Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The litter tray

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

Help!! Fleas!

25 replies

jammamma · 02/06/2023 11:37

This morning I was dusting our windowsill and noticed a flee, got rid of it straight away. Had a closer look around and found one more but the little bugger got away from me. Have checked everywhere else and can't see anymore. This is where our cat normally sits a lot.
I've only just treated her for flea prevention 3 weeks ago though and the kit I've got is one you put on every 12 weeks. I know there's loads of horror stories about if you see one there's probably hundreds more but somebody please give me some hope that it may just be a rogue couple?

Years ago we had a dog and I also found one flea, went crazy and deep cleaned every bit of the house but never found anymore and when we took the dog to the vets they confirmed he didn't have them.

What do I need to do?

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 02/06/2023 11:39

What did you treat the animal with? What flea treatment did you use? If it’s frontline, it’s pointless. It doesn’t work anymore

BabyMamaOf2 · 02/06/2023 11:42

Vet nurse here😊 get on top of it before it becomes an issue. Hoover and wash bedding/blankets on a hot wash. You can get house hold sprays (such as indorex or acclaim) to kill anything in the environment. What product do you use for your cat?

jammamma · 02/06/2023 11:44

@BabyMamaOf2 ok thanks I'll get on it straight away. We just used one from Morrisons, it wasn't front line but can't remember the name of it!

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 02/06/2023 11:45

From Morrisons means it wasn’t vet prescribed therefore more likely to be useless

You need a good flea killer such as advocate or advantage

Beamur · 02/06/2023 11:46

Get some indorex and spray the room. The fea treatment you bought probably isn't effective enough any more - get some from the vets.

BabyMamaOf2 · 02/06/2023 11:46

You can use a flea comb on your cat (particularly around neck and lower back) and then wipe the comb on wet paper towel. If they have fleas, you will find one on the comb or get small blood smeared marks on the paper towel (their faeces is contains blood).

BabyMamaOf2 · 02/06/2023 11:48

Ah okay, yeah maybe grab some from the vets (cat will need to be seen in last 6-12 months) as they sell prescription only medication products. Supermarkets are able to just sell over the counter so active ingredient generally useless. Don’t worry that you applied that product 3 weeks ago it will be okay to put a different one on. Good luck 😊x

Hopeandmoss · 02/06/2023 12:01

I would recommend getting a steam cleaner as it kills the fleas and the eggs. The steam will also penetrate the tiny cracks where fleas will lay their eggs. Definitely get some fleas stuff for the cat from a vet - frontline is useless as fleas are not killed by it these days .

jammamma · 02/06/2023 15:37

Ok I've sprayed everywhere with 3 bottles of flea killing spray from the pet shop. He said leave it on for a few days and then hoover to get rid of any left. I've also put a stronger flea treatment on the cat and I've been instructed to comb through her fur tomorrow to get rid of the dead ones. I'm hoping that will do the trick!

OP posts:
jammamma · 02/06/2023 20:26

Hopefully someone might still be following this thread. I've sprayed all of the carpets curtains beds etc. I treated our cat at about 13:30 and I've just brushed through her coat now and found lots of fleas on her face and neck Sad. I've put all the bedding on a hot wash etc but I just am disgusted now that we probably have so many in the house without realising! Would our best bet be to get an exterminator? We've had a quote for £200 and they said it takes 3 weeks but guarantee they will all be gone. We also had a quote for £1000 for people who use heat and they guarantee they are all dead that day but unfortunately we don't have the money for that!

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 02/06/2023 20:41

Fleas prefer animal blood over human blood. They will bite us if there is no animals around, but by far, they will go for the animal over a human.

With your cat properly treated, they will die pretty quickly. Then the eggs hatch, hop on the cat and die before breeding. It takes a bit longer than using an exterminator but it’s cheaper.

