Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

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

Original poster

Where are my cats getting fleas from?!

53 replies

Saymyname28 · 14/03/2024 14:10

I have 4 INDOOR cats. The first two arrived with fleas but I'd treated them before they even came in the house and I bathed them.

We've had them 8 months ish.

They're treated monthly, they don't go outside. We have no other pets.

We had an issue with lice a few months ago that took ages to get rid of becuase I thought they were fleas and was using the wrong stuff. Got the right stuff, lice were gone.

Less than a month later I see a definite flea on one of their faces. Treat them all. We took them with us to a renovation were doing and treated the whole house with the brutal bug stuff. There should be no fleas in the house or on the cats. It's been 2 weeks since we got back and they've all got flea dirt on them.

I haven't seen a flea yet but they're all fluffy and wriggly but there is definite flea dirt on them all.

What the hell is happening?!

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 14/03/2024 18:13

What're you treating them with?
If you haven't seen fleas and don't have bites then are you sure they even have fleas?

lifebeginsaftercoffee · 14/03/2024 21:43

You probably didn't get rid of them the first time, and now the weather is warming up, the fleas are back.

You need proper prescription strength treatment and to treat the whole house, soft furnishings, beds etc.

RogueFemale · 15/03/2024 10:09

Have you taken them to the vet?

Original poster
Saymyname28 · 15/03/2024 14:36

I found a flea. They've had frontline and bephear. Trying advantage today. Used zero in ultra power in the house while we were away. Tried a frontline house spray before that.

They didn't have fleas when they had lice though!

I'm going to have to spend a fortune on prescription stuff aren't I?

I have no bites and I've not seen a flea in the house so I don't think it's a big infestation.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 15/03/2024 14:40

Think both treatments you used in the past are fipronil based and that isn't always effective.

Advantage is supposed to be better than the other 2 so hopefully it helps. Seeing 1 flea once doesn't mean you have an infestation though

dementedpixie · 15/03/2024 14:42

Indorex is supposed to be good for spraying in the house

AnnaMagnani · 15/03/2024 14:43

You never got rid of the fleas the first time.

Indorex spray in the house - all soft furnishings, carpet, skirting boards, crevices. It's about 1 can per room which is way more than it says on the can

Bravecto from the vet.

lifebeginsaftercoffee · 15/03/2024 14:45

Frontline and Beapher are both pretty ineffective, sadly.

Advantage is a good shout but if that doesn't clear it, they really should see a vet you can get something prescription based for them.

Fleas can lie dormant in the house for ages.

Soubriquet · 15/03/2024 14:49

Yeah fleas have built up an immunity against those two treatments im afraid

LenaLamont · 15/03/2024 14:50

Neither of the treatments you used are effective. They are a waste of money - it’s only prescription stuff that’s any use.

Iamnotawinp · 15/03/2024 15:00

I used to regularly groom my cats everyday with a flea comb for about 5 mins each.

They were outdoor cats so could pick them up anywhere.

Most days I couldn’t find any. Occasionally I might find one or two. Only when it got worse than that would I used chemicals. I have two very good hoovers and wash cat bedding, blankets regularly.

My main concern was subjecting my cats to repeated chemicals. I had one cat that had a very bad reaction to them. You can double check the flea dirt by putting it in a spot of water - it will be reddish.

If they won’t tolerate grooming, then it’s difficult not to use chemicals.

CleverLemonCat · 15/03/2024 15:38

Another shout for prescription strength from vets. Only thing that works in my house, the over the counter stuff isnt effective IMO.

RogueFemale · 15/03/2024 20:37

RogueFemale · 15/03/2024 10:09

Have you taken them to the vet?

No reply, @Saymyname28, so assuming that's a no, you haven't taken them to the vet.

Take them to the vet.

Yes, spend money on effective prescription medicine.

YouJustDoYou · 15/03/2024 20:40

My indoor cat suddenly got fleas after months of having her. We think it was a charity shop stuffed toy I brought home for her to play with, because it started right after that. It was so horror-inducing, we'd look down and fleas would be hanging out of us.

ViveLaOeuf · 15/03/2024 20:40

Bravecto from the vet is a fab flea treatment. Ask for that.

RogueFemale · 15/03/2024 20:41

If you can't afford it, then the kindest thing to do is to take the cats to a local shelter for rehousing. They'd also be really happy to have garden access. It's a miserable life for a caged indoor cat (unless unavoidable due to infectious diseases).

RogueFemale · 15/03/2024 20:43

YouJustDoYou · 15/03/2024 20:40

My indoor cat suddenly got fleas after months of having her. We think it was a charity shop stuffed toy I brought home for her to play with, because it started right after that. It was so horror-inducing, we'd look down and fleas would be hanging out of us.

Cat fleas aren't horror-inducing, and cat fleas don't live on humans.

Wolfiefan · 15/03/2024 20:44

Frontline is rubbish.
Advantage monthly and Indorex the house.

Icantbedoingwithit · 15/03/2024 20:46

ViveLaOeuf · 15/03/2024 20:40

Bravecto from the vet is a fab flea treatment. Ask for that.

Absolutely this.

Singleandproud · 15/03/2024 20:48

Everytime YOU go out you can bring them home, fleas can live 90 days on carpets etc, so anytime you go to work, school, supermarket one can jump on and hitch a ride and you take them home to your cats.

Get them some proper vet treatment and a flea or headlice comb and comb them everyday with a little bowl of water with detergent in to get rid of any that you find.

Original poster
Saymyname28 · 15/03/2024 22:44

@RogueFemale
I assumed you meant as a source for the fleas.

Fuck me the kindest thing to do is dump my cats at a shelter because I'm struggling to tackle fleas. Good thinking 🤔 They're temporarily house cats while we renovate a barn in a rural area where they'll have acres of private land to roam but k, they'd definitely be better in a cage. They seem really miserable👍

I was asking fellow cat owners where fleas could be entering my home from so I can look after my cats, I never said i was horrified but that doesn't mean I'm going to allow pests in my home.

Thank you to everyone with helpful advice. It must be us bringing them in. We do have regular contact with dogs.

OP posts:
Original poster
Saymyname28 · 15/03/2024 22:46

We tried the flea and live combs, they just slip straight through them. I've been bathing them and going through by hand picking them out. I'll give the vets a ring for some better stuff if they come back again after this treatment

OP posts:
Girliefriendlikespuppies · 15/03/2024 22:50

Bravecto is the only thing that kills fleas now.

ShaunaSadeki · 15/03/2024 22:52

The stuff from the vets is the only thing that works, I switched to itch pet to try and save a bit of money and time and it was a nightmare. We had to indorex the house to eve and hoover everything e.g. mattresses and under sofa cushions every day for days & days.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 15/03/2024 22:55

can you clarify the we took them to a renovation - do you mean you took them in the car to a different property whilst your home was being deflead ?

did you treat the car afterwards ?