Neverending Fleas

[LNEAX]

I have two older cats (11 and 14), and only once had issue with fleas before, which was resolved in two rounds of hoovering and spraying. This spring/summer however, they came with a vengeance, despite their usual spot on treatment. The issue has been ongoing since then. I have tried everything I can think of: changing spot on treatment, tried a flea collar, capstar, washing them, now onto vet prescribed monthly tablet.

At home I’ve been through endless cycles of washing everything, hoovering, mopping, spraying with indorex etc. Outside we’ve chopped back the garden where it had gotten overgrown (wonder if this was the culprit) and used diatomaceous earth. I’ve even had exterminators out after I started to become paranoid it was the dreaded bedbugs (fortunately it wasn’t), who have done 3 spray treatments. After each visit, I go through a few days of no bites, then back to being bitten. Today, not long after stroking one of my cats, I’ve gotten a bite on the same arm.

I’m completely at my wits end. It’s not the environment I want my young kids in (we’ve had qs from DS nursery about the bites), and I’ve sadly grown ambivalent towards my cats out of despair. It’s not even as if the house is crawling with fleas (barely ever see them), yet the situation and bites are relentless months later. I had hoped the colder weather would help but inside it’s warm!

Any advice or ideas what could be going on would be appreciated. Or even someone who has been through months of this but managed to resolve it, to know that this will end sometime!

Thanks in advance

So I’m not sure on the area your at but where I am my cat brings them in too- she is the same monthly treated , I also hoover do all of the above unfortunately most treatments only work one the flea has bitten - or some treatments are only active for 3 out of the 4 weeks so on that last week eggs are being layed . We’ve only had 1 bad bad case but it was enough. I started noticing that when she came in from being outside she would carry one or two inside. It only takes one , to lay eggs - this could be anywhere perhaps even somewhere we wouldn’t think to hoover like mattresses. By the time we’ve hoover done all of the above another one hatches and the process goes on. I’ve combed my cat every time she comes in for the last year and haven’t had a single one. Places to concentrate when combing are behind the ears , under the neck and just before their take begins on the back. Please don’t hate your fur baby tho :( it’s completely out of their control . I also have young children and I understand completely. What treatment do you use . Have you got any other animals. Is keeping them inside an option . I know my cat wouldn’t lol but some may x

Fleas are really, really bad this year. I know so many people with problems event though they treat their pets.

What vet treatment are you using? They're becoming immune to anything with Fipronil in it (like Frontline) so you want to look for something with Imidacloprid as the active ingredient - Advantage is a good option (you can get it without a prescription) or Bravecto from the vets.

It has been an awful year for them, I've never seen one this bad. The vet has mine on some new one that's a three monthly spot on, and that, with a really thorough spray of the house and hot washing all the bedding and cushion covers etc did it.

Vet treatment. They are resistant to pretty much everything except Bravecto.

Thanks all, yes we were prescribed Credelio, I’ve called and asked for Bravecto. I actually thought that’s what they’d prescribed in the first place annoyingly. Does Bravecto also help with fleas jumping onto them? Or anything I can use that could help that? Credelio apparently only works if the fleas bite them (probably why we’re getting bitten instead!)

Thanks for the advice :) one’s an indoor cat, the other is in and out multiple times a day, keeping her in would be impossible sadly!

Gosh, this sounds familiar! I had similar too.
Took weeks to get rid. One dog and 2 cats. The dog has a thin coating of hair rather than fur so I was literally pinching off the fleas off her and Immediately flushing down then sink sink!!

I did everything, washed everything, many times over. I used all the sprays and treatments plus tablet based treatments and hoovering. What I think helped was bathing all 3 in a tea tree anti flea cat and dog shampoo several times.
Got it on amazon.

You can see all the dead fleas floating in the bathwater! (I filled up the bath a few inches just so I can check they were being washed off)

First time there were 6 or 7. I did it every 2 or 3 days and eventually combined with everything else, the drops tablets, sprays, washing etc they got fewer until there were no fleas. Kept going for a little longer just in case. And after several baths of no floating flea graveyards I stopped and has been ok since.

Obviously if you use a drop on, don't bathe them, use it after the bath if you're due to give one so its not washed off. One cat is quite aggressive and we've never bathed her before but actually she just let me clean her! I was impressed, like she knew we were trying to help.

It was a horrible few weeks! I'd see them on bedding or just generally jumping about!!
I was also early stages of pregnancy so too scared to use certain sprays, so my partner sprayed the house... every sofa, nook and cranny, even carpets, stairs etc. (make sure spray is soft-furnishing/pet bedding friendly) while I was out.

We got there eventually. Just keep persevering.

Aww I can understand hun but ultimately there's only so much you can do... we got given a cat who has since had kittens and they're all lovely but absolutely crawling! As for the flea bites on the kids well it's not going to kill them is it so try not to stress about it to much! My little ones look like they've got never ending chicken pox bless them, the fur babies are worth it though 😊💕

This year has been the worst I’ve ever known for fleas. Bravecto and a couple of goes of the Capstar tablets seem to get on top of it, plus lots of Indorex, hoovering and washing.