From Neglect to Shame

[FeebysOwner]

Is there any chance at all that your vet would set up a payment plan so you could treat all the cats now and pay the vet later? Surely, your vet has to know that treating one cat at a time is actually hurting all the cats, and especially the ones who have yet to be treated.

 

[jefferd18]

Is there any chance at all that your vet would set up a payment plan so you could treat all the cats now and pay the vet later? Surely, your vet has to know that treating one cat at a time is actually hurting all the cats, and especially the ones who have yet to be treated.

I already have a tab with him, but I do pay on it faithfully every month, so maybe, I just don't know. I hate asking for more extended credit.

What about my other plan- the capstar (bad spelling), and spraying the house?

 

[FeebysOwner]

You'd have to give it to all the untreated cats each day - how long before you would reach the amount of the month-long topical treatment costs? If you have no other choice, it is better than nothing, but...

I know you don't want to ask, but the worst that can happen (other than you dreading the asking part) is the vet says they can't extend any more credit. I understand your hesitancy, but once you asked and you've gotten your answer, the 'dreadful' part is over.

 

[jefferd18]

You'd have to give it to all the untreated cats each day - how long before you would reach the amount of the month-long topical treatment costs? If you have no other choice, it is better than nothing, but...

I know you don't want to ask, but the worst that can happen (other than you dreading the asking part) is the vet says they can't extend any more credit. I understand your hesitancy, but once you asked and you've gotten your answer, the 'dreadful' part is over.

I will ask, although he is not one to see this as emergency. I sure as heck am starting to see it as just that- I have one old cat who has sores on her mouth from drooling and licking her fur so much because of the fleas.

Every day?! I thought if I got them off of the cats and really sprayed my house- there would be no more fleas to jump back onto them.

 

[jefferd18]

Inky acts so unhappy and so does Gypsy. I should have known that cats are not pack animals and are usually not happy being around their own kind. I should have left everyone alone. Now all of the cats are being so mean to Inky and Gypsy has started being aloof to me.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Spraying your house just one time is probably not going to be enough. Anywhere those creepy things are laying eggs, there is a new batch of fleas just awaiting to hatch and jump on the next available cat. No matter how well you spray, there is bound to be a few fleas/eggs missed.

Not all cats are 'loners', so don't assume that Inky and Gypsy are. Many cats even prefer other cats to their humans - much to their humans' dismay!

 

[jefferd18]

Spraying your house just one time is probably not going to be enough. Anywhere those creepy things are laying eggs, there is a new batch of fleas just awaiting to hatch and jump on the next available cat. No matter how well you spray, there is bound to be a few fleas/eggs missed.

Not all cats are 'loners', so don't assume that Inky and Gypsy are. Many cats even prefer other cats to their humans - much to their humans' dismay!

So basically keep on spraying or bombing- I can do that. I am just looking for some relief before I get my paycheck. If the vet says yes, that will be great. He's a real nice guy and I don't see him saying no, but I don't want to push it. I also have his evil office manager snooping around. I will ask him today.

My cats must not have read that memo- except for one pair of brothers- they all hate one another.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Good luck with the vet!!!

My cats must not have read that memo- except for one pair of brothers- they all hate one another.

The only want you to think they hate each other - it keeps you on your toes and probably gets them extra attention, I am sure!

 

[Willowy]

Honestly I don't think Inky's issues are related to the fleas. Younger cats usually aren't affected like that. I think something worse is going on with him, I would get him to the vet.

While cats aren't pack animals, they do naturally hang out together. They just don't have the kind of hierarchy pack animals have.

 

[Jcatbird]

I just wanted to contribute something here since I have brought in a lot of ferals for rescue the last few years. Bringing them in and getting them all checked and vetted was costly. I also got some good doses of fleas. Nightmare time! I noticed that some of the kitties became less social during the flea battles. Many things became more difficult. Once you get rid of the fleas things will be easier for you all. Have you looked for any financial assistance for the kitties? Try googling financial assistance for veterinary care.
Now that I am rid of the fleas, life is better. It was bad for the poor kitties and very stressful for me. I was constantly washing bedding, mopping, moving cats so I could spray and generally exhausted. The flea meds my vet gave did not kill the eggs and larvae. I switched to one that did and finally saw relief. Hang in there! This is a battle you can win and I think you’ll find that the cats are a little friendlier to each other. Having fleas around can make us all jumpy!

 

[moxiewild]

You’ve got this!

