How To Deal With Fleas

[Gatomons]

I already know the basics about fleas and their lifecycle. I don't want a lecture.
I know of only one way to treat fleas effectively and that's with blue dawn.
I can give kittens and my cat a bath with no problem, but this time I have one cat who I know I won't be able to bathe and he rarely lets me get close to him. I'm debating on letting the SPCA take him in because of this situation.

I need advice on how to take care of fleas effectively without bathing. If there's no hope then I plan on calling up the SPCA on Monday.

After all of this my kitty will be stuck inside for awhile.

Also I should mention the rat problem right now! There has been a boom in rats/mice lately. She eats them. Should I stop this? What complications can arise?

Thank you for any help!

 

[abyeb]

This article has some great info about treating fleas: Cat Fleas

The most effective way to get rid of fleas in cats is to use a product like Advantage or Frontline. These are topically applied, and so you don't need to give your kitty a bath.

This article outlines some of the health issues that can come from cats eating prey: Why You Should Never Let Your Cat Hunt

 

[Gatomons]

@abyeb

Great now I have to buy an allwormer now. ugh. Thank you so much though!

 

[Kieka]

Advantage or Frontline are really best forflea problems. My cats do go outside and I have one that is hard to handle, so I know that fight well. I usually ambush that particular cat while she's sleeping otherwise I'd never get flea medication on her.

Check with your vet to see if advantage or Frontline is the most effective in your region. Never use Hartz especially but really any off brand can be dangerous to your cat. It's not worth the few bucks saved at the risk of your cats health.

 

[Gatomons]

@Kieka

I've heard of Frontline and Hartz being a big let down, but you mentioned region. Do they just work depending on the environment?

 

[jen]

@abyeb

Great now I have to buy an allwormer now. ugh. Thank you so much though!

Well I wouldn't just randomly treat for worms without knowing which worms, if any, they have. Better off having a fecal test done once in awhile at the vet to see if they find anything. Plus there are so many parasites out there even the broad spectrum dewormers don't get them all. I think the biggest risk for letting a cat hunt is if someone laid out poison and either the cat finds that or the cat eats a poisoned mouse or rat. I have had a few cats who were great hunters.

As for the topical flea treatment. Hartz has killed pets I don't know why the heck it is still on the shelves. Frontline they say fleas are becoming immune to it but there is a somewhat newer Frontline Gold you could try. There is also Revolution and Advantage. I would stray far from either of those 3 brands though. The risk is too high.

 

[Kieka]

@Kieka

I've heard of Frontline and Hartz being a big let down, but you mentioned region. Do they just work depending on the environment?

Frontline and Advantage are the two you should consider. Never use any Hartz flea control product as there are several cases of them harming or killing pets. But yes, what is effective in your area will vary. Some fleas have become immune to Frontline making it ineffective in a specific area while others have become immune to Advantage in other areas. Your vet would know which is the effective treatment in your area and is your best resource to ensure you get the right one the first time. You just want to be careful and not try knock off versions; they are not the same.

 

[1 bruce 1]

If all else fails, treat the living crap out of the environment and hope for the best.
If the other cats are bathed, the environment is treated, the fleas on this cat may die but it might take awhile.
Are you fairly confident the cat is not anemic, etc?
Depending on the level of infestation, it might take a while to see the fleas die off.
We rarely see fleas but one year we did, it was terrible and we swore up and down it would have been easier to just burn the joint down and move =(

 

[jen]

You could bathe the cats every single day but the fleas will just come back if they are in the house, which they are if they are on the cat, even if they aren't bad yet. They lay eggs and the larvae can lay dormant for long time until coming into contact with a pet. So it is important to treat the house/yard and not just the pet. I like to throw a flea collar or two in the vacuum bag and then everytime I vacuum it will kill any stray fleas I may pick up.

 

[1 bruce 1]

You could bathe the cats every single day but the fleas will just come back if they are in the house, which they are if they are on the cat, even if they aren't bad yet. They lay eggs and the larvae can lay dormant for long time until coming into contact with a pet. So it is important to treat the house/yard and not just the pet. I like to throw a flea collar or two in the vacuum back and then everytime I vacuum it will kill any stray fleas I may pick up.

Good point on throwing a flea collar in the vacuum!

 

[basscat]

Meh

Good point on throwing a flea collar in the vacuum!

Meh....You're already vacuuming up flea spray, DE, or whatever you've put down to kill them.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Meh


Meh....You're already vacuuming up flea spray, DE, or whatever you've put down to kill them.

Yes, unless you haven't put anything down (in the case of not having a flea problem), but the suggestion will be helpful for others to nip it in the bud if a flea or two manages to get into the house.

 

[basscat]

Yes, unless you haven't put anything down (in the case of not having a flea problem), but the suggestion will be helpful for others to nip it in the bud if a flea or two manages to get into the house.

Prior to having a flea problem, it might help. However, if you don't have a flea problem, Adding something to the vacuum bag is the last thing on your mind.
If you're dealing with a flea problem? Half of what you're buying and the work you're doing is overkill. Then again, at this point? Not even overkill is enough!! A chunk of a flea collar in the vacuum bag? No, I would put three whole ones in there!!!
If you've had a flea problem in the past? You're house is so saturated with chemicals that the residual effect must be measured in half-life. AND, you'll probably spray stuff that last 6 months, monthly....just to make sure it never happens again.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Prior to having a flea problem, it might help. However, if you don't have a flea problem, Adding something to the vacuum bag is the last thing on your mind.
If you're dealing with a flea problem? Half of what you're buying and the work you're doing is overkill. Then again, at this point? Not even overkill is enough!! A chunk of a flea collar in the vacuum bag? No, I would put three whole ones in there!!!
If you've had a flea problem in the past? You're house is so saturated with chemicals that the residual effect must be measured in half-life. AND, you'll probably spray stuff that last 6 months, monthly....just to make sure it never happens again.

We had a flea problem a few years ago. I don't know how it happened, but the dogs were bald, red, itching, the cats were chewing, biting, and pulling hair out and that's when my receding hairline kicked in!
Even now we're a bit paranoid. Flea infestations are annoying and painful to healthy animals but in old or the very young can be deadly so we do get jumpy.
We don't use flea prevention on anyone, but we do make sure the house is vacuumed and carpet free and have used DE in the dog yard before (the year of, and 2 years after, due to that paranoia).
We don't have a flea problem now (thankful!), but we did, and keeping those blood sucking *******s out of my house is always at the back of my mind

For the OP it's rough when you have a cat that's barely able to be handled that you know has fleas. The "mean" option is enlisting in a cat wise friend and some lead gloves and treating him with topicals, but this doesn't exactly nurture a hopeful future relationship with a cat that is skittish in the first place. I feel for them =/