Thread: Mortified...Miles and Koji have fleas :(

Originally Posted by Bethy_boo

I'm also having a flea nightmare with Poif. I've used frontline, 2 weeks later frontline combo, and tried frontline again last week, which seem to kill about 3 fleas and then that's it. Have taken to nit combing the fleas out and have been getting about 4 off a day!! It's freaking me out a bit, and this evening I even had a flea casually wondering across my face!! I can only hope the flea was on it's way out though coz I'm sure they're normally more difficult to catch.

I do wonder if for some reason the Frontline Combo is not so effective on our cats coats,don't know why but I had no problem with the spray or normal Frontline pipette but when I went onto the combo all hell broke out it was then that I had to change products & all has been fine......

Originally Posted by elismom

I too am very curious about how inside cats with no exposure to outside animals can get fleas. I've never had this problem nor do I want to! Perhaps fleas are more prolific in some places than others geographically?

Fleas can be transported easily from place to place, I assumed that I brought the problem home from work as I very often deal with animals that are hosting the little darlings & of course when you bring them into your own environment they soon find another furry to continue playing host,thats why my animals have always been de flead regardless of the fact that they are "inside"cats, that is why it was also such a shock when I had the massive flea infestation,we have no carpets,the whole place gets hoovered daily sometimes more often if the cats have had extra fun time,they were all haveing flea product applied monthly,it was the product that put the flea on the pill as extra back up yet all h**l broke out,had to take one of them to work for an injection to calm his skin down poor boy was in a terrible state,so pounds worse off from buying products to protect them in the first place I was then pounds worse off trying to cope with the situation {company did replace the product free but that didn't help as it was obviously not working}since changing products things have been fine but at the first scratch from any cat flea inspection is carried out on all but none seen yet,in fact Ithink the cats have cottoned on because if they go to have that comforting nuzzle behind the ear with a paw & catch me looking the leg goes down with a look of oh no here she comes again....
Perhaps as you say where you live does help,perhaps if we had the good long hard winters every year it would help us too,the little buggers do seem to be worse over here nowadays,hope you never have to deal with them...x

I thought perhaps eggs could be tracked in from outside from peoples' shoes. Or perhaps a rogue flea has caught a lift from someone else's house who may have a flea infestation (*shudder* - hate thinking of it as an "infestation"!)

Luckily, neither myself or my partner have been bitten at all. Hopefully having practically fogged out the house with 2 massive cans of flea spray and a whole tub of flea dust, any eggs still falling off the cats won't hatch. Urgh...it's such a pain!

But having noticed the dead flea on each cat, I let them out of confinement. It's nice having kitties roaming around again! Koji never seemed that bothered, but Miles ran the length of the house bless him! (It was a large room they had but I guess he enjoyed the freedom!...)

I think i added in the previous thread that my DSH has a major flea allergy - frontline spot on just did not deal with the nasty little b****rs but the spray did and as it is so safe can use it monthly or even twice weekly in the summer - luckily she is complient.
The other tablet that the dermatologist at work says is good for LIVE fleas is Capstar - you can give on a daily basis it is so non toxic...but it does only kill live fleas not the eggs but I believe from what she said that you can give with frontline as a back up.
I think the problem with the spot on is actually getting it below all that hair to the skin which is what is needed. Hence it doesnt always clear the problem up.

Any way thanks for the flea thoughts .. itching like crazy now and I am at work !!!!!!

I have seen no fleas, dead or alive on either cat for 2 days now, and practically no flea dirt, but I am going to give the injection tomorrow just in case, mainly for peace of mind! Hope everyone's flea problems go away! I never thought my kitties would get them! Thanks for all the replies

So pleased for you,I think the only thing that has upset me as much as finding fleas on my animals was when daughter came home & I found she had the dreaded head lice,that was equally as bad {plus was best friends with the only child whose parents refused to treat at first} after three bouts in a very short space of time I pursuaded her that as we were going abroad for a holiday it might be a good idea to have her hair cut as even having it taken back in a ponytail her head would still feel very hot.I felt like a traitor but it worked & never told her until she moved up to high school & wanted to grow it again.
I wish I had a pound for everytime I have heard someone say "I never thought" but all sorted now......

Originally Posted by jckkerrison

So pleased for you,I think the only thing that has upset me as much as finding fleas on my animals was when daughter came home & I found she had the dreaded head lice,that was equally as bad {plus was best friends with the only child whose parents refused to treat at first} after three bouts in a very short space of time I pursuaded her that as we were going abroad for a holiday it might be a good idea to have her hair cut as even having it taken back in a ponytail her head would still feel very hot.I felt like a traitor but it worked & never told her until she moved up to high school & wanted to grow it again.
I wish I had a pound for everytime I have heard someone say "I never thought" but all sorted now......

Thanks Jackie just reading that got me scratching my head.

Haven't found any fleas or dirt for a few days now. Keeping my fingers crossed that its not just because the weather has taken a turn for the worse. Think I found the source of the problem, one of the lads at work has 4 unspayed female cats who he let's our resulting in him being presented him with 37 kittens and they all have fleas. I've taken to getting out of work clothes in hall and spraying them with flea spray and leaving shoes outside, cats are banned from the hall now.

I feel like crying! I have seen fleas on Koji and Miles again! I don't know what else to do...I am still not being bitten, and the cats aren't scratching more than normal, just running the flea comb over and caught 4 in 5 minutes! They have been frontlined (soon as I noticed - I know, I should have done it preventatively, but what's done is done) Dusted and sprayed the house, vacuumed loads, cats both had a Program injection yesturday...

Do I need to bathe them? Do I need to spray the house again?

Or is it just the remaining eggs hatching, they hopefully dying when they come into contact with the kitties? (was hoping the kitties would mop up and kills any remaining fleas)

Argh!

Don't cry! Program takes up to 24 hours to kill all fleas. You need to keep spraying everywhere for the next week at least. I got a "flea bomb" from a local pet shop. You have to get all humans and animals out of the room, ignite it, wait and hour, go and open windows, wait an hour, hoover and dust. Don't forget to hoover cat beds etc a couple of times a day. As for getting bitten my grannie used to swear by wearing white ankle socks to stop fleas biting; worth a try? Or use an insect repellent. xx