I can’t get rid of these fleas!?
Aug.10, 2011 in
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My young male cat has had fleas since I found him six months ago. He’s about nine months old and I have tried everything. Flea collars, baths the works. I know he’s miserable and I want to help him. I am going to try another round of capstar and a flea bath and then apply advantage. I don’t know if I need to flea bomb my apartment or what…I am a first time cat owner and VERY frustrated. I don’t want to get rid of him because of the fleas but I don’t want him to be miserable anymore either. I don’t know what to do…HELP PLEASE!
Tags: advantage, apartment, bath, bomb, Capstar, cat, cat owner, everything, Flea, flea bomb, flea collars, Fleas, male cat, nine months, round, six months, time, time cat
August 12th, 2011 at 7:36 pm
Yes…. you have to get rid of the fleas living in the carpet and furniture, otherwise the cat gets reinfested almost immediately.
5 years vet tech
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August 15th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
frontline plus has ALWAYS worked on all my ‘kids’,,,you may want to bomb as well.
5 years vet tech
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August 18th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
I have two cats, and we had a bad flea problem. The first thing we did, was treat them with Frontline Plus flea drops. You can get them from your vet or a pet store. I usually get mine online. After treating the cat, you should find somewhere to take him so you can clean the house up. You need to vacuum every room and all of the furniture. Make sure you take out the vacuum bag (or empty the canister) right away and through the trash outside immediately. The fleas can jump back out of the vacuum. Then I used Hartz 3 in 1 Home Spray. Make sure you spray everywhere. Under the furniture and beds under the cushions of furniture and bed mattresses. Wash all of the dogs bedding and make sure you spray there too. After everything dries, vacuum again and get rid of the bag. Then bring your cat back…And be sure to treat your cat every month with the Frontline Plus…I have not had a flea problem since..
5 years vet tech
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August 21st, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Start dosing your cat with advantage every three weeks for several months. Flea collars do nothing and baths just drown some of the adult fleas. Your doc might reccomment using program and advantage together. Pick up a flea spray called ‘siphotrol’. It is veterinary grade and works amazingly. Use this to spray down the apartment. Spray along where the carpet meets the walls especially, as this is where most fleas hide. Before spraying, turn up the heat in your house and the vacuume all the carpets to trigger as many flea eggs to hatch as possible. Then douse em! Just make sure to air out your apartment really well… good luck!
5 years vet tech
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August 25th, 2011 at 1:36 am
You really need to treat the house. Those horrible little bugs are hanging out in your carpet and under your furniture. Not only do you need to treat the house now, but also in about 3-4 weeks because they may have laid eggs that will hatch out again. Please don’t get rid of your cat because of fleas. It sounds like you’re a very responsible person and therefore a good owner. You’ll tackel this problem once in for all, don’t worry.
5 years vet tech
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August 28th, 2011 at 4:39 am
you need to put front line on him or advantage my cat got fleas and i put a tub e of it on his back of his neck and around base of tail is expensive around 45 bucks but will work baths dont work will keep a little under control but fleas still in carpet and furniture these brands even kill the eggs flea collars dont work if these dont work take to a vet they even have a pill that will now get rid of them its gonna cost ya though plus use frontline plus kills eggs and all fleas in all stages if you have other animals with hairn remember they also have fleas vacumm and change the bag every time steam clean the carpet and use frontline and if neccesery take cat to vet they have pills
sister is a vet my cat had fleas so bad they bit me lol i took care of the problem real fast frontline plus
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August 31st, 2011 at 11:37 am
The only way to get rid off them is to treat his environment(The carpet, couch, bedding, ect.)Flea eggs hatch every 14 days so it is important to treat the area frequently until they are all gone. Make sure what ever spray you use kills flea eggs. I would def. do the capstar that is a miracle pill I would use frontline with it, it seems to work more than advantage. The frontline goes on basically like the advantage. Just a line about an inch long on the back of his neck so he can’t lick it off. Also when you give him a bath make sure you wait a couple of days to put the flea preventative on. You want to make sure the oils are back on his skin so it will absorb better. That is where most people make there mistake. I wouldnt really recommend flea collars they dont really work, they can make them sick, and they are pretty much just a waste of money.
I am a vet tech.
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September 3rd, 2011 at 6:36 pm
Frontline Plus will kill flea eggs and larvae, and it will kill and repel fleas for 1-3 months. Flea collars will keep the fleas off the cat’s neck, and for how toxic and smelly they can be, they’re a waste of money. DON’T give flea dips, topical sprays or flea baths, please!!! The frontline plus will take care of them, and then you can bathe with a gentle kitten shampoo and use a comb to get the dead fleas off!
The reason is that dips, shampoos, and sprays can kill cats very easily. Cats are incredibly sensitive to chemicals that other animals are ok with. Even a cat who hasn’t had a reaction to flea shampoo can die suddenly the next time you use it, and it can also really irritate the skin. A nice, gentle kitten shampoo will get any blood crust and flea dirt and dead fleas off, while leaving your cat’s natural oils still mostly intact. That way he will be comfortable much sooner!
I would do it like this:
-Apply the frontline plus first. Once it is on, your cat is protected.
-After 24 hours (to make sure all fleas are dead or gone from the cat), take your cat to someone else’s house in a carrier (remove all pets) and set off flea bombs all over the house, according to manufacturer’s instructions.
