Dealing with fleas on a feral I can’t touch - advice?

[sceptr]

Hi experts! We have a single feral kitty (neutered male, about 2-3 years old) who lives in our yard. Between him, our dog, and a neighbor dog, we seem to be dealing with a significant flea outbreak and everyone is itchy! Our dog is on flea treatment but I’m wondering about cat options, and animal-safe options for treating the yard.

1) I know Capstar only works for a day — if you use it, does it seem to make a difference for your kitties with that limitation? Or is it just like spitting into the wind?

2) Topicals are out of the question because we can’t touch the kitty. For oral treatments that require a prescription, are there vets out there who will work with you on ferals who can’t be handled and thus can’t be brought into the vet unless absolutely necessary? Or is that a lost cause?

3) I’ve read that putting Brewer’s yeast in their food makes them less palatable to fleas — have you found there to be any truth to that? What about nutritional yeast?

4) Has anyone had success with applying beneficial nematodes to the yard? The websites about it all say they are safe for pets; does this seem accurate?

5) Has anyone had success with applying diatomaceous earth in the cat’s preferred areas? I don’t think it’s feasible for us to apply it to the whole yard, but if we focused on the spots where he spends most of his time?

Thanks for any advice you may have!

 

[Jcatbird]

I have used both diatomaceous earth and Capstar. The treatment of the yard with diatomaceous earth may have helped but if you are treating a large area it may not be the answer. Worth trying though. The Capstar only kills adults but it can be given , according to my vet, every 24 hours. I did that. It did kill the adults and bought me time to rid the area of eggs and larvae. It can be lifesaving if fleas have infested. Fleas can cause a lot of health problems, including anemia. The trick is getting it in the kitty. I hide it in many things. A very tiny pile of finely shredded bacon worked best for me. The bacon grease seemed to permeate the pill without dissolving it. It is not a tasty pill. I buried the pill in the crispy bacon and the kitties ate it up. I have used Gerber second foods all meat baby food to hide it too. It must be a tiny amount of baby food though. Just enough to get kitty scarfing it up but not enough to take long because the pill will dissolve some and the more it does, the more the taste gets to the kitty. Whatever that cat adores eating may work. The pills cost me less when I get them from the vet. They aren’t as costly as many treatments.
You can also try putting a bed for kitty up off the ground to help a bit. That way you can clean where kitty lays down. That can eliminate some eggs. Treating the yard can be tough but treating the dogs can help. You can give them something that will kill any fleas that bites. It is very important that you get rid of the fleas. Keep grass mowed short and keep brush eliminated. Maybe you can lure the kitty towards a garage or outbuilding that you can clean for awhile? Besides anemia, fleas carry parasites and cause other problems. Kitty will probably need worm treatment if this goes on very long. I have a friend that uses the yeast but I don’t have experience with that myself. Maybe catsknowme would know another remedy. I’m glad you are helping that kitty! You’re a lifesaver!

 

[dragonlady2]

I have used Diatomaceous Earth on cats and in their bedding which gave some relief. I also used a syringe (without the needle) to apply a topical flea treatment. I practiced with water equaling the dose amount to see how far it would reach. I was able to dose my one feral cat monthly to get rid of ear mites and fleas.

 

[Jcatbird]

I have used Diatomaceous Earth on cats and in their bedding which gave some relief. I also used a syringe (without the needle) to apply a topical flea treatment. I practiced with water equaling the dose amount to see how far it would reach. I was able to dose my one feral cat monthly to get rid of ear mites and fleas.

So, did you just aim the liquid and shoot it to get it on the kitty? If so, that is totally amazing!! No matter how you got it on with that method, bravo!!

 

[kittychick]

Jcatbird you beat me to the punch! (And of course w/good advice— so I get to delete my 8,000 word post I was ready to hit “post” on & save this sweet member from one of my tomes —-someday I’ll figure out how keep advice short & sweet!)

S sceptr - as always, @Jcatbird’s offered some great advice. I’ll add just a bit (promise I’ll TRY to stick to the “just a bit” part!). It’s so nice to hear you’ve taken this furry friend under your wing! You must be somewhere warm to have such a flea issue at this time of year.

