Fleas

[shannonmaeb46]

I'm dealing with fleas because my roommate has an intact male cat that he WAS letting go outside. Not anymore. Lol Anyway I'm using baking soda and salt to try and clear up this mess. Has anyone else used this method,and what were your results? I put baking soda on both cats today,and they went from completely miserable to happily sleeping in about 10 minutes. But I'm still seeing a little itching. I'll post again when I can tell you more. Wish me luck. Lol

 

[Anne]

I wouldn't use either on a cat's coat. Remember that what you put on them is likely to be ingested at some point. It may seem harmless but cats are sensitive and excessive quantities of just about anything can upset their stomach. I'm especially worried about the salt. Try to brush off as much as you can because too much salt is very dangerous for cats.

For the fleas, there are topical anti-flea treatments. Talk to your vet to see what works in your area. Something like Revolution or Frontline will solve your problem. Of course, your roommate's cat must stay indoors and be treated as well. If you have an infestation and the fleas have laid eggs in your carpets and furniture, you may need to deal with that as well. For starters, I would vacuum everything thoroughly (and get rid of the contents of the vacuum cleaner in a double sealed bag when you're done).

One last thing, your roommate must get his cat neutered ASAP. If he doesn't the cat is likely to display all kinds of unwanted behaviors, including marking your place with extra pungent cat urine... A habit that may be difficult to stop once the cat begins.

Let us know how the cats are doing. I'm worried about the salt in their coat.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Sure do wish you luck!  There are environment-applied products that will help eradicate fleas in the carpet.  I always like one that was borax crystals -- it was a powder, but I see it is now reformulated as a spray.  You apply it to the carpet and it kills the fleas.  One brand is called FleaBusters -- you can search that brand for stores carrying it in your area and/or online.  DrsFosterSmith.com carries a wide variety of flea products.  For a topical, I've always relied on Advantage. 

 

[shannonmaeb46]

Thanks for the replies. I am going to be moving soon. My roommate will not fix his cat, and he already sprays. There are several other issues as well that make staying here pretty much unendurable. I'm sure once we move I will get the situation handled.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Glad to read of your determination and confidence.  Be sure to let the TCS community know of anything any of us might be able to help with -- that's one of the greatest things about this site!

 

[foxxycat]

http://richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp is what I use that is non chemical. It explains the hows and whys. The only thing to make sure=don't breathe the dust-just lightly put your hands in the powder and ruffle the fur back and forth to kill fleas. ALSO MAKE SURE FOOD GRADE!

Blue Seal Feeds carries it. Most horse feed stores carry it. Tractor supply or other farm food supply shops. THe old timers have used this for years to kill bugs that get into the cattle grain. This also kills parasites inside the gut. It really is amazing.

Years ago I rented a place for two weeks-they didn't use flea killer on their cat. We got a huge issue with fleas-I bought some at their local tack shop and sprinkled it all over the yard and the carpets. BAM! fleas GONE.

DE works by suffocating those bugs who breathe through the skin. I still prefer revolution or Advantage 2 but when in a pinch this works until you can get to the vet.

By the way glad you are moving out-living in a home with a spraying cat is no fun. And shame on him for not taking care of stopping more litters of kittens.

 

[KatsPurrrsians]

Diatomaceous Earth (food grade): Bug Killer You Can Eat! is what I use that is non chemical. It explains the hows and whys. The only thing to make sure=don't breathe the dust-just lightly put your hands in the powder and ruffle the fur back and forth to kill fleas. ALSO MAKE SURE FOOD GRADE!

Blue Seal Feeds carries it. Most horse feed stores carry it. Tractor supply or other farm food supply shops. THe old timers have used this for years to kill bugs that get into the cattle grain. This also kills parasites inside the gut. It really is amazing.

Years ago I rented a place for two weeks-they didn't use flea killer on their cat. We got a huge issue with fleas-I bought some at their local tack shop and sprinkled it all over the yard and the carpets. BAM! fleas GONE.

