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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

BLOODY FLEAS!!!!!!!!

23 replies

guest477337 · 30/03/2018 22:16

One of my two cats have just come in for the night (they go out in the day and stay in during the night) his ears are covered in fleas and what I imagine to be flea pooh :( I'm devestated! They are six and only had flea's one other time when we got them as babies!

All I remember is lots of cleaning, which with a newborn baby and already lack of sleep isn't ideal.

Can please tell me are the bombs better or flea spray? Our house is all open plan and a mixture of wood and carpet floors.

Also, we have clothes on the ironing pile and on the radiator which they have been near, does all this need re washing?

Thanks :)

OP posts:

mineofuselessinformation · 30/03/2018 22:21

Keep them confined to one room.
Flea-bomb it (not while they're in there, though). Use indorex on soft furnishings. If there's anything else in the room that can be re-washed, do it.
If you suspect there are other areas in the house that might be infested, you will have to do the same to them. Sorry.

LEMtheoriginal · 30/03/2018 22:22

Are you sure it's fleas and not ear mites?

thecatneuterer · 30/03/2018 22:23

What flea treatment are you using on the cats? To treat the house use Indorex or Acclaim spray.

ozymandiusking · 30/03/2018 22:27

Do use stronghold on your cat? This treats ear mites as well as fleas.
Just as a point of interest, Frontline doesn't work any more, fleas have become resistant to it.

Wolfiefan · 30/03/2018 22:31

You should flea treat your cats with stuff from the vet (not frontline) each month.
Get some and indorex the house. Don't waste your money and risk the health of your cats on anything else.
In future treat regularly.

ineedamoreadultieradult · 30/03/2018 22:34

Fleas don't normally congregate on ears, more behind the ears, in the animals arm pits/ groin area, back of the neck etc. it would be unusual for the cat to go from no fleas to fleas and flea dirt being visible on the ears so quickly. But if it is fleas, confine them to one room preferably the bathroom or somewhere without carpets and soft furnishings. Flea treatment the cats, flea comb them twice a day or more if possible. Indorex and hoover the house repeatedly. Yes re wash anything they may have slept on or been near.

Tricksy12345 · 30/03/2018 22:37

We tried loads of things to try and get rid when our cat had them. Nothing worked, so we ended up using essential oils (can't remember all the names but google will tell you) we had to mix them together with water in a spray bottle and spray everywhere.
Put lit tea light candles in a bowl of shallow water mixed with washing up liquid. Leave bowls on the floor. Do it in the evening when it's dark and the fleas are drawn to the light from the candle, they'll jump towards it and get stuck in the soapy water. We used to find loads in there

viccat · 30/03/2018 22:46

If they go out, obviously they can pick up fleas - that's why you should do a monthly flea treatment. Advocate, Stronghold and Broadline seem to be the best - and only get it from the vet's, no over the counter stuff.

As others say, it's unusual for a cat to suddenly pick up several adult fleas like that though in one day.

Your pile of washing is unlikely to need doing again, but do get Indorex for the house and flea treatment from the vet's for cats, and keep hoovering regularly.

Original poster

guest477337 · 30/03/2018 22:51

Thanks for the information, we do flea treat them regularly but I did forget the last time, baby brain I think. I feel terrible! I'm sure it's fleas as they were buried in the fur, I've managed to pull about 8 off with tweezers and kill them. Cat is very trusting so allowed me to do this. It wasn't flea pooh, it was fleas they were just buried in deep but once i pulled at them they started to move.

They'll be going to the vets first thing, but had a look and don't think the other cat has them so got a feeling he could have just caught them?

I'll be making sure to clean clean clean, I'm just worried if it hurts the baby to.

OP posts:

Bananarama12 · 30/03/2018 22:58

Please don't bother with a flea bomb. They don't work.
Indorex/Acclaim and advantage/advocate spot on for at least 3 months. Hoover and empty hoover outside.
As for applying flea repellent every month that is each to their own. I don't believe in poisoning my pet monthly and only apply advantage when he appears to have fleas. Same goes for worming - the treatment the vet recommends you have every 6 months only kills worms IF your cat has them at that moment in time. It does not protect your cat from worms for the next 6 months.

gamerchick · 30/03/2018 23:00

Are you sure they were fleas and not ticks?

Bananarama12 · 30/03/2018 23:01

OP that does sound unusual behaviour for fleas.
Let us know what the vet says they are.

Original poster

guest477337 · 30/03/2018 23:02

gamerchick how would i know which is which? I'm not 100% sure

OP posts:

ineedamoreadultieradult · 30/03/2018 23:06

You would have to be some sort of ninja master to catch fleas with a pair of tweezers! Especially fleas that are not already dying from being poisoned. Do you have a photo of any of the things you have picked off?

Bananarama12 · 30/03/2018 23:14

If you think they may be ticks leave it for the vet to remove.

Weedsnseeds1 · 30/03/2018 23:46

If they need pulling off they are ticks not fleas!!!!!
DON'T just yank them off with tweezers. You either need a tick removal tool or fine tweezers, grasp underneath the body and "unscrew" in an anti-clockwise direction only.
Ticks carry all sorts of diseases and just pulling them off squeezes all the infected tick body fluids back into the cat.
Once removed, but with a cigarette lighter or drown in bleach or high strength alcohol.
Ask your vet for Bravecto spot on, treats flaws and ticks and lasts 3 months.

Weedsnseeds1 · 30/03/2018 23:48

Burn not but!

Original poster

guest477337 · 31/03/2018 00:04

We did have to pull them off but I though they were just attaching to his skin, However once I pulled a one off it did jump and ticks don't jump do they? For Gods sake :(

OP posts:

Original poster

guest477337 · 31/03/2018 00:19

Does this help? I can't seem to find anymore in him

OP posts:

Weedsnseeds1 · 31/03/2018 00:27

Agree, they look like fleas. How bizarre. Never had one attached to a cat!
Vet strength spot on for both cats required.

Original poster

guest477337 · 31/03/2018 00:29

I'm actually happy now it's fleas and not ticks :D Googled ticks and read lymes disease and just freaked out. As I pulled them off and squeezed them with bloody tweezers.

Won't be doing anymore until the vet tomorrow now.

OP posts:

Bananarama12 · 31/03/2018 06:32

My friends cat got fleas on her ears regularly after killing rabbits. I can't remember why..

8SaltandVinegar · 31/03/2018 06:43

We got a pup riddled with fleas. I completely freaked out thinking we would never get them out of the house.

I got some kind of powder of the vets that's used for poultry and lashed it everywhere. The dogs all got flea baths and that's the last we saw of them... I didn't see the eggs like yours, just the quick moving jumpy bastards.

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