cats when I was pregnant and after the children were born. I'm only just coming round to liking it again now 18 months later. We also had a flea infestation. We had the coucil come in and spray twice but it didn't help. I the end we sorted it out with the spray from the vets and a different flea treatment to frontline. (Can't remember the name but it worms as well)

Now the house is flea free and the DC a little older I quite like the old moggy again.

Windypop · 27/05/2008 22:57

I have cats and can honestly say that nothing from a supermarket has ever worked on fleas. Don't get rid of the cats until you have tried Frontline and some decent spray for the house/furniture, from the vets. Frontline is very very good. It would be real shame for the cats to be put up for adoption. I have seen plenty of cats in that situation and although they are fed and watered they have miserable lives in usually clean, but small, cages.

However DC must come first so if all else fails then you must do what's right for them of course. It would just be a shame if you didn't try some of the solutions which might help.

Original poster
BEAUTlFUL · 27/05/2008 22:57

I am really fed up with everything at the moment, so this might be a slight overreaction.

Can I really use a hardcore flea spray on sofas, etc, with a 12-week-old baby in the house?

After I use the spray/Frontline combo, do IO then just boil-wash all the sheets, playmat covers, etc - will that kill any flea eggs?

I do get annoyed with them lying on tablecloths, too. I don't want to have to keep changing the tablecloth because it's covered with cat hair after 10 minutes.

If I bought them both a soft, fluffy, cosy cushion each, could I train them to lie on them?

I don't mind them winding round my legs in the kitchen, but when I'm going down the stairs, carrying DS2 - yes.

OP posts:
Windypop · 27/05/2008 22:58

PS I should qualify that nothing I have tried from the supermarket has worked well on fleas. Others may have found those solutions very useful.

SoupDragon · 27/05/2008 22:58

"I don't want to have to keep changing the tablecloth because it's covered with cat hair after 10 minutes."

So don't put a tablecloth on.

Original poster
BEAUTlFUL · 27/05/2008 22:59

Also, the cats were DH's idea, but does he ever feed them, remember vet appointments, get flea spray, stroke them?

Maybe I should get rid of him instead.

OP posts:
spicemonster · 27/05/2008 22:59

Yes, you can train them to lie on the cushions. I have bought mine two cushions from ikea and they are not allowed to lie anywhere else.

With the winding round your legs going down the stairs, are they hungry? I only give my cats dry food which is there constantly so they are never hungry and wanting feeding. Could you do that?

TigerFeet · 27/05/2008 23:00

Do what I do - ensure there is enough clutter on the table that there isn't room for a cat

bethoo · 27/05/2008 23:00

my cats are not allowed in the babies room so i keep that door closed at all times.
bloody heck it sounds bad at your house. i would not use any sprays or bombs as they can release toxic fumes but frontline combo is fine, and starts to work immediately.
get your cats frontlined as soon as and wash all things that you can, if your cats go out maybe put them out for the first night to prevent more fleas jumping off. i must confess that i frontline mine and i have never had, well seen fleas in the house.
good luck and within days you should be fine.

Windypop · 27/05/2008 23:02

Beautiful - we got our cats a white fake fur cushion each from Asda for £4. Also have a white fake fur throw which was cheapish. They love love love the fake fur stuff and don't sit/sleep on much else. In terms of training, if you wait til they are fed and sleepy, or if you wake them up when they are sleeping and plonk them on the cushions you might find they take to them more quickly than if you try to get them on the cushions whilst wide awake. HTH. Good luck.

bethoo · 27/05/2008 23:02

typical of men! we got two boxer puppies with the promise that we would go for walks together holding one dog each and who ended up getting up at 6 every mornign to walk them both before work?? thats right muggins here! also paid all the bills and booked vets apps adn fed them and picked up their vomit and poo! but would not change a thing!

CarGirl · 27/05/2008 23:03

we had fleas in our bed and I am very allergic to flea bits it was absolutely horrid but the stuff from the vets did work well.

I agree with the dried food (it's better for their teeth anyway).

Go away for the weekend and get your dh to deflea and air the house in your absence?