Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Original poster

<whispers> <we have fleas in our house> [shock]

56 replies

PavlovtheCat · 28/08/2008 22:26

WHY?

Two cats, Frontlined every 6 weeks. Done 3 weeks ago and three days ago I found several fleas on one of my poor cats.

So, frontlined them again.

I have, since then, seen about 4 or 5 in the house.

And, just now, there was one on me. ERGH, I hate them.

We use that spray from the vets, allegedly it lasts for 1 year, but we had to use it twice a year. This time last year we had the same problem, vets said it was to do with the weather.

Is there anything^ else we can do? The house has been 'spring-cleaned' recently, could this have done something? Unturned eggs or something? They are very small, so not long hatched.

Please help me, they gross me out. Oh and getting rid of cats is not an option I will consider!

OP posts:
StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 28/08/2008 22:41

We have fleas so bad here at the minute that the cat's moved out and is living in the garden!

We hoovered big style the other day and fingers crossed it seems to have helped. You need to really concentrate on the edge of the rooms.

reikizen · 28/08/2008 22:44

Oh god, we always have fleas from our two cats!{blush} The worst time we had to get the council in to fumigate as they just would not go, I think there were eggs in an old carpet or somesuch.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/08/2008 22:45

stripey - I have hoovered, and hoovered, and hoovered.

We have wooden floors in the front room, in fact only have three rooms with carpet, bedroom 1 & 2, and the hallway!!! (oh and a rug in front room).

Could it be a problem with the floors in the front room? They are original floorboards, and have gaps? Although to be honest, I have mainly seen them in our bedroom, as was the case last year...we have a deep pile style carpet.

How about washing the carpets, then doing a re-spray with the house spray from vets?

How about getting them off the cats? It cant be nice for them either...all that biting...

OP posts:
reikizen · 28/08/2008 22:45

Oh I forgot to add, the tablets are really good. They kill all the fleas on the cat, unlike collars or frontline which appear to be a waste of time for the rock hard fleas round here!

MamaG · 28/08/2008 22:46

uuuuuuurrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!

Thnk you should fumigate everything and keep up with the frontline on the moggies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 28/08/2008 22:46

I think they are becoming resistant to frontline - we had to do ours more often - now use frontline combo every 4-5 weeks - if we leave it any longer we have a problem.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/08/2008 22:47

reikizen the frontline is supposed to be the business though isn't it? But last year, it was a problem around sept, vets said 'epidemic' which meant, please keep buying the expensive frontline, I am now guessing, as its not cheap is it?!!!

What is the make of tablets? Maybe I should try something different as Frontline is not working.

OP posts:
MatNanPlus · 28/08/2008 22:47

What about steam cleaning the carpet and bathing the cats?

pushchair · 28/08/2008 22:47

Am having same problem-unmoveable fleas thought maybe the warm damp weather. Nasty.

Washersaurus · 28/08/2008 22:49

I recently had to do a respray with the Staykill spray from the vets, but it took A LOT of vacuuming over a week or two to really shift them (fingers crossed)

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/08/2008 22:50

MamaG - we do frontline them. every 6 weeks, as I said in OP! and this time less than 3 weeks! How do you fumigate? We use strong furniture/upholstery spray twice a year - stuff that means you cant stay in for a few hours, that what you mean?

OYBK - I think I agree about them becoming immune...we use the combo - but will have to do it every 4 weeks, not every 6.

OP posts:
missingtheaction · 28/08/2008 22:50

URGH how DISGUSTING you all are

my cats have NEVER EVER HAD fleas or left them in the carpets or the duvet or the sofas or the rugs or dc's teddy bear...

Hoovering - pah! the dears laugh in the face of the Hoover and cock their little snooks at the Dyson Extra Suction Accessory.

You need a blitz - get them off the cats at the same time (I agree, it has to be tablets) as you get them off the carpets. assume they are everywhere. use chemical sprays, and wash anything suspicious at at least 60 degrees. yes they do live in the gunk between your floorboards apparently.

just rushing off to worm and frontline the kittens again

BBBee · 28/08/2008 22:51

had a bog problem a while back and

FLEA BOMBS

worked a treat - did the spraying and hoovering thing but these finally craked it.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/08/2008 22:52

Washersuarus - we did that about 6 months ago, guess it needs doing again...I was thinking about the steam clean. Our carpets need a clean anyway, so that would not be a big deal..

bathing the cats could be fun..or dangerous!

OP posts:
LackaDAISYcal · 28/08/2008 22:54

wash all the cats bedding at 60 degrees, and anything else they sleep on. the fleas lay their eggs in the bedding, not on the cat so you have to treat both.

We have a bit of an infestation here as well, and I thought it was because the last phial of frontline I used was open in the outer packaging so maybe was less effective. I have been bitten on my ankles, and even found one of the feckers about to tuck in to DSs shoulder this morning

am picking up some spray and new frontline from the vet tomorrow.

We had a moggy who got an injection once that killed them all stone dead (or maybe that was for worms ) but he was a stray when we adopted him and he was literally crawling with them

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/08/2008 22:56

BBBee - like the look of those!!!

Missingthecation - you are so right, we are all scummy as, not looking after our houses/cats properly .

Had a big blitz already, this weekend, in prep for MIL, the place sparkles - proper deep rooted sparkle. Like you would not believe...i guess it takes a few days for them all to die?

Last time I sprayed the front room I used an entire can on the front room cracks in the floorboards - another reason to tick against getting the floors laid with decent wood flooring - no gaps!

OP posts:
IllegallyBrunette · 28/08/2008 22:59

Snap. cat has been frontlined, house has been sprayed, but i am still getting bitten.

We don't have any carpet downstairs, but have sprayed down back of sofas, curtains etc, but can't seem to get rid.

Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/08/2008 22:59

lacka - I am itching all over, but I think its all the talking about it, as I was not beforehand!

I have not been bitten yet. And would prefer to deal with it before it gets to that point.....

Funnily enough, the cats don;t sleep on bedding. They have it but they both prefer hard surfaces, like the bathroom window sill, or on top of the fridge, or on top of the chest of drawers! or the wooden kitchen chairs...

OP posts:
Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/08/2008 23:00

How about - taking off all bedding (washed on 60ctwo days ago), and spraying the mattress itself? I usually hoover/turn it once a month...maybe it needs more?

OP posts:
Original poster
PavlovtheCat · 28/08/2008 23:01

And I am so pleased I am not the only one!!!

OP posts:
BBBee · 28/08/2008 23:02

i found them quite exciting to do as well!

did living room and ds's room and just sprayed and vac everywhere else.

It is so horrible though - really got me down in the end so was chuffed when these worked.

Washersaurus · 28/08/2008 23:05

Fortunately the cat is only allowed downstairs which is totally uncarpeted except a small rug in the living room. The fleas were located on/in/around/under the sofa, so were easy to eradicate.

I had to vacuum twice a day though until I felt sure there weren't any more hiding.

Washersaurus · 28/08/2008 23:06
undercovercat · 28/08/2008 23:08

isnt frontline meant to be every 4 weeks?

Bowddee · 28/08/2008 23:09

Try a new product. The fleas might be building up a resistance to the Frontline. We use Advance. Try a new household one too. It can't do any harm to try.