Help With Fleas!

[basscat]

Bathe them. That'll get rid of all the fleas.
But, if you see more the next day, don't blame the soap.

 

[daftcat75]

Bathe them. That'll get rid of all the fleas.
But, if you see more the next day, don't blame the soap.

You first! Does your bobcat like baths?

I’m going to give Krista another Capstar and do a room by room premise spray, keeping her out of those rooms I spray until they’re dry. I need the premises clean and clear. Or my newly bathed cat will just pick them up again.

 

[Beebster]

Bathe them. That'll get rid of all the fleas.
But, if you see more the next day, don't blame the soap.

Easier said than done! I can partially bathe Fluffy, but she won't let me touch her stomach or behind, so I know I can't get all of the fleas off. The kitten may be able to, but only one person here that can get a good grip on her to make her stay put. Difficult kitties!

 

[sweet jane flash]

daftcat75 there is one other solution that I have not read here yet and that is that steam cleaning kills the fleas, larvae and eggs also. That way you could avoid harsh chemicals. However you will still have to be diligent as even 1 flea can lay a multitude of eggs in a very short time. That is why I went to such drastic measures as I did and while it took about 2 months for the insecticides to get rid of all of them (so long, I know, it's horrible) it finally did. Now I am probably never going to stop the monthly spot on the neck treatments even though Cat is indoors, she still needs protection. Also you probably will want to treat your yard with a pesticide (I used granules) because squirrels carry fleas and so do opposums and we happen to have both in our backyard. I bet birds carry them also. Good Luck, you are trying so hard I know you'll be successful!!!

 

[daftcat75]

daftcat75 there is one other solution that I have not read here yet and that is that steam cleaning kills the fleas, larvae and eggs also. That way you could avoid harsh chemicals. However you will still have to be diligent as even 1 flea can lay a multitude of eggs in a very short time. That is why I went to such drastic measures as I did and while it took about 2 months for the insecticides to get rid of all of them (so long, I know, it's horrible) it finally did. Now I am probably never going to stop the monthly spot on the neck treatments even though Cat is indoors, she still needs protection. Also you probably will want to treat your yard with a pesticide (I used granules) because squirrels carry fleas and so do opposums and we happen to have both in our backyard. I bet birds carry them also. Good Luck, you are trying so hard I know you'll be successful!!!

I don't have a steam cleaner. Nor am I that diligent.

At this point, I'm thinking I want to find the premise treatment(s) I feel most comfortable with and take a staycation with the kitty somewhere in town. Having removed her for the day and night, I can treat the premises, let it dry, clean it up, and all that. Then come back to the room at the end of the day for some Netflix and Purr. We'll order room service!


And if she tolerates it a second time, when I do it right next time and not just wet her fur, if she can do monthly Advantage 2 treatments, well, then, we can start doing walks. That's been the thing holding me back since I first got the harness on her last summer without any issue from her. I did not know the right flea control for her at her age.

 

[basscat]

You first! Does your bobcat like baths?

I’m going to give Krista another Capstar and do a room by room premise spray, keeping her out of those rooms I spray until they’re dry. I need the premises clean and clear. Or my newly bathed cat will just pick them up again.

.....He actually loves water. We use a 30 gallon metal tub for baths. When we get him out to dry him off, we have to hang on to him. If we let him go, right back in the tub he goes.
For the little cats, we use the same tub. Just a lot less water in it. And a piece of screen wire laid in the bottom of it. Gives them something to grab with their claws and they don't fight it near as bad.

 

[Beebster]

So I was planning on getting Advantage 2 spot on treatment, but someone else decided to buy Advantage Flea and Tick Treatment Spray + Advantage Flea and Tick Shampoo for the cats because it was recommended to them at PetSmart. Also for both kitties to be separated for a while once we use it. Anyone use these before? Do all animals need to be separated until all fleas are gone?
I'm mostly just iffy about Fluffy possibly having a reaction to the spray and I'm not too crazy about trying to bathe her....someone else should do it because she can be tough to handle.

 

[jen]

I keep saying Frontline is crap, but some people don't want to listen to me and think that maybe the next dose next month will work. =/

I admit, I didn't read through the whole thread because I am at work... But it isn't that "the next dose might work" it is that you have to give it a few months in a row that together should work. You have to use it back to back months to treat all the life stages of the flea that hatch over time. It might work to kill the current ones, but then next month a whole new group of fleas hatch and the problem starts again. Fleas, eggs and larvae can live a LONG time in your home, even dormant until just the right time. You might think the issue is resolved and then bam there they are again.

You also need to treat the yard and the rest of the home. Or the infestation will never stop.

 

[darg]

I know that the flea spray for cats is a Pyrethrin based spray in a concentration considered "safe" for cats. The problem with Pyrethrin use on cats is that cats cannot break down the chemical to flush is out of their bodies like dogs can so stick with the label directions in terms of how and how much to use. And, it probably is a good idea to keep the cats separated until the spray dries.

Using a flea shampoo made for cats that contains Pyrethrin should be generally safe because most of it is washed out in the rinse. But just shampooing with any pesticide free shampoo, or dawn dish soap, will kill the fleas that are on the cat at the time of bathing.

Personally, I'd use a premise spray (spray the house), bath the cats with a pesticide free shampoo (or Dawn) and use a spot-on treatment. The spot on may take a little longer to work than a Pyrethrin spray (hours instead of seconds) but that should be a moot point if the fleas in the home have been dealt with already.

 

[Beebster]

I was really thinking using spot-on treatment and vacuuming + washing everything possible and using Adams home premise spray.
According to some vet or whatever that was at PetSmart they said the spot-on treatment won't work and just to use the spray and shampoo. Keeping the cats separated from now on until we see the flea issue is gone. Kinda feel like that won't make a difference as long as we treat the pets and the home at the same time.