This is why proper flea treatment is important and not the stuff you get from supermarkets

VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia · 03/06/2023 00:38

I went through similar in early October, found one on my pillow in the middle of the night, had them jumping on me when I was in the living room, nightmare. I'd been using Frontline on a subscription from PetsAtHome, the fleas are now immune to it. My first action was to get a prescription flea killer from the vet called Bravecto. I then flea bombed my house and vacuumed it. I last saw a flea (dying on my desk) in mid-November. You can do this.

First things first, when you say you re-treated Dcat with a stronger flea killer, you mean a prescription treatment from the vet, right? If not, get yourself and Dcat to the vet, stat.

If so, now that you've sprayed the house, just vacuum a couple of times per week and let Dcat go everywhere throughout the house for at least a few months. I'll explain why:

Fleas have a similar four-stage lifecycle to butterflies: egg, larva, pupa, adult. Vacuuming sucks up the eggs and larvae and spray kills the larvae. The pupae stick to the carpet and are impervious to the spray so they will survive to emerge as adults. The newly-hatched adults will hop into Dcat for a first meal that will also be their last, because the Bravecto in Dcat's blood will poison them. But Dcat has to go where the adults emerge from the pupae for the adults to be able to hop on.

A lot of people shut the cat out of rooms after a flea infestation, but that's counter-productive because the pupae will stay dormant for up to two years until an appropriate animal comes along, or else the adults will emerge and bite you or DC.

jammamma · 03/06/2023 02:28

@VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia thanks for all the advice! We got the on defence flea treatment from pets at home. Will that not work? Last night we were still seeing live fleas on her so I've got her just in one room at the moment until the treatment has had time to work. Do I need to spray the indorex every day and hoover everyday or do it every couple of days? It's honestly just making me want to cry knowing that they are in the house!

OP posts:
Waveymaevey · 03/06/2023 05:26

You need a prescription treatment from the vet - you are just wasting your money on repeated treatments from no prescription sources.

bert3400 · 03/06/2023 05:40

I feel you pain, we are going through the same issue with our dogs . I had been getting a spot on treatment from the vets but the fleas are now immune. I've now been using a tablet that so far has helped with the dogs but getting on top of the house is another matter . Sprayed everything about 8 times , I invested in a really strong Miele hoover I vacuum everyday ( furniture and rugs) I have washed all bedding ( dogs) about 6 times on a 90c wash . I have washed the dogs in flea treatment. A month in I am slightly broken by the whole episode. If things don't improve next week I'm calling in the exterminator - but we have to leave the property for 12 Hours which is tricky, so have been trying everything else. A warning to everyone using Drop on flea treatment....it doesn't work anymore 😭

TheDaysEye · 03/06/2023 05:43

Our cats have serious flea issues. Spot on, prescription or over the counter, just isn't effective.
They have an annual anti flea jab which makes all fleas that bite them infertile

Patchworksack · 03/06/2023 06:17

On defence is another fipronil product (same as frontline) which is a really old product that is unlikely to work well. Go and talk to your vet about an effective prescription product.
Indorex is fine for the house and no need to pay someone. Do the whole house properly once and then keep hoovering. You want as many of the pupated fleas as possible to hatch before you spray (as they are protected in the pupa and won’t die) so warmth, humidity and vibration are your friends. I usually suggest putting central heating on with a bowl of water on the radiator but weather may well be warm enough already. Hoover first as the vibration encourages hatching. Spray the room, concentrating round skirting boards and underneath heavy furniture that isn’t moved (sofas etc) let it sit for an hour then ventilate well. Extra care if you have fish as the spray is toxic to them, you need to cover tank and turn off filter if they can’t be moved. With the best will in the world you will get a few stragglers that hatch later - a decent product on the cat will kill those. The Indorex has a long lasting insect growth regulator that stops the fleas moving to the next life stage, the permethrin which kills the adults is fairly short acting but if you maximise first use as described you shouldn’t have to repeat.

VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia · 03/06/2023 07:12

We got the on defence flea treatment from pets at home. Will that not work?

No.

Go to the vet. Do not buy fipronil-based flea killers. Do not buy anything from the pet shop. You must get one of the newer insecticides that are prescription-only from the vet.

