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

Make sure you spray under the sofa and beds ect, they like living under things I was told, yep Jackie another thing I remember from the talk..............still earning that lunch lol

I have JUST had a session with the flea comb on Miles and actually found 2 dead ones and no live ones (only hours earlier there had been only live ones on him)

They had been confined for 48 hours, so upon seeing a dead flea on each cat I have decided to let them out. If I see any more live ones between now and Monday (inj. day) I will defo get the injection. If not, I may just assume the Frontline is working and leave it at that, or I may just go get them injected whatever.

Do I need to continue to vacuum every day? If so, how long do I need to keep up a daily vacuum?

I'd say vacuum for at least a week just to be safe. I have to hoover at least twice a day just to deal with the amount of fur they leave about. Ask Vet for advice re injections.

Jackie, found them in Chemist when I went to get Drontal; expensive £11.96 for 3 tablets, but the results were fantastic.

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.

How do indoor cats get them? Everyone I know seems to be having problems this year with cats. Touch wood, these tablets seem to have worked on Buddy but he's getting another one next week just in case, and think he will get a flea bath next time he's at groomers. I hate the poxy things as my ankles are like a magnet for them and I get an allergic reaction to the bites.

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!...)

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......

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