We treat our ferals topically—- but it took a bit of time to get to the point where that was possible. I know you said it’s not possible right now, but it’s something you can work towards! (I can go more into that at some point if you’d like - definitely makes life WAY easier for you AND the kitty!) And in all my years doing this & feeling Ive heard most tips & tricks - D dragonlady2 , the long needle-less syringe method for topical is so interesting! I’ll pass that one along!!

There are definitely vets who will work with ferals. Ours does - altho we haven’t taken the one in yet that we’ve discussed with her — she prescribes Gabapentine, a relaxant (obv that doesn’t mean it’ll be a stress-free visit though!). So talk to yours, don’t be afraid to ask if they know one that does. You can also check w/ the local spay/neuter clinic & ask if they know any vets who’ll treat feral/semi-ferals. I’d also call any cats-only vet practices in your area. They’re more likely to be open to working w/you.

I had always heard you couldn’t use Capstar daily, but I’ve recently seen more vets agree with Jcatbird - that it can be given daily. To make sure he’s getting it (bc it is NASTY) - I too have had to work to hide it. We us american cheese slices. I cut the pill into several small pieces, wrap each piece in the cheese (making little cheese balls) plus make some w/o the med inside. Give them 1 at a time...starting w/1 or 2 of the ones w/o the med inside (it builds up the trust!). I’ve also used “kitty crack” (Gerber Stage 2 Chicken & Gravy baby food), but I often have trouble getting them to not eat around the pill. But the “tiny cheese wads” (we also mold soft treats around pieces of pill if they don’t like cheese) works for us 95% of the time.

I’ve never used diatomaceous earth — but if you do go that way, be SURE to get food grade (there are 2 types — the other isn't safe). Unfortunately the biggest disadvantage w/it is that everyone Ive known that’s used it has had the best luck when they treat not just bedding/around bedding, but the whole yard, which gets expensive.

Hopefully eventually between all of us we can help you get to the point of being able to apply the topical!!! But keep us posted!

 

[kittychick]

Jcatbird - that cracked me up! I started picturing starting with a water pistol & working my way up!

 

[dragonlady2]

So, did you just aim the liquid and shoot it to get it on the kitty? If so, that is totally amazing!! No matter how you got it on with that method, bravo!!

Yes...I waited until he was either sleeping or walking by when I squirted him. Most times I got him on the shoulder. It took a couple of wasted doses to perfect my aim...lol. Every time I got him, he would look at me suspiciously, give a token hiss and keep on with whatever he was doing.

 

[Babypaws]

Yes...I waited until he was either sleeping or walking by when I squirted him. Most times I got him on the shoulder. It took a couple of wasted doses to perfect my aim...lol. Every time I got him, he would look at me suspiciously, give a token hiss and keep on with whatever he was doing.

I was able to get a feral cat to come in my porch back in October (I’ve kept her inside since) but I’m pretty sure she has fleas, she hasn’t got to the point where I can pet her. The closest she gets is just a brief sniff of my hand. I want to be able to treat her for fleas and possibly get her shots so I can bring her inside the house. (I have 12 indoor cats who are all spayed/neutered and have had their shots)
Awhile ago I read on this site to tape a toothbrush to a long stick to be able to brush her, which she has let me do so I was wondering if anyone thinks it could be possible to dip the brush in flea treatment and brush the back of her neck. Do you think she would get enough treatment to help? I dont know how using something to spray the treatment on could help, doesn’t the solution need to get into her skin and not just on her fur? Also isn’t it safer to get the solution on the neck area so the cat can’t lick it?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[dragonlady2]

My vet said that the solution didn’t taste good so chances were the cat wouldn’t try to clean it off. She also said it just needed to be on the cat for a specific amount of time (can’t remember now) to be effective. The solution migrated from the fur down onto the skin. All I can say is that Squeaky, the cat, is flea and ear mite free. I had to trap him and take him to the vet to remove a growth and they found nothing on him.
Why don’t you try trapping the cat and you could get flea treatment, shots, checkup etc done all at one time at the vet?

