Fleas just seem to be getting worse and worse

[ThunderStorms]

I use Bravecto every 10 weeks (vet's advice).

(Not vet's advice): I am now alternating RIP fleas and Indorex monthly. RIP fleas stinks.

At this rate I’m going to slowly poison everyone (spray is used correctly, it it’s supposed to give a year's protection).

I’m hoovering downstairs daily, upstairs every 1-2 days.

I am still finding (dead) fleas, and have done a trial for a food allergy, so am certain the problem is fleas.

The cat is scratching and grooming herself raw.

I have washed/ hoovered/ sprayed everywhere including under and inside dive beds/ cupboards etc

If they are coming in from the garden, how can I kill them without killing beneficial insects? (Not certain they are anyway).

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!

Do you have any other pets?
Sometimes will a really high flea burden multiple products have to be used at once this used only be carried out under the vets direct supervision as their is a very specific combination for this process.

No, just one cat.

I took in a stray overnight (between taking him to the vet for medical treatment and to a rescue) - they asked me to to give them chances to make space for him. I assume the fleas came from him as, although they put a spot on on, he was riddled. At the time I wanted to help and figured it was no different to a foster. He was post neutering op and also had some wounds treated, so he was sleepy and stayed in a large cage given to me be the rescue. He didn’t leave the kitchen, but I’m certain the flea problem started with him.

My cat is black, so I can see nothing, but the vet couldn’t find dirt, but in the last few months I’ve started seeing fleas in spite of treating everywhere as I described above. It seems to be getting worse, not better.

How long have you lived in your current home?

Fleas can lay dormant for quite a long time (years apparently) they will become active again once a new animal enters the property.

This could be an old infestation reactivated. However, it can take 3 months + of continuous flea treatment on the animal and of the house & all contents to get rid of a serious flea problem.

Also make sure the cat is regularly wormed as the ingestion of fleas can cause worms/parasites

Lots and lots of shallow bowls around the house. Fill with hot Fairy water. Fleas love a hot bath before they drown!
We were infested a few years ago.
Omg was hideous!!
Caught plenty this way!!

I’d switch to advocate & give the cat a program injection which stops the fleas breeding. It’s about £30ish at my vets.

Have you tried a different flea treatment? I had to switch all mine to something new as they become reactive to it and like nits fleas can become immune.
Also I thought we had a massive flea issue after one cat started going crazy grooming turns out it was a food allergy.
Try bug bombs, flea spray for the home in all the corners and a bath for the cat? Good old home remedies seem to work pretty well too!!

I’ve poured salt around the edge of all the carpets (don’t know whether it really works or works on the pupal stage).

My vet doesn’t give the program injection (I asked last time I was in) and my cat reacted badly with the advocate (although the problem did seem to get worse once we stopped that), so I’m reluctant to try it again. I’ve resprayed the kitchen today. I wonder if somehow the fleas have got under the laminate and are protected there. I have carpets everywhere else. When I can afford to, I’m going to get them replaced, but that won’t be before the autumn.

Yes - she came with broad line, but I swapped after hearing it was like frontline.

I’ve used to use advocate, but it seemed to burn her and it became problematic putting it on monthly. Now I use Bravecto.

I’ve tried different flea sprays, though - Indorex for ages, now I’ve started using RIP fleas, but this one has the most awful strong smelling perfume.

I keep hoping every time that it’s hthing new - just the old ones hatching, but as I said, I see more fleas now than I used to. (Always dead).

I thought I had ruled out a food allergy (the vet thinks not because her face is fine and all the problems show down her spine and around her back end). Plus I am seeing fleas. I thought once you saw them, you had an infestation.

I used to work as a veterinary pharmaceutical rep and sold a household flea spray. It was a very long time ago so I can't remember the timespans in days, but from what I do remember, the adult fleas emerge from pupae when they think they are going to get a blood meal, so hoovering before you spray is meant to activate this emergence so that the adulticide in the product can kill the adult flea. Once the adults are on the animal, they don't hop on and off as used to be thought, they stay on there, feed and breed which is why it is recommended to treat animal and house. If the fleas lay eggs, the eggs fall out of the animal's coat around the house where they develop into larvae and then pupae. It is the pupal stage that can stay dormant for up to 12 months until the stimulus to emerge (heat, virbation, exhaled carbon dioxide).

This sounds a bit mad, but did you treat your car? And have you hoovered and sprayed under beds, etc (the larvae move about the carpet finding organic matter and therefore can pupate under things). At the time I left the industry there wasn't a product that could stop the adult developing in the pupa, although I realise that might have changed now.

Buy some good grade diatomaceous earth. Spread it over carpets, under skirting boards, slather it everywhere.
It works, it's not toxic ( but don't breathe it in while applying), works by debriding the exoskeleton, so mechanical action.
I'm sure people think I have shared in the stuff, but it really will sort the fleas.
Could your cat have an allergy to something else. Lamb, oddly enough is a common one for cats.