Fleas

[PaisleyP]

Right removed all bedding currently on a 60 wash, all soft furnishings sprayed or bagged waiting to be washed. Indorexed THE WHOLE HOUSE. Flea treated the cats with advantage closest thing I could get thanks to the delays with Royal Mail.

I've hoovered every single nook and cranny I could find and emptied the Hoover outside each time.
So what now? I'm keen to treat this as our new baby is due soon and we need to start building the cot up etc. what else can I do??
Cats are also scratching like crazy now is this because the treatment is working? Usually my husband does it whilst I'm away so I don't see what they are actually like with it on!. Thanks

This. Get it from the vet. The stuff you get at the supermarket is crap.

Spot on treatment was very good. Expensive ( was prescribed by vets) but you can buy it online. It was the only thing that worked.

www.petdrugsonline.co.uk/frontline-spot-on?gclid=Cj0KCQiAsdKbBhDHARIsANJ6-jfLoWkHNwOpfYlO3oDMpOdQ0NHrASFoxRDYzrpnpIY3HIvuRFVYExAaAsCPEALw_wcB

Frontline has a 24 hour kill time for fleas this situation needs a bigger gun I would recommend something like Bravecto or Nexgard that has a 6 hour kill time.

Are your cats big? I had this with one of my cats it went on for months. When I went to the vets and they weighed him we realised that the treatment I was using was not enough for the size of him. They gave him the injection, I resprayed the house and the fleas were gone within a week. I know it’s an expense but I would definitely take your cats to the vet and get the injection.

At one time I had 4 cats and I've never had fleas. The trick is to make sure they get the strongest prescription flea medication from your vets on a regular basis, the over the counter stuff is useless. I use the three monthly one and bingo no fleas.
When I moved into my current house the previous owner left it flea ridden, he had cats that were never treated and I could see them jumping on the stairs.
I did two things:
Treated the cats with the strongest prescription stuff available.
Moved out for the weekend and got the house smoke bombed by a pest control company. Moved back in the Monday and bingo no further fleas ever.
I really think you should do this with a baby coming. The fleas have built up to a level that you will never get rid of them on your own.
Even if you get rid of the cats you will still have a flea problem.
I've lived here for three years and haven't seen a flea since.
But you MUST keep up with the prescription treatment.

P.S I put the cats in a cattery for the weekend.

Honestly it's the house - 90 something percent of the fleas are in your house and not on your cat. So even if you rehome, they'll still be there.
Try the flea bombs, they worked well for us. Also consult a vet, or last resort call a professional in to sort it.
Please don't rehome them, it's not their fault 😢

Do the cats go out? Have you treated the garden?

They've had vet flea treatment and the house has been sprayed numerous times now with indorex. The big cat is fine and it's the smaller one. They used to go out but not anymore. And garden seems ok. We've never had this issue in all of our lives so just can't understand if. It's baffling.

And I'm hoovering every day twice a day and always emptying outside. Every where is wood floor except the stairs and landing. I've even brought new beds and mattresses as the kids kept getting bit and boiled wash every soft thing and sprayed and still it persists.

Bloody name change fail there 🤦🏽‍♀️

Have you used Bravecto from the vet?

Yes that's the only place we can get it from can't buy it online anywhere. I've just combed another 9 off.

When we first sprayed we was seeing them dead around the house. This time unless I comb the cat we don't see them. But around 3 times a week the kids have the odd bite or me usually on the face. So it has got a bit better but it's not fully gone away. And now I'm back to seeing flea dirt on the cat which I wasn't before. I've hoovered that much I've split the filter in my Hoover and will need to replace that. I've honestly never experienced anything like this in my life. It's truly persistent but only on one cat

@namechangeagain3
Did you manage to get on top of this? I know it's been a while but we're currently trying to get on top of the same thing and I'm wondering if you found something that worked?

I currently have this problem 😞I am beyond mortified. Am guessing it’s due to one of two of my moggies falling asleep in an overgrown bush in my neighbours garden a few days ago.

Have always been on time with the monthly flea treatments from the vet, but have found 2 adults on my cat and 2 on my sofa last night. Have washed everything I physically can (soft furnishings) on a hot cycle, hoovered, indorexed and washed the carpet, cats been have treated and combed. I now have this rising panic that I’ve missed 1 and they’ll end up everywhere, i feel so utterly disgusted, upset and helpless 😢

@Autumnisnearlyhere get the tablets or injection from the vet. Over the counter stuff just doesn't cut it. Indorex for the house, although we found Bob Martin the best but I'm aware that this is not recommended, especially with cats, so maybe don't use that. Hoover everything daily, wash everything. You will get on top of it, just takes a while. Honestly it's the worst feeling, you'll get there though, just be patient

Thanks @CorneliusMyArm I have just used the spot on medicine from the vets though, will they give the injection too?

found another 2 fleas after combing my girl tonight, I’m so very anxious and sad about it .

@Autumnisnearlyhere you'd have to ask the vet, I'm not sure. You'll get on top of it. Sounds like you've caught it early so shouldn't be awful.

@Autumnisnearlyhere I can completely empathise. We experienced this and it is the worst feeling ever, and it becomes an obsession in terms of constantly checking, spraying, vacuuming. To then find fleas again is just completely demoralising.

Spot on treatments from the vets didn’t do the trick for us either. So I begged for an alternative. My vet advised the injection would kill fleas effectively, but wouldn’t keep a cat flea free so not suitable for cats that go outside.

For over a year now we’ve been using tablets (prescribed by the vet) and haven’t seen a flea since. Cannot recommend enough and although it’s a bit of a 2 person job administering the tablet each month, the feeling of knowing it has been ingested (and cannot be licked off) is very reassuring!

Hope you can get it sorted soon.

Thanks for your kind words @Polarbear5 . They are mainly indoor cats but I do let them go outside so maybe the injection wouldn’t help, thank you for that.

They really don’t like being combed but I keep persevering and I’ve bought some flea shampoo to use tomorrow so no doubt I’ll get scratched to pieces whilst I try and give them a bath…

I feel like my home was my safe space and now it really doesn’t, the cats are miserable, I’m miserable and i really sympathise for anyone else who has to go through this hell, it really is hell!