DE works by suffocating those bugs who breathe through the skin. I still prefer revolution or Advantage 2 but when in a pinch this works until you can get to the vet.

By the way glad you are moving out-living in a home with a spraying cat is no fun. And shame on him for not taking care of stopping more litters of kittens.

Hi there foxxy, I'm having some big issues with fleas! My cats have been on regular monthly Revolution protection for 1-2 years. It's what I've always used on all my animals and hasn't failed me, until now . We had kittens and I didn't realize Revolution was safe for nursing mom until AFTER I noticed a few fleas for the first time in years. This was a couple of weeks ago. Naturally I immediately gave my nursing mom cat Revolution as soon as I discovered it was safe. But unfortunately it's been to no avail. It's become quite a nightmare tbh. Well luckily I keep D-earth on hand so last week after relentlessly battling these nasty boogers with dawn bathes, Revolution and good old fashioned flea combing them, I sprinkled DE on the cats, all throughout the house in the favorite napping spots etc. Im now seeing hot spots on one of my cats. And the fleas are still there. My vet has simply recommended waiting the month out and doing Revolution again. However my groomer thinks they might have built up and immunity to Revolution and suggested a newer prevention called Bravecta (I think) , as her clients rave about how wonderful it is. Well my vet doesn't carry this medication so I'm assuming they won't write a RX for me to fill it at my online pharmacy. Lady at the vet even claimed the reason the Revolution wasn't working was because I didn't buy it from them in the first place. Im getting desperate and can't watch my poor kitties suffer.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hi there foxxy, I'm having some big issues with fleas! My cats have been on regular monthly Revolution protection for 1-2 years. It's what I've always used on all my animals and hasn't failed me, until now . We had kittens and I didn't realize Revolution was safe for nursing mom until AFTER I noticed a few fleas for the first time in years. This was a couple of weeks ago. Naturally I immediately gave my nursing mom cat Revolution as soon as I discovered it was safe. But unfortunately it's been to no avail. It's become quite a nightmare tbh. Well luckily I keep D-earth on hand so last week after relentlessly battling these nasty boogers with dawn bathes, Revolution and good old fashioned flea combing them, I sprinkled DE on the cats, all throughout the house in the favorite napping spots etc. Im now seeing hot spots on one of my cats. And the fleas are still there. My vet has simply recommended waiting the month out and doing Revolution again. However my groomer thinks they might have built up and immunity to Revolution and suggested a newer prevention called Bravecta (I think) , as her clients rave about how wonderful it is. Well my vet doesn't carry this medication so I'm assuming they won't write a RX for me to fill it at my online pharmacy. Lady at the vet even claimed the reason the Revolution wasn't working was because I didn't buy it from them in the first place. Im getting desperate and can't watch my poor kitties suffer.

DE is ABSOLUTELY NOT FOR APPLICATION ON CATS!!! Cats lick and DE in their systems may have EXTREMELY SERIOUS effects. NEVER USE IT ON CATS! It is for application to carpets, and following the directions, you work it well into the carpet with a broom.
I've never used Revolution -- I did try Frontline, which I didn't care for, and my tried-and-true topical is Advantage. None of the topicals should be used on young kittens -- always follow the package directions carefully -- and I don't know about using on nursing mothers as I always spay/neuter all cats. Your vet would be the one to ask about this.

 

[KatsPurrrsians]

Yes, I've heard good things about advantage also. It's safe for nursing moms too so I've seriously considered it. If I can't get the Bravecta I'll go with advantage. On the DE, I've read (on TCS & other pet med/ flea treatment articles) that's its recommended to use directly (& sparsely) on the cats coat- food grade of course. I've even heard of people putting it in their cats food! I haven't done that and this is my first time using it for fleas or anything animal related. I certainly hope I didn't harm my kitties! The DE seemed to fall off pretty quickly. I'd say by day 2 it was all gone off their coats.

Since my vet is closed today I've found great ratings on Adams Flea Spray for cats. Going to try that and hope for the best until the vet opens. Do I need an RX for advantage?