Soubriquet · 03/06/2023 07:55

If you really don’t want to go to the vets, try this. I’ve found it works really well, but I would seek advice from the vet first as you’ve already put on another treatment. Don’t want to accidentally poison your cat

flea treatment

https://www.petdrugsonline.co.uk/advantage-spot-on-flea-treatment?gclid=CjwKCAjwpuajBhBpEiwA_ZtfhUIM0BNVABgt7mJFxntlD6YG-ryEyo_OFs53kS2cP77PMmb_2KUX2xoCCpYQAvD_BwE#646=952

VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia · 03/06/2023 08:22

Soubriquet · 03/06/2023 07:55

If you really don’t want to go to the vets, try this. I’ve found it works really well, but I would seek advice from the vet first as you’ve already put on another treatment. Don’t want to accidentally poison your cat

flea treatment

Imidacloprid might work, but I'd just go to the vet. Bravecto only needs applying every three months.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 03/06/2023 08:42

You need to talk to your vet as I wouldn't risk giving your cat any more flea treatments as you risk poisoning them. You can normally sign up to a pet plan at most vets which costs around £12 a month and covers all vet prescribed flea and worming treatments plus booster jabs so is a good deal.

Be careful spraying your house with too many chemicals as well, I did this and made one of my cats very ill 😥

My cat has bravecto now as all other flea treatments didn't work.

Daily hoovering should keep on top of the fleas in the home for now.

merrymelodies · 03/06/2023 08:43

Our cat brought fleas into the house and before we knew it, there were fleas EVERYWHERE! Carpets, sofas, chairs, even beds! I even found fleas jumping around and biting in our car. It was dreadful. Our lower legs and feet were covered with red, painful, itchy flea bites. It happened so quickly and it was hell. Called an exterminator and although it took two days before we stopped being bitten, I was tearfully grateful when we were finally rid of those pests from hell.

Soubriquet · 03/06/2023 09:44

merrymelodies · 03/06/2023 08:43

Our cat brought fleas into the house and before we knew it, there were fleas EVERYWHERE! Carpets, sofas, chairs, even beds! I even found fleas jumping around and biting in our car. It was dreadful. Our lower legs and feet were covered with red, painful, itchy flea bites. It happened so quickly and it was hell. Called an exterminator and although it took two days before we stopped being bitten, I was tearfully grateful when we were finally rid of those pests from hell.

We had fleas in the house when we had no animals and it was hell. I was bitten everywhere. I was pregnant at the time and I think it made me extra tasty as my ankles were red raw whilst my dh pretty much sailed though.

I even found one hopping in my bed. It was a nightmare

Dh bless him, was on his hands and knees spraying flea treatment everywhere, and using ammonia to get right into the cracks. It took him about a week but he managed to get everything sorted. It was hell

BabyMamaOf2 · 03/06/2023 11:19

expectations need to be a little more realistic. They won’t just go over night, it can take a few months to get on top of it properly because of the life stages. Please chat with your vet- I know it’s more expensive but it’s better than gagging around and wasting more money long term. There is a tablet called capstar…will kill all live fleas on the cat within 24hrs but obviously there will still be some in environment/eggs etc on cat. But may help to just get on top if cat is itchy etc too. You can also use a collar called Seresto-this lasts several months and you can use with an oral/spot in treatment. They will all kill the fleas in different ways- for example, oral products require the flea to actually bite to kill etc. also some spot ons you will actually see more fleas after administration because they are coming away from the skin towards the surface so it looks suddenly like there’s more! Talk to your vet lovely 😊

VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia · 03/06/2023 11:37

You can normally sign up to a pet plan at most vets which costs around £12 a month and covers all vet prescribed flea and worming treatments plus booster jabs so is a good deal.

My plan also covers two health checks every year and access to an online members-only shop where I can buy discounted food for Dcat. It's not the same as health insurance, it doesn't cover injury or illness, but it does spread the cost of boosters and flea treatments and it gets me access to Bravecto for him.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page