eek! Vet found *one* flea on our kitten. Please talk me through all this <unclean>

[edam]

I am not normally squeamish but yuck yuck yuckety yuck. Took kitten to vet for second lot of jabs and mentioned I'd felt a scab on the back of his net. Vet looked carefully, said 'I can't see any fleas or flea dust' and just then one jumped out at her! She couldn't see any more but has given me some Frontline to use tonight (best at bedtime apparently so we don't get it on our hands - I had no idea it was flammable).

Thing is, we haven't had a cat in the house for two years and kitten hasn't been outside yet. Does this mean we have been flea-infested for years without me knowing?

And what do I do now? Obv. frontline and vet has given me some spray for the house - do I spray everything, or only soft furnishings? Presumably wash bedding, will that kill the little buggers? (Cat has a bed but of course refuses to use it, prefers our or ds's beds. eek.)

Sorry about all the 'eeks' btw, but the very idea is making me all itchy!

Poor old vet, first our kitten's flea jumped up at her, then when she went to get the 'new kitten pack' stuff for us, there was a huge thing some people with phobias don't like anyone to mention on here but it has eight legs and the name starts with 'S'. Poor woman clearly not too keen on them herself, she took the bag outside and ended up leaving it there and giving us a new one as Incy Wincy wouldn't exit!

If you've not seen any at home, the cat hasn't any flea muck, and hasn't been with other cats for some time, then I think in all likely hood he picked the flea up while he was at the vets!

were there any other cats in the waiting room at the vets? either way the frontline will sort it out, don't panic, could have been worse, could have been a tick!

I like your theory, 123, as it makes me feel less unclean. Patient in before our kitten was a cat.

and mermalaid, thank you! So, do I need to go round the house with this mahoosive aerosol thingy the vet gave us, or not? It looks suspiciously capable of contributing to climate change...

I would pop the frontline mog and leave the spray for now. Keep a close eye on him for the next couple of weeks, but if he's not going out Im sure he'll be fine on just the frontline.

thank you, that's very reassuring. Dh just came home and picked up the cat's bed, that sits on the carpet, obv., and dumped it on ds's nice clean bedsheets that i'd just changed. Aarrgh!

cat flea's do require a cat to live on, so i doubt very much they've been lingering in your home if its a young kitten it may have arrived with an egg which has hatched I suppose, if you do use the spray use it in the nooks and crannnies like aroung the skirting boards and radiators

they do say all kittens are born with fleas

Thanks everyone - I've been checking his skin and can't see anything so hopefully it was a one off. And have done frontline, obv.

Just glad the vet checked the bag before landing us with a mahoosive eight-legged thing that people with phobias don't like as well as a sodding flea!