Flea problem

[MrChow]

I will post some pics when I have worked out how to.

Basically my son has been bit a lot over the past few weeks - usually once he is home from his dads place (dad lives with ds nan still) and she has about 9 cats. None of which are properly flea treated. One cat has been shaved due to flea infestation. I have moaned a fair bit about this and DS dad said he will make sure bedding is washed etc. We do have a cat who is front lined monthly but as his bites have got worse in the past week I have literally washed everything on a hot wash, even cushion covers off the sofa. I have front lined the cat again, and even bathed her just in case. I used RIP fleas in the living and play room. He appears to have been bitten more in the last few days.

I have been making sure our cat stays in the utility room and back rooms or outside as I am so paranoid plus I now have been bitten although mild compared to DS. I am fed up now. I have used calamine on him, rechecked the cat who is clear, antihistamines. The lot. I have also ordered more RIP fleas and front line to double check the cat.

Can fleas travel on clothing? I am wondering if he has brought some back with him on clothing?

Are there any other measures I can be doing? I am thinking GP for cream next...

pics

You need to get something else other than Frontline for the cat. Give your vet a call and see if they can supply anything without seeing the cat (will depend when you were last in) or if needs be make an appointment to get this sorted out properly. Frontline is not effective in many flea infestions these days it seems. Most of the over the counter products you can get are variations on the same thing so don't be lured in by other pet store style products.

Ok - what would be recommended?

Advocate, Activyl or Broadline would be good options. I would suspect though that your son is being bitten at his grandmothers has, but the allergic reaction to the bites (the redness) is taking several hours to appear. So he will still be bitten.

Flea eggs are sticky so it's entirely possible he has brought a few home. I third the suggestion to get something more effective on your cat PDQ. The RIP is fine as an environmental treatment. I'd be saying he wasn't going to Gramdma's until they sort it out.

Just read you only treated 2 rooms, do your entire house/flat and the car.
Use warmth, humidity, vibration to you advantage to make any pupae that may be lurking hatch out before you spray, so heating on, bowl of water on top of the radiator, Hoover first, then spray.

Don't confine your cat, get some effective treatment on her and let her have full access. Any hatching fleas will jump onto the cat and be killed rather than biting the people and living to tell the tale!

Update

RIP fleas took a week to arrive from amazon, wasn't impressed. Things got worse DS was so bitten that I threw out his memory foam topper as every morning was bite central. I had to go to the vets halfway through doing the house and buy some more RIP as it only did 3 rooms. I washed everything. I hovered daily, sometimes twice daily.

We had a whole weekend of not seeing a single flea.

Until today, I found 3.

Pissed off! I will try something else. Things are better but its still not good enough. I have slathered DS in coconut oil tonight to help his legs heal. He wont even wear shorts.

Have you treated the cat again? Unless she's treated she won't be killing them off. I find frontline rubbish. Advocate is much better

Yes but id already ordered frontline so maybe I will get the advocate. I will get another spray too. I checked her and no fleas at all.

You should try a different household spray as well to check the effectivity of it, also put something inside your Hoover to kill the fleas in there otherwise they will come back out

I don't use frontline, I've got advocate and he had a flea injection to stop the house getting infested (it stops them breeding).

I think I will order some advocate now. I will try some different spray too, any recommendations?

might need to give the vet a call about this jab....

Advocates prescription only, if the vets seen the cat in the last 6 months they should be able to prescribe.

Indorex is good, you can buy it from Asda pharmacy but its worth ringing around. A practice local to us is doing 30% off flea treatments.