-After it is safe to return, bring the cat back and give him the bath with safe kitten shampoo and a flea comb, if necessary.
-Wash (in HOT laundry, or at least twice in cold) any and all cat bedding, or toss it out.
- Continue with frontline monthly for at least until Autumn. After that, check with a fleacomb regularly, continue to apply frontline plus every three months, and use monthly if you find fleas again.
I promise if you do this all as outlined, you will never be begging for flea help again!
Longtime pet care pro, certified dog groomer, dedicated dog mom who once had a messed up flea infestation in her home (in the 90′s) and was really relieved when Frontline Plus showed up on the market n_n
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September 7th, 2011 at 4:38 am
advantage 18 or flea carpet remover
Longtime pet care pro, certified dog groomer, dedicated dog mom who once had a messed up flea infestation in her home (in the 90′s) and was really relieved when Frontline Plus showed up on the market n_n
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September 10th, 2011 at 8:35 pm
You need to get some medication from a vet… Things like flea collars and flea baths etc don;t really do much..the baths will help get rid of the fleas on the cat at that time but don’t get rid of the fleas in the environment.
If you might be putting the advantage on him too soon after the bath..you should wait until he is completely dry first.
Longtime pet care pro, certified dog groomer, dedicated dog mom who once had a messed up flea infestation in her home (in the 90′s) and was really relieved when Frontline Plus showed up on the market n_n
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September 14th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
I have had cats my whole life & the only way to really get rid of fleas is to clean everything, I mean even down to the upholstery of the couches! I also dose my cats with garlic powder. The fleas can’t stand the smell or taste & leave them alone. I am the proud owner of 3 cats & 4 kittens & we also have a few strays that visit daily & even stay over if the weather is bad. I feed all the cats twice a day & sprinkle a light coating over the food everytime. It does not hurt them at all. The worst it can do is thin their blood if you way overdose them. Garlic is a immune system enhancer & can kill most infections from the inside.
My grandfather was in WWI & they did not have antibiotics back then. When he was shot in the arm, one of the Italian soliders took a clove of garlic & crushed it. Then he had two others hold Granddad & he shoved the garlic into & around the wounds. Within 2 days the wounds were healing & he was no worse for the wear. The day before Grandpa was shot, another solider was shot the same way & he was dead before the wounds healed at all.
Longtime pet care pro, certified dog groomer, dedicated dog mom who once had a messed up flea infestation in her home (in the 90′s) and was really relieved when Frontline Plus showed up on the market n_n
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September 18th, 2011 at 7:36 am
If he goes outside at all, you should probably consider keeping him in. If he only goes in your yard, then the nematodes should help. But if he wanders farther out, you can’t control what he’ll pick up.
Breaking news! I’ve just learned of something that should provide quick and efficient relief for the cat: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080314071007AAU0dSV&r=w&pa=FZpt...
1. Treat the cat. Go to your vet and get either Advantage or Frontline Plus (I went with Advantage).
2. Get yourself a “flea comb” and comb your cat at least once per day. Have a bucket with dish soap in it handy to dunk the comb in and to collect the hair. Fleas can’t jump out of the slippery soap. No point in combing them out only to have them jump back on your cat. Flush this down the toilet, pour it down the sink, or dispose of it away from your house.
3. Treat your house. Options are a borate powder product or something that uses diatomaceous earth. Fleabusters (BP), Fleago Natural Flea Control (BP) or Flea Away Natural Flea Powder (DE). Put about a tablespoon of this in your vacuum cleaner bag (or you can cut up a flea collar to put in there. Just follow the directions which will vary by product, but in general you’ll sprinkle on the carpet and vacuum up and also sprinkle into cracks and crevices. (I chose Fleago because it’s less expensive than Fleabusters. I may also try Flea Away in time).
4. Vacuum as often as possible. Before vacuuming, stomp around the house. This will bring the fleas to life because they’ll think there’s a tasty morsel out there. Then vacuum those little bastards up. Be sure to use your attachments to vacuum as many cracks and crevices as you can – they love to hide out there.
5. Wash any pet bedding in hot water, and you’ll want to be particularly diligent about vacuuming/treating areas where your cat hangs out.
6. Treat your yard. Even if your cat doesn’t go outside, fleas may enter your home if they exist in your yard. There’s a small chance that you or others may bring fleas in the house with you (although this is unlikely). Get hold of some nematodes to spray in your yard. I believe you only have to do this once per year. These little creatures will eat the flea larva. As one website put it, these critters are too small to hug, but they deserve it! (I had to order this online; I wasn’t able to find a place that sells them in my area and didn’t feel like calling every place in the phonebook).
Things not to do: Don’t use any essential oils on your cat, particularly anything with pennyroyal or eucalyptus. They’re toxic to cats. Don’t use flea collars. Don’t give your cat any garlic/yeast formulations. Don’t give your cat lemon baths.
You’re going to want to continue treating your home as directed, whether that be sprinkling once per week or once a month. Continue treating throughout flea season (when it’s warm). You can stop during the winter months, but start up again in the spring. You’ll nip them in the bud!
The key is to treat the environment in addition to the cat. If you do that, you may never have to apply another flea product directly on them again.
Longtime pet care pro, certified dog groomer, dedicated dog mom who once had a messed up flea infestation in her home (in the 90′s) and was really relieved when Frontline Plus showed up on the market n_n
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