Fleas!

[FeebysOwner]

I’m going to check my package because I thought you could use it once a week

I checked the instructions that came with the Advantage II yesterday and it said it could be used before the 4 weeks…it Said the once a month dose was to keep fleas away but if there was a flea infestation you could use it once a week but for only 4 weeks.

I too saw something similar, but on a more recent purchase, I can find NOTHING on the packaging or in the instructions about using it more often than monthly - it now states:
"If you have a flea infestation, consider treating your home and yard with appropriate premise products to protect against fleas."

HOWEVER - this is what is still being published on Chewy's web site:

• Under normal conditions this product is effective for a month. However, in cases of severe flea infestation, retreatment may be necessary earlier than 4 weeks. Do not retreat more often than once every 14 days for kittens or once every 7 days for small and large cats. After flea control is attained, return to a monthly retreatment schedule.

Maybe someone who buys from Chewy should contact them to find out if this information is still current/valid. It seems to coincide with what I recall reading on previously purchased packages, but it would seem something has changed - it is certainly NOT on the package I have now.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Update: A friend of mine inquired directly to Chewy, who said the information on their web site is correct and is part of the instructional insert that comes with the product. And, lo and behold, there it is - take a look at #9 in the attachment (which I failed to see when I read the insert from the last package I bought).

 

[CatladyJan]

I too saw something similar, but on a more recent purchase, I can find NOTHING on the packaging or in the instructions about using it more often than monthly - it now states:
"If you have a flea infestation, consider treating your home and yard with appropriate premise products to protect against fleas."

HOWEVER - this is what is still being published on Chewy's web site:

• Under normal conditions this product is effective for a month. However, in cases of severe flea infestation, retreatment may be necessary earlier than 4 weeks. Do not retreat more often than once every 14 days for kittens or once every 7 days for small and large cats. After flea control is attained, return to a monthly retreatment schedule.

Maybe someone who buys from Chewy should contact them to find out if this information is still current/valid. It seems to coincide with what I recall reading on previously purchased packages, but it would seem something has changed - it is certainly NOT on the package I have now.

. I bought mine from Chewy and I bet that is where I saw that

 

[Babypaws]

I buy the Advantage II treatments from Chewy also…the treatments I gave recently had the following paper attachme t enclosed with it.

 

[Babypaws]

Update: A friend of mine inquired directly to Chewy, who said the information on their web site is correct and is part of the instructional insert that comes with the product. And, lo and behold, there it is - take a look at #9 in the attachment (which I failed to see when I read the insert from the last package I bought).

I downloaded the article but I’m not seeing a #9. I don’t see anything that I had on my instructions that came with my treatments about being able to treat cats less than the 4 week intervals if infested with fleas….maybe they recently changed their instructions??

 

[FeebysOwner]

I downloaded the article but I’m not seeing a #9. I don’t see anything that I had on my instructions that came with my treatments about being able to treat cats less than the 4 week intervals if infested with fleas….maybe they recently changed their instructions??

It is there on the attachment I provided and it says the same thing as in the item you circled in your previous post. Go to the 2nd page, left column underneath the picture where it is being applied to the cat.

 

[Babypaws]

It is there on the attachment I provided and it says the same thing as in the item you circled in your previous post. Go to the 2nd page, left column underneath the picture where it is being applied to the cat.

Great, thanks…I saw it now. So I don’t feel so worried about giving treatment before the one month cycle. Sometimes I wonder if these big companies change the ingredients so they can save $. I had a big flea problem several years ago and I used the Advantage and same room spray “vet-kem” and both worked well.
Now, ?? I know I have to give it time, I spent all w/e vacuuming and spraying, washing and I still see a couple of cats scratching. I do have a flea comb and I guess I’ll have to go thru all 12 cats .

 

[FeebysOwner]

Great, thanks…I saw it now. So I don’t feel so worried about giving treatment before the one month cycle. Sometimes I wonder if these big companies change the ingredients so they can save $. I had a big flea problem several years ago and I used the Advantage and same room spray “vet-kem” and both worked well.
Now, ?? I know I have to give it time, I spent all w/e vacuuming and spraying, washing and I still see a couple of cats scratching. I do have a flea comb and I guess I’ll have to go thru all 12 cats .