 

[Babypaws]

My vet said that the solution didn’t taste good so chances were the cat wouldn’t try to clean it off. She also said it just needed to be on the cat for a specific amount of time (can’t remember now) to be effective. The solution migrated from the fur down onto the skin. All I can say is that Squeaky, the cat, is flea and ear mite free. I had to trap him and take him to the vet to remove a growth and they found nothing on him.
Why don’t you try trapping the cat and you could get flea treatment, shots, checkup etc done all at one time at the vet?

At this point I’m afraid if I tried to trap her it would set things back and she wouldn’t trust me....before I brought her on the porch when I was feeding her outside she wouldn’t come close to me at all. Since she’s been on the porch she will hesitate but will come to sniff my hand and then back away.
But she wasn’t even doing that when she first came in, she would hide most of the time unless she was eating when no one was around. The funny thing is there’s a window on the porch that looks into our tv room and she sits on the shelf and looks inside. Lately when I go to the window she rubs against it as if I was actually petting her. But when I go on the porch she won’t let me touch her...I can hear her purring and she’ll let me brush her with the toothbrush I had mentioned earlier. She will also start to play with a few toys when I’m with her. I know it takes a long time for a lot of feral cats to come around. I think she’s about 11/2 to 2 years old.

 

[MKincade]

Hi experts! We have a single feral kitty (neutered male, about 2-3 years old) who lives in our yard. Between him, our dog, and a neighbor dog, we seem to be dealing with a significant flea outbreak and everyone is itchy! Our dog is on flea treatment but I’m wondering about cat options, and animal-safe options for treating the yard.

1) I know Capstar only works for a day — if you use it, does it seem to make a difference for your kitties with that limitation? Or is it just like spitting into the wind?

2) Topicals are out of the question because we can’t touch the kitty. For oral treatments that require a prescription, are there vets out there who will work with you on ferals who can’t be handled and thus can’t be brought into the vet unless absolutely necessary? Or is that a lost cause?

3) I’ve read that putting Brewer’s yeast in their food makes them less palatable to fleas — have you found there to be any truth to that? What about nutritional yeast?

4) Has anyone had success with applying beneficial nematodes to the yard? The websites about it all say they are safe for pets; does this seem accurate?

5) Has anyone had success with applying diatomaceous earth in the cat’s preferred areas? I don’t think it’s feasible for us to apply it to the whole yard, but if we focused on the spots where he spends most of his time?

Thanks for any advice you may have!

 

[MKincade]

I am only a year late with this, but wanted to let you know I have used lufenuron (generic Program) on a monthly basis (in powder form that you can mix with wet food) and nitenpyram (Capstar generic) with good success. I buy it without a prescription on eBay. It is economical and works.

 

[Leighgood]

I am only a year late with this, but wanted to let you know I have used lufenuron (generic Program) on a monthly basis (in powder form that you can mix with wet food) and nitenpyram (Capstar generic) with good success. I buy it without a prescription on eBay. It is economical and works.

I am having a difficult time finding the products you mentioned above. Can you post a screenshot or link??? I’m desperate to find something to help my feral cats. I can’t touch 7 of them and they have fleas. Thank you for your help!!!

 

[kittychick]

I feel you. We've been going through this for a year - and our vet (I do understand it's a law in my state) can't prescribe ANY meds w/o seeing the cat once a year! And with our current 5 cats - 3 of which aren't (their choice - definitely not ours - or for lack of trying!) fully indoors, getting all to the vet at least 1x a year (esp 2 of the 3 ferals) is an expensive joke (unless absolutely necessary of course). So I'm there with you! Probably a dopey question - have you tried Amazon? I glanced through for both, and a quick glance didn't show generic, but did show name brands you mentioned (Capstar is non-prescription now). We're still using Revolution (prescription) thanks to kind neighbors who shared, but will soon be likely switching to Frontline or comparable, as we can now (after lots of practice with water drops!) use topical on all. Plus we're suddenly running into ticks (don't forget to check for ticks everyone!) so we need to cover those too. Good look - if this doesn't help at all, make a note and we'll search more!