 

[tarasgirl06]

Yes, I've heard good things about advantage also. It's safe for nursing moms too so I've seriously considered it. If I can't get the Bravecta I'll go with advantage. On the DE, I've read (on TCS & other pet med/ flea treatment articles) that's its recommended to use directly (& sparsely) on the cats coat- food grade of course. I've even heard of people putting it in their cats food! I haven't done that and this is my first time using it for fleas or anything animal related. I certainly hope I didn't harm my kitties! The DE seemed to fall off pretty quickly. I'd say by day 2 it was all gone off their coats.

Since my vet is closed today I've found great ratings on Adams Flea Spray for cats. Going to try that and hope for the best until the vet opens. Do I need an RX for advantage?

I applied Adams spray to one of my cats several years ago and he started foaming at the mouth. I will NEVER use this product again! As for DE on cats and in food, I would NEVER do this, no matter what anyone says. It is potentially extremely dangerous. I can definitely recommend the Advantage -- no prescription needed, at least not in the US -- topical for adult cats and older kittens, but I don't have any knowledge about it for moms and small kittens except to follow package directions carefully.

 

[maggiedemi]

I have that same Adams spray, but I never used it because it has Etofenprox in it, which I read is dangerous to cats.

 

[basscat]

Food grade DE is safe for cats to consume. People eat far more of it, unknowingly, than you could imagine. It's widely used in farming agriculture applications where stuff like grains, corn, etc. are stored in large bins and silos.
Lots of farmers feed it directly to their livestock to control internal parasites and worms. Many people directly eat it as well for similar reasons/digestive health.
Although, I'm not sure any benefits of this have ever actually been proven. DE loses it's effectiveness when it gets wet.

It's not good to breath it though. (nor any type of dust for that matter).
Aside from inhaling it, it's safe to use in your house, in your yard, and directly on your cat. But, it takes awhile to work since fleas have to crawl through it or wallow around it enough for it to get under their wings and in their little crevices where friction then causes it to cut into them.
It would be like you dusting under your arms with small shards of broken glass. They would cut you up due to friction and that would EVENTUALLY do you in. (DE kills fleas the same way).
So, if you dust your cat, work it in to the skin, and repeat every few days because it does go away. Once it's gone, it's gone. There is no residual effect.
Same with your home. If you brush it into your carpets, it'll work while it's there. Vacuum it up, and it's gone. HOWEVER, I really don't think you can ever vacuum all that stuff up out of carpet.

It just takes a long time to do it's job. Then again, when dealing with fleas, nothing is quick.

 

[Catsandthread]

Yes, I was told the same thing about DE by a lady with cats who works in the garden dept. of Home Depot. I haven't asked a vet, though. I haven't applied it to my cats yet, but I do use it in the yard, which seems to help keep down fleas there since my cats go in and out.

 

[jen]

DE is ABSOLUTELY NOT FOR APPLICATION ON CATS!!! Cats lick and DE in their systems may have EXTREMELY SERIOUS effects. NEVER USE IT ON CATS! It is for application to carpets, and following the directions, you work it well into the carpet with a broom.
I've never used Revolution -- I did try Frontline, which I didn't care for, and my tried-and-true topical is Advantage. None of the topicals should be used on young kittens -- always follow the package directions carefully -- and I don't know about using on nursing mothers as I always spay/neuter all cats. Your vet would be the one to ask about this.

You are correct for the regular DE, but FOOD GRADE DE is perfectly safe for animals and people. It is used as a method of parasite control, we can take it as a suppliment, etc. It has a lot of health benefits! Read up on it a bit, you'd be suprised

 

[KatsPurrrsians]

You are correct for the regular DE, but FOOD GRADE DE is perfectly safe for animals and people. It is used as a method of parasite control, we can take it as a suppliment, etc. It has a lot of health benefits! Read up on it a bit, you'd be suprised

Yes, I had done a good bit of research on it before applying to my cat. Thanks for reassurance guys