The active ingredients in Advantage do not appear to have changed over the course of years I have followed that product. The inactive ingredients may change, but theoretically should not alter the efficacy of the active ingredients. I do think you will need to give the Adv and all the efforts you are making a longer time to work. Despite Adv saying they kill fleas within 24 hours, there are flea eggs everywhere in your environment, and in all various stages of development. That combined with bringing new fleas in from the outside just lengthens the time line for successfully eradicating them.

From all that I have read, and what others have told me, you are likely looking at 3 months' time before you should expect to see them wiped out. After that, if Adv does work for you, I would recommend you treat them until your first freeze and begin again each year with your last freeze. Although, I will be honest, fleas can actually survive freezes since they live on birds/squirrels/other wildlife all year long.

 

[Babypaws]

Thanks….I feel better after reading your comments…believe me I’m definely keeping up with the monthly treatments and maybe even use the spray at least once a month. The treatments do add up money wise for 12 cats but it’s gonna be well worth it. Lol

 

[Babypaws]

Has anyone out there in cat land used a bomb for killing fleas in the house? we have a 8 room house and I’ve been trying to vacuum as much as I can ( old retired lady now) and it just seems so overwhelming. I’m wondering if there are any safe flea bombs?
thanks

 

[FeebysOwner]

Has anyone out there in cat land used a bomb for killing fleas in the house?

I did it some 30 years ago, and left the house for about 4-5 hours, with the cat of course. I am not sure I would that again. Did you check the web site out that was linked above to see what it says about flea bombing and other treatments as well? I think it is a pretty informative site.
FleaScience

 

[daftcat75]

FleaBusters used to come out to your home and professionally apply their product if having someone else do it sounds appealing. They suspended that for Covid. But maybe they're back to house calls again. Otherwise, you can order the powder and do it yourself.
Home - Fleabusters

If doing it yourself, I recommend going room to room and treating carpets with FleaBusters powder. Rooms with hard flooring, you only need to sweep a small amount into the baseboards. You will want to stretch a pantyhose over the spout of that stuff because it pours in clumps and makes a lot of dust. The pantyhose will regulate the flow. You will still want to evacuate all animals and people from a room you are treating and wear a mask when you apply it. It's not toxic to you or the cats. Just irritating. Sprinkle the powder evenly into all carpets and upholstery. Use a broom to push the powder deep into the carpet. Vacuum up any excess powder that you're unable to work in with a broom. Cats and people can return to that room when the dust settles (within an hour.) It will still smell like the powder but it's not toxic. The next day you can do a full vacuum on that room and the smell will dissipate over the next few days of vacuuming. You can do this a room every couple of days so as not to overwhelm people or cats. FleaBusters is electrically charged boric acid powder. It's like Borax. But whatever they do to charge it, that makes it sticky to carpet and upholstery making it last a long time (up to a year.) Microscopically, it's very coarse and will shred the exoskeletons of fleas, eggs, and larvae making treated areas very inhospitable for any lifecycle stage of fleas.

I also recommend treating your cars (e.g. automobiles, not a typo) because fleas can hitch a ride on you from home to car and back again. Treat the car like you would treat another room in your home.

The spray you already have you can use for spot work like entryways (inside and outside), under appliances in the kitchen, and anywhere you can't reach with the FleaBusters.

 

[CatladyJan]

No, I don't like the bombs. I did buy some precor this year and spayed only certain areas in our home and that stuff is strong and you have to leave and keep the cats out until thoroughly dry. I don't think it really helped because it wasn't until I used Advantage that my flea problem stopped.

 

[Babypaws]

FleaBusters used to come out to your home and professionally apply their product if having someone else do it sounds appealing. They suspended that for Covid. But maybe they're back to house calls again. Otherwise, you can order the powder and do it yourself.
Home - Fleabusters

If doing it yourself, I recommend going room to room and treating carpets with FleaBusters powder. Rooms with hard flooring, you only need to sweep a small amount into the baseboards. You will want to stretch a pantyhose over the spout of that stuff because it pours in clumps and makes a lot of dust. The pantyhose will regulate the flow. You will still want to evacuate all animals and people from a room you are treating and wear a mask when you apply it. It's not toxic to you or the cats. Just irritating. Sprinkle the powder evenly into all carpets and upholstery. Use a broom to push the powder deep into the carpet. Vacuum up any excess powder that you're unable to work in with a broom. Cats and people can return to that room when the dust settles (within an hour.) It will still smell like the powder but it's not toxic. The next day you can do a full vacuum on that room and the smell will dissipate over the next few days of vacuuming. You can do this a room every couple of days so as not to overwhelm people or cats. FleaBusters is electrically charged boric acid powder. It's like Borax. But whatever they do to charge it, that makes it sticky to carpet and upholstery making it last a long time (up to a year.) Microscopically, it's very coarse and will shred the exoskeletons of fleas, eggs, and larvae making treated areas very inhospitable for any lifecycle stage of fleas.