 

[daftcat75]

So I was planning on getting Advantage 2 spot on treatment, but someone else decided to buy Advantage Flea and Tick Treatment Spray + Advantage Flea and Tick Shampoo for the cats because it was recommended to them at PetSmart. Also for both kitties to be separated for a while once we use it. Anyone use these before? Do all animals need to be separated until all fleas are gone?
I'm mostly just iffy about Fluffy possibly having a reaction to the spray and I'm not too crazy about trying to bathe her....someone else should do it because she can be tough to handle.

I would definitely use the spot on treatments. The spray and the shampoo is just an adulticide. It will only kill the adults which are only 5% of the infestation. The spot on treatment will provide long lasting treatment of not just an adulticide, but also an insect growth regulator (IGR). IGR's are key in breaking the flea life cycle and ending the infestation. IGR's will prevent the eggs and larvae from reaching sexual maturity, mating, and producing your next generation of fleas. IGR's will make sure the current generation is the last generation.

Only the spot on treatments from Advantage seem to have an IGR. Their sprays and shampoos only have the adulticides. The two most popular IGR's are pyriproxyfen and methoprene.

Even with topical treatments on the cats and home and yard treatments, you will still need to be patient and diligent. The flea life cycle insures that it won't be quick or easy to end an infestation. You have to regularly clean your premises, yard, and groom your cats. And you should plan on re-applying the topical treatments for at least another month or two. Also follow the schedule for re-applying premise and yard treatments. Even though the IGR's are preventing new generations, it takes a long time to for the current generation to awaken and mature enough to either be sucked up by a vacuum, pulled off by a flea comb, or killed off by a topical on your cats. Conveniently enough, the act of cleaning (heat and vibration) is what can awake cocooned adults and immature fleas to look for a host. Hopefully that host is the inside of your vacuum. But your cat is just as good if you are keeping her current with the topical treatments.

It takes a long time to kill that 95% that doesn't get killed by adulticides alone. And that's why products like Frontline and Advantage get so much crap about them not being effective. The topicals alone can only do so much. And the rest of the products in their lines do nothing against that 95%. So you have to keep using all of their products until that 95% has become the 5% that their products are effective against.

 

[jen]

You are right, that won't make a difference when the fleas can jump on and off freely and the eggs and larvae are all over your home. The vet who said that is an idiot IMO.

Another trick is to put a flea collar in your vacuum bag so any fleas you suck up will be killed.

 

[daftcat75]

I was really thinking using spot-on treatment and vacuuming + washing everything possible and using Adams home premise spray.
According to some vet or whatever that was at PetSmart they said the spot-on treatment won't work and just to use the spray and shampoo. Keeping the cats separated from now on until we see the flea issue is gone. Kinda feel like that won't make a difference as long as we treat the pets and the home at the same time.

The guy at the PetSmart is wrong. You were on the right track.

You must use an IGR somewhere in your strategy. At the very least, you should use an IGR on the cat as that's where all the fleas eventually want to be. A premise spray with an IGR will also help as the IGR on the cat will only reach so far.

But you also have to treat all animals in your house. Keeping them separated won't make a difference.

 

[Beebster]

I know we still have one dose left of Frontline Plus for cats, so either way needed to buy more. Still have 2 more doses of Frontline for dog as well.
I get the shampoo and spray would possibly only work for a short time even if we still decide to use it.

I won't know for sure if Advantage 2 will work for Fluffy, but I'm still willing to try as I see more people recommending it over others. Same with anything we try to use, we won't know until we try.

 

[Beebster]

But you also have to treat all animals in your house. Keeping them separated won't make a difference.

Which was my plan after hopefully buying Advantage 2 later today. Dosing ALL animals tonight and continue with cleaning the house.

 

[daftcat75]

Don’t put dog products on the cats.

Place topicals on the skin, not just on the fur. Use a few spots on the back of their neck instead of just one.

Try not to touch or brush out where you have applied the topical for at least 24 hours. This will give your animals a chance to spread it around in all their favorite hangouts which will also be the highest flea egg and larvae concentrations.

Don’t worry about separating the animals unless one of them is truly interested in grooming the medicine off the other(s). It should taste bad and it shouldn’t take them more than a lick to figure that out. One lick won’t harm them though they may get a reaction like excess salivation.

Keep the animals out of a room until it is dry if you are using a room spray/premise spray. Anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on how damp you got things.

Use products with IGRs (pyriproxyfen or methoprene.) They all have adulticides but few have IGRs. IGR is key to ending the infestation.

Don’t apply the premise sprays more frequently than recommended. More is not better.

Wait a day to vacuum after treating the carpet with anything (sprays or DE.). Vacuum every other day. Flea comb your animals daily.

Plan on following those steps for at least a couple of months. So get enough topicals for next month too. Patience and diligence will see you through.

 

[jen]

Actually you can use Frontline Plus dogs on cats, as well as Revolution. Safely. I have been doing it for years. Learned all about it on this site maybe 15 years ago. Every shelter and clinic I have worked at does it. You just have to dose it accordingly. I buy XL dog Revolution and dose it down for the cats.

 

[Beebster]

Well I know better not to use dog treatment on cat and vice versa. I was just saying we may as well use up what we have left of Frontline, which only 1 dose left for cat.

 

[jen]

It is up to you, just being helpful and save money if you have a lot of pets!

 

[Beebster]

Okay these are the exact bottles of spray and shampoo that someone else in this household purchased today from Petsmart.
Purchased ones for dogs as well.