Fleas infestations @ home please helpppp!!!

[Johnv713]

Took in a stray who recently delivered 3 kittens in my bedroom upstairs. Now there’s flea everywhere in that room but the rest of the house is fine. I cant fumigate because I have fish tanks. What am I to do? Will the infestation go away on its own?

 

[lutece]

Some spot-on flea products are considered safe to use on nursing mother cats. I believe these are all approved for nursing cats:

• Revolution (but NOT Revolution Plus)
• Advantage
• Frontline

If you use a spot-on flea product on mom, I would separate mom from her babies for a couple of hours after the spot-on product is applied, to allow it to dry (so the kittens don't get it on themselves when they are crawling all over mom).

You can use a flea comb on the babies, but don't apply any flea products to the babies themselves.

 

[Johnv713]

Sorry I meant to ask how do I get rid of the fleas in the room. Not on the cat/kittens.

 

[lutece]

Treating the mom will gradually get rid of most fleas in the room, because the fleas that bite mom will die.

 

[neely]

Here are two threads that may have some helpful information about treating fleas for you from other members:
What’s The Best Effective Flea Treatment?
Fleas! What is working for you now?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Sorry I meant to ask how do I get rid of the fleas in the room. Not on the cat/kittens.

Assuming you can treat both the mom and the babies, do that first. Then, remove them from the infested room to another room. Anything that can be washed, do so at high temps, and dry at high temps too. The rest of the room, vacuum whatever you can, use Precor 2000 Plus to spray carpeting, nooks/crannies, etc. Close off the room, and let the product dry. You may have a 'rinse, repeat' effect eventually to the room you moved the cats to.

Don't assume you aren't carrying the fleas out of that room on your shoes/clothing, so you may have to spray other areas as well. The vacuuming again and again is a precaution to ensure you are removing any flea eggs/pupae that were not destroyed by the spray.

Here is a web site that you might find helpful. FleaScience

 

[rubydoo67]

I had this problem with our 4 cats this Fall! what a nightmare. DO NOT IGNORE AND HOPE THEY GO AWAY, THEY WON'T! You need to kill the adult fleas before they lay eggs (flea treatment, we used Revolution). Once eggs are laid, they will fall into your carpet or anything with material and they can hatch or lay dormant for months. Study the life-cycle of a flea to truly understand how to conquer them.

You must vacuum every single day, and clean out the vacuum also. Throw away anything that the cats have been on (e.g. cat beds, throw rugs, etc.). Buy a flea comb and comb, comb and comb again. Dipping your comb in hot, soapy water in-between strokes (we used Dawn which kills them). We also used a combination of foggers, carpet and spot products. It took about one month to get rid of them and then a few months later, a few popped up again on one of our cats (he is highly allergic and that's how we knew because he developed sores again and started losing his fur).

An exterminator might work, too. Know that fleas can travel from cats to you and back to cats again. We were told they don't hop from cat to cat but rather once they feel a vibration will jump up and latch on the source. Good luck!!

 

[jeannem]

Good advice above! When our first dog got fleas, I vacuumed twice a day and washed everything I could in hot water. I also sprayed flea repellent on my ankles.
j

 

[lutece]

Assuming you can treat both the mom and the babies, do that first. Then, remove them from the infested room to another room. Anything that can be washed, do so at high temps, and dry at high temps too. The rest of the room, vacuum whatever you can, use Precor 2000 Plus to spray carpeting, nooks/crannies, etc. Close off the room, and let the product dry. You may have a 'rinse, repeat' effect eventually to the room you moved the cats to.

Don't assume you aren't carrying the fleas out of that room on your shoes/clothing, so you may have to spray other areas as well. The vacuuming again and again is a precaution to ensure you are removing any flea eggs/pupae that were not destroyed by the spray.

Here is a web site that you might find helpful. FleaScience

I'm not sure that the Precor is a good idea, because of the fish tanks mentioned in the first post.

I would personally just treat the mom with a spot-on, and flea comb the babies. That is what I am doing in my own home... we have a young litter of kittens, and my daughter brought fleas home from the barn where she rides. We are just treating mom and our other adults, flea combing the babies, and doing normal cleaning in the house. This is what has always worked for me in the past... I never use flea spray or foggers. You just have to be patient, as fleas will continue to hatch for a few weeks, so they do not all disappear immediately.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I'm not sure that the Precor is a good idea, because of the fish tanks mentioned in the first post.

Good point! But, if the tank can be covered as a precaution, the Precor is a controllable spray and if done correctly it doesn't float through the room. I also know a fish tank can be turned off for brief periods of time to reduce any residual that might make its way through the filtration system. Once the spray has settled, from what I have experienced, there doesn't appear to be any residual in the air.

 

[lutece]

Personally I do not like to use poisons (flea sprays or foggers)... I would be nervous about both the fish tanks and the young baby kittens.

In my opinion it's not really necessary to use poisons, as long as there are pets in the house, and you use an effective spot-on or other product on the pets. Fleas jump on the pet and are gradually eliminated that way. Normal cleaning is important too, vacuuming is particularly effective since it removes flea eggs and larvae, and also the vibration from the vacuum causes dormant eggs to hatch, speeding up the process of getting rid of all the eggs. Flea control can take some patience as fleas keep hatching, but if you are using an effective product (fleas in your area are not immune), fleas should be eliminated over time.

Sprays are needed if you have no pets, or if you have a room in your house with no pets, in which case you have no choice but to treat the environment. Or you may be in a situation where you have a HUGE flea population and need to knock it down quickly with an environmental treatment.

 

[lutece]

It's possible to spray with just methoprene, the insect growth regulator (IGR) component of Precor, instead of using the Precor 2000 which includes both IGR and insecticide... I have actually done this in the past. They have a product called "Precor IGR" that contains just the IGR. It doesn't kill fleas, but it disrupts the flea life cycle and helps to prevent re-infestation. I do not know if methoprene has adverse effects on fish or on other species in a fish tank.

 

[LTS3]

Try the suggestions here:

Treating Fleas In Kittens Made Easy [Practical Solutions For Pet Owners] - TheCatSite

Effective solutions for treating fleas in kittens. Expert tips for managing flea allergies, using products safely, and caring for sensitive skin.

thecatsite.com

Homemade Flea Remedies For Cats [DIY Methods For A Flea-Free Feline] - TheCatSite

Best flea remedies for cats: DIY methods & essential guidance. Ensure a flea-free zone for all feline pals.

thecatsite.com

Cat Fleas - The Silent Threat To Your Cat - TheCatSite

Learn effective ways to protect your cat from cat fleas, including prevention, treatment, and options. Stay flea-free with these tips.

thecatsite.com

 

[CatladyJan]

I'm dealing with flea infestation as well. I have a dog and 6 cats. I've used Capstar a couple of times to kill the adults and have been washing bedding, vacuuming and steam mopping floors in addition to applying Frontline every 4 weeks. Still fighting the battle at week 5.

I did come across this video IF you do need to bath kittens:
As mentioned earlier vacuum and empty the canister and clean the filter if it is washable. I'm using my steam mop on floors and throw rugs. When I have more time I plan to steam clean carpets and throw rugs. I've removed and washed some curtains and stored them in plastic bins.

Good luck!

 

[game misconduct]

you can wrap your tanks / seal em up with a plastic tarp turn off the pumps, bag and seal all tank equipment remove them from the room to be treated i have done that before with my fw tanks. reef tanks i would probably drain and remove to another part of the house before treatment marine ones being more sensitive and all corals etc.best of luck to you in dealing with the fleas before they get all over the house.

 

[Elphaba09]

What kind of flooring do you have?