 

[moxiewild]

Aw, I have a deaf (and blind) kitty too! And my soul kitty in my profile picture was a polydactyl named Jack, as well

Are you being vigilant about treating the environment?

I don’t mean just spraying, DE, etc, but vacuuming carpet and upholstery daily, washing bedding and clothes on hot, cleaning daily?

Winter is one of the worst times to have fleas simply because the eggs might not choose to hatch until things really warm up. So if you aren’t seriously vigilant about treating the environment to thoroughly remove or kill the eggs, you’re going to have a big problem again by summer.

And in the meantime, until you can get everyone treated, it’s your best recourse.

Try setting up flea traps, too. The Victor brand is accessible at Home Depot if you have one near you. It’s my favorite and we keep multiples out year round. Makes a good night light as a bonus.

However, since finances are limited, you might just want to make some homemade flea traps. You can google it (been a while since I made one) but I think it’s basically putting a bowl or dish or plate of soapy water under a nightlight or flashlight overnight. Try to do so in a way that prevents the cats from accessing it.

The behavior you describe about Inky definitely sounds like nausea. Is he on Cerenia? There are other anti-nausea medications and some cats respond better to some than they do others.

Is he throwing up bile at all? If so, stomach acid might be at the root of the nausea, in which case an anti acid like Pepcid would be more effective.

How is his stool? With such a big flea issue, you should monitor their “output” to check for worms (not all are visible to the naked eye, but some are). That could contribute to the symptoms you’re seeing.

What were Inky and Gypsy’s relationships with the other cats like before this? Is this conflict very new and sudden? How many cats are there and how long have they all been together?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Good advice from moxiewild - especially about tapeworms and checking stool - a lot of time cats can get tapeworms from cleaning themselves and ingesting fleas.

Also, about the home made flea traps - setting up a clamp desk light, or something similar, located close to the floor and then placing a dish of soapy water directly underneath it is good for telling how many fleas are active in a certain area. While not really a way to eradicate them, it does kill those fleas specifically as they drown in the soapy water - and is a good indicator about how bad the fleas are in that particular location. I had a bedroom I was especially worried about, so I did just that - went in every morning and found at least a dozen or so drowned fleas. As time passed, I found less fleas and smaller fleas, until I finally found none!

Keep us posted and I hope you get some cooperation from your vet about the topical flea treatment!!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Do I dare ask how things are going? I am hoping to hear good things! Give us an update whenever you are ready!

 

[jefferd18]

Do I dare ask how things are going? I am hoping to hear good things! Give us an update whenever you are ready!

No, and I am exhausted. My life has revolved around my cats for so long that I forgot what having a life felt like. Inky is over his little bout, thanks to Cerenia, but none of them are over the infestation of fleas. I have never seen such a stubborn infestation in my life! With 13 cats, I am in over my head. Gypsy has become so aloof towards me, and frankly she doesn't even look happy. I think she may be jealous because of Inky.

Vale is doing much better. Weird, because at almost 18, she is the oldest, and yet she is the one who came out on top.

 

[jefferd18]

Aw, I have a deaf (and blind) kitty too! And my soul kitty in my profile picture was a polydactyl named Jack, as well

Are you being vigilant about treating the environment?

I don’t mean just spraying, DE, etc, but vacuuming carpet and upholstery daily, washing bedding and clothes on hot, cleaning daily?

Winter is one of the worst times to have fleas simply because the eggs might not choose to hatch until things really warm up. So if you aren’t seriously vigilant about treating the environment to thoroughly remove or kill the eggs, you’re going to have a big problem again by summer.

And in the meantime, until you can get everyone treated, it’s your best recourse.

Try setting up flea traps, too. The Victor brand is accessible at Home Depot if you have one near you. It’s my favorite and we keep multiples out year round. Makes a good night light as a bonus.

However, since finances are limited, you might just want to make some homemade flea traps. You can google it (been a while since I made one) but I think it’s basically putting a bowl or dish or plate of soapy water under a nightlight or flashlight overnight. Try to do so in a way that prevents the cats from accessing it.

The behavior you describe about Inky definitely sounds like nausea. Is he on Cerenia? There are other anti-nausea medications and some cats respond better to some than they do others.

Is he throwing up bile at all? If so, stomach acid might be at the root of the nausea, in which case an anti acid like Pepcid would be more effective.

