Fleas On Ferals

[torn]

I have a feral cat and she is always scratching. I believe she has fleas. Besides trapping her and bringing her to the vet to rid her fleas, does anyone know of a method to rid her of her fleas? She has been trapped 4 times now so she is not going in the trap.

She won't eat the pills and I heard those aren't the best anyways.

Any suggestions?

 

[Kieka]

For the situation the pills might be your best option. You can try putting it in a pill pocket to see if she will take it. Otherwise, a topical like Frontline (no generic or Hart’s products) just sit very quietly near where she eats and get it on her as best you can before she notices.

 

[torn]

Ok Kieka, thank you for your advice.

 

[foxxycat]

You can sprink DE on bedding and surround areas.

Here's a web page that explains how it works.

Kill Fleas with Diatomaceous Earth Powder


I bought mine at Blue Seal feeds or any store that sells horse food or farm animal merchandise. You can put it on your hands and stroke down the sides of the cat to run it through their fur. If nothing else at least you can treat the bedding to cut down on fleas. DE kills any insects that breathe through it's skin. Make sure it's food grade DE.

 

[Shane Kent]

First and foremost, regardless whom tells you, do not put anything for a dog on a cat. No using less or diluting it because the cat is smaller. I had a flea problem last year and while researching my options I read horror stories of people killing cats because some of the dog flea products are lethal to cats.

Same with some of the sprays used to kill eggs and fleas around the house. Some of those are lethal to cats as well.

You should point out where you live. I live in Ontario, Canada and some of the products I have seen others discuss are not available here or not available without a vet visit. There is stuff you can get where I live but different than other places.

You say the cat is feral. Is it full feral in that you can't touch or get near the cat or is it semi-feral where it allows some human interaction?

When you get the fleas beat make sure you get a deworming pill from a vet as cats can get tapeworms from fleas.

 

[Shikaslate]

When I caught a flea-ridden feral kitten not too long ago, my sister gave me what's called "Pet Armor" for cats. Its basically like Frontline but a fraction of the price. Frontline is usually like $60 while she got Pet Armor for around $9 online.

You drip it between shoulder blades--where kitty can't lick--and all the fleas die within a few days. Its amazing though it says it lasts 1 month. Do not bathe the cat after (though I doubt you'll be bathing a feral lol)

 

[beach potato]

Diatomaceous earth didn't work on my feral so I will try some of the Pet Armor but its not clear which one and they have a lot of choices. Any suggestions?

 

[Avery]

I have been caretaker for a feral cat for about three years and I finally can pet her when she is eating treats so I am able to quickly put Advantage II on her neck. However, a couple of years ago, after doing a bunch of research on ways to deal with fleas, I learned about beneficial nematodes. They are microscopic worms that are natural predators of certain pest insects and you mix a package into water and spray your yard. Very easy to do. I bought the kind that kills fleas from a company called BioLogic (lots of other companies, too) and they were super-nice in answering a million questions. I can't say exactly how successful these invisible guys were at killing fleas, but it seemed to make a difference and I felt better at least doing something to help my cat.

 

[Shane Kent]

Don't use Diatomaceous Earth in humid or damp conditions. It gets a little bit wet it doesn't work. You also should not put it on a cat that you can't bath a couple days later, it can dry their skin out. Don't use powders they don't work well. Diatomaceous Earth is best used to put on couches, carpet, pet beds, etc where the cats lay. Used to kill fleas that fall off and new fleas from eggs. Even when you put it on couches, etc you want it to be dry otherwise it won't work.

 

[maggiedemi]

Here's the Pet Armor one that I use:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/PetArmor...Over-1-5-Pounds-6-Monthly-Treatments/49911400