Fleas! Since January.

[MerryMarigold]

How do I get rid of the horrid things?

I first realised we had them when I started getting bites and noticed cat scratching. Pretty sharpish got her the pills that kill them, the flea preventer spot-on stuff (which I hadn't kept up with, I admit), flea spray, flea bombs. I sprayed specific areas. I did 2 bombs, one up and downstairs (where you have to remove all plants/ food/ anything that will be used to eat on etc. and wash all the worktops/ table down etc.). Everytime cat scratched, I gave her another killer pill. Brushed her fur, used to get a few when I did that and have to drown them, but she hates being brushed so it is really difficult.

They came back. More pills, bombs - phase 2. We are now on Phase 3 killer pills (a different brand) and re-applied the spot-on as it is 5 weeks plus need to do more bombs as actually saw a flea yesterday though not been getting bites, thank goodness.

I don't know what to do? Is she getting them from the ones that are in the house? Or is is somewhere outside she keeps picking them back up?

Has anyone successfully got rid of fleas and how did you do it?

[tedmundo]

I also recommend Advocate. Since using this TedCat has never had another flea.

Frontline is useless. I would only ever use prescription treatments, the restate just a waste of money.

[Fluffycloudland77]

My vets are doing program injections for £35, I thought it was more like £60 for program.

They don't charge extra for the consultation so it's worth looking into.

[Smerlin]

We use Advocate and it's only £20 or so for 3 months- not massively cheap but you don't need to see the vet for it- just buy from the front counter so no consultation fee (unless you maybe have to see them the first time to get the prescription but never after that?)

[oscarwilde]

Rentokil. Two visits, two weeks apart = 100 Cheap if you figure out your hourly rate for thoroughly hoovering a house twice a day plus flea killers ad infinitum.

[dunmopin]

I think the trouble is that fleas become resistant - Frontline used to work like magic, but six months of it was not helping - only seemed to work for two or three days, and Indorex and hoovering was not enough on its own to keep them down. Advocate from the vet was brilliant - suddenly the only fleas you see are dead ones.

[Fuzzymum1]

I buy a dog advantage and split it between the cats with a needleless syringe - standard advantage not any of the other products is the only product you can do it with as it's the same stuff just in varying quantities. For cats up to 4kg they need 0.4ml and for cats over 4kg it's 0.8ml. I buy a 4ml large dog one and split it between all 7 of my cats - it costs me about £8 a month rather than close to £50!

[triplets]

Took Molly to the vets this morning. Booster/worming pill/flea treatment and spray for the house..................£104
This time we are trying Stronghold, the vet said the only way to keep fleas under control is to get the house clear, then treat the cat every month, at £22 for 3 pipettes that's over £7 a month............can`t afford it!
The spray for the house was admittedly a large can, supposed to give cover for a year for one can, that was £19, good name R.I.P !!

Then dh had to go to the dentist, cracked crown......£214.....yes, its been a good day

[MerryMarigold]

Not used any dog ones.

[PigletJohn]

Dog treatments are not suitable for cats, and some are dangerous to them, so be careful buying over the counter.

[triplets]

I am having the same problem an mine is treated with Advocate at the vets, in fact she is going back on Tues. I found three fleas in my bedroom this morning, they bite me! As soon as the weather turns warmer they appear, I know they lie dormant. We also use a flea catcher, a lamp you put in the room, its very effective. Good luck!

[Fuzzymum1]

The only thing i've found that works is advantage which you can buy online at vetuk.co.uk

[cozietoesie]

There always are with real floorboards - fill them in as you will, the passage of feet and the setting of furniture etc vibrates them open a bit. I usually line hoover each room regularly before immediately washing the boards down. It's a spring cleaning sort of thing.

Best of luck.

[MerryMarigold]

I had no idea about all this stuff about Bob Martin.

Exposed floorboards downstairs and in my bedroom, but the cracks are supposedly filled, lots of gaps though.

[cozietoesie]

Merry

I have an old house with exposed floorboards as well and the cracks between old floorboards are just ideal for nasties. (Not only fleas but moth eggs and others.) Use the crevice tool, with a brush on if you're desperate, and take a knife with you as well to skim vertically down the line of the cracks and loosen stuff before you hoover. You'll be amazed how much is there on your first pass.

[Fluffycloudland77]

*Friend

Bob martin are a horrible company then TCN.

[thecatneuterer]

Fluffy - Bob Martin's has killed a lot of cats. They have now changed the formulation so it's basically the same as Frontline, so not so dangerous anymore, but still not very effective. And I would never buy anything from then anyway as for so many years they sold their products knowing that they killed dozens if not hundreds of cats every year.

Some other off the shelf products still use the old dangerous, cat-killing ingredients. I always try to tell people to never use off the shelf products. At best they don't really work, and at worst they kill your cat!

[Fluffycloudland77]

I got a private prescription off my vet for £8, six months supply of Advocate off an online pharmacy worked out at £4 per month with a bit of cashback off topcashback.

Bob martin spot on nearly killed my freinds kitten, if she hadn't have gone home at lunch to pick some papers up it would have been fatal.

I'd like to see it banned.

[MerryMarigold]

should be INFINITUM!

[MerryMarigold]

Thanks all. I think I need a trip to the vet then...or we will just continue to fork out £15 here, £20 there ad finitum. Thanks for the offer Mycat. Maybe you could use the Advantage when the Stronghold runs out and the problem is gone. I am so surprised that no-one has been bitten except me (and the cat).

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Advantage only kills live fleas it doesn't treat the environment in this situation with a chronic flea problem you are going to need a spot on with live flea kill and environmental control to solve the problem.

[Mycatistoosexy]

Stronghold makes it so that any flea who jumps on her fur dies. The Program injection sterilises any flea who makes it through to bite her so breaks the life cycle. I just got the injection as a back up really.

OP if money is tight I have some spare Advantage drops knocking around, bought them then plumped for Stronghold in the end. It's not prescription but the vet does sell it and I think it's better than Bob Martin/Frontline

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Prescription products are much newer more sophisticated technologies than the over the counter stuff which kills fleas faster. The quickest over the counter product that has a residual action is frontline kills fleas in 24 to 48 hours, the newest prescription products kill fleas in 20 minutes and keep working for 30 days. As I say you get what you pay for

[MerryMarigold]

We have floorboards. Heck of a lot of cracks. Hence the flea 'bombs'.

[MerryMarigold]

I'm not a much of a hoover-er. Oh well. Time to change!

[MerryMarigold]

Lonecat, how does it work? How does prescription make a difference (stronger?). They jump on the cat and then get killed?