How is his stool? With such a big flea issue, you should monitor their “output” to check for worms (not all are visible to the naked eye, but some are). That could contribute to the symptoms you’re seeing.

What were Inky and Gypsy’s relationships with the other cats like before this? Is this conflict very new and sudden? How many cats are there and how long have they all been together?

Thank you so much for the helpful tips. I have 13 cats- not by choice! Inky is doing a little bit better thanks to Cerenia, but he still has fleas, despite the topical flea medication. Gypsy and Inky lived over on a parking-lot, where it was every cat for themselves. ,Gypsy was warming up to me before she got hit by a ton of fleas- now she doesn't even want to play ( and yes, she was treated).It is time for rehoming many of these guys- I just can't handle it anymore. I can't believe any of them are happy.

 

[Dario the GreyCat]

I’m glad that Vale is doing better, did your vet have any advice about what to do about this invasion?
If you feel this overwhelmed, hopefully you can reach out to a rescue if you decide to rehome some of your cats. Whatever you decide or end up doing, I know you’ll do what’s best for them.

 

[Meowmee]

Thank you so much for the helpful tips. I have 13 cats- not by choice! Inky is doing a little bit better thanks to Cerenia, but he still has fleas, despite the topical flea medication. Gypsy and Inky lived over on a parking-lot, where it was every cat for themselves. ,Gypsy was warming up to me before she got hit by a ton of fleas- now she doesn't even want to play ( and yes, she was treated).It is time for rehoming many of these guys- I just can't handle it anymore. I can't believe any of them are happy.

Fleas are awful, so sorry you are going through this. I am sure you have but maybe try washing and vacuuming everything and throw things away that can be. When we lived in England years ago, the house was flea infested by three outdoor cats somehow, the owner eventually took them to a shelter I think. We vacuumed etc but eventually the health board or someone came to do a flea bomb thing in the house. When we had them here I treated everyone and vacuumed, cleaned and threw things out and it worked. Eventually I figured out shaving Syb every spring got rid of any fleas. At that point I had stopped using any treatments again too.

 

[Alex89]

My home had a flea infestation this past summer. I tried several over the counter topical medications on my cats (fleas had developed a resistance), as well as flea spray in my home, carpet shampooing, daily flea combing, daily vacuuming, ect. Nothing worked- I was at my wits end.

Finally my vet prescribed me an oral flea medication- Comfortis. I administered it to both my cats, and it worked perfectly. Within a few hours, the flea infestation was completely eradicated. I did continue to vacuum for a couple of days afterwards to be safe, but I did not see another flea again.

I will warn you that the Comfortis made both my cats sick- they each vomited several times a couple hours after administration. Apparently this is a common side effect, and as long as they don't vomit within an hour of administration, it is still effective. My cats are young and healthy, so no long-term harm was done. I would be more wary about administering Comfortis to an ill cat due to the vomiting (also, from what I remember, it has to be administered with food).

Comfortis is often administered monthly, however because it made my cats so sick I decided to only administer it again if I found evidence of fleas a month from the initial administration. Thankfully I did not- a one time dose was effective for my cats.

Still, if nothing else has worked, it might be worth talking to your vet about Comfortis.

 

[jefferd18]

My home had a flea infestation this past summer. I tried several over the counter topical medications on my cats (fleas had developed a resistance), as well as flea spray in my home, carpet shampooing, daily flea combing, daily vacuuming, ect. Nothing worked- I was at my wits end.

Finally my vet prescribed me an oral flea medication- Comfortis. I administered it to both my cats, and it worked perfectly. Within a few hours, the flea infestation was completely eradicated. I did continue to vacuum for a couple of days afterwards to be safe, but I did not see another flea again.

I will warn you that the Comfortis made both my cats sick- they each vomited several times a couple hours after administration. Apparently this is a common side effect, and as long as they don't vomit within an hour of administration, it is still effective. My cats are young and healthy, so no long-term harm was done. I would be more wary about administering Comfortis to an ill cat due to the vomiting (also, from what I remember, it has to be administered with food).

Comfortis is often administered monthly, however because it made my cats so sick I decided to only administer it again if I found evidence of fleas a month from the initial administration. Thankfully I did not- a one time dose was effective for my cats.

Still, if nothing else has worked, it might be worth talking to your vet about Comfortis.

Thank you, Alex89! I have the same situation at my home where the fleas have become resistant to just about everything that worked in the past- the cats are only getting three weeks of relief- at best. I will ask him about Comfortis.