I also recommend treating your cars (e.g. automobiles, not a typo) because fleas can hitch a ride on you from home to car and back again. Treat the car like you would treat another room in your home.

The spray you already have you can use for spot work like entryways (inside and outside), under appliances in the kitchen, and anywhere you can't reach with the FleaBusters.

Thank you for this info…I’ll look into it. A big problem for me is trying to get all cats out of a room while I spray and also after til it drys..some cats get scared and hide and I can’t find them. Part of our house has open rooms and there’s no way to block out cats. I’m not able to do the whole house on the same day, I do a few rooms at a time.

 

[daftcat75]

Thank you for this info…I’ll look into it. A big problem for me is trying to get all cats out of a room while I spray and also after til it drys..some cats get scared and hide and I can’t find them. Part of our house has open rooms and there’s no way to block out cats. I’m not able to do the whole house on the same day, I do a few rooms at a time.

A few rooms at a time would be fine. And chances are, the cats will probably flee once you start putting powder down. As I said, it's not toxic. It's just irritating because it is so dusty and has a smell to it. Definitely wear a mask when you're putting it down. Open some windows after you've brushed it in. Perhaps you can lure your cats into an alternate area with food and do a room, or even a piece of a room while they are otherwise occupied elsewhere.

 

[CatladyJan]

Thank you for this info…I’ll look into it. A big problem for me is trying to get all cats out of a room while I spray and also after til it drys..some cats get scared and hide and I can’t find them. Part of our house has open rooms and there’s no way to block out cats. I’m not able to do the whole house on the same day, I do a few rooms at a time.

Just my opinion, but if the Revolution works, just try that again.

 

[Kflowers]

Babypaws something occurred to me. These solutions are NOT VACUUMING.

You may have done everything right inside your house and with you cats, but still have fleas. Here are some possible ways that new fleas are getting inside. You have mice or squirrels in your attached garage - spray the garage and particularly a foot or two around the door leading into your house. You have mice in the basement or the crawl space, if basement spray it, if crawl space hire some one agile to spray it. With a crawl space you may have strays living there. If your cats are spending a good bit of time staring at the floors or heat vents strays or mice are a possibility. You may have squirrels in your attic. You'll need to hire someone to go up to chase them out and spray. Just as well to do it now while the weather is warm and they can build homes in the trees. You'll know they are there by either hearing their claws on the ceiling or the cats staring at the ceiling. We did have them in the attic when it snowed, but the moment it warmed up they left. I don't think they liked it, but it was too cold outside.

 

[Kflowers]

Oh, and spray the space in front of your outside doors and around the edges of a screened in porch.

 

[Babypaws]

Babypaws something occurred to me. These solutions are NOT VACUUMING.

You may have done everything right inside your house and with you cats, but still have fleas. Here are some possible ways that new fleas are getting inside. You have mice or squirrels in your attached garage - spray the garage and particularly a foot or two around the door leading into your house. You have mice in the basement or the crawl space, if basement spray it, if crawl space hire some one agile to spray it. With a crawl space you may have strays living there. If your cats are spending a good bit of time staring at the floors or heat vents strays or mice are a possibility. You may have squirrels in your attic. You'll need to hire someone to go up to chase them out and spray. Just as well to do it now while the weather is warm and they can build homes in the trees. You'll know they are there by either hearing their claws on the ceiling or the cats staring at the ceiling. We did have them in the attic when it snowed, but the moment it warmed up they left. I don't think they liked it, but it was too cold outside.

Thank you….I didn’t think about that…but I have noticed a few times a cat staring at the wall in my bedroom….didn’t see any bug on the wall, I have pretty good hearing but I didn’t hear any little feet walking around….several years ago I heard a mouse in the wall though…. No squirrels in attic etc. I’m wondering if wet, humid weather might be causing more fleas in the yard….we’ve never had a problem with us bringing them inside on our clothes in the past.

 

[Kflowers]

I think climate change is definitely making the flea situation worse. To kill off a large number of fleas you need a long, cold winter.* Lots of places didn't even get their little winters, only a symbolic one.

Should say this information came from an exterminator years ago.