How to treat Flea

[lemcat]

My vet's assistant saw flea
Vet said she sees flea poop after brushing with flea comb.

So we got 3 dose of Frontline for 3 months.
Would that be enough by itself?

I also thought about diffusing Rosemary essential oil into the air or mixing a bit of cedar bedding in litter or her bed.
Would this be unnecessary?

 

[daftcat75]

Please don't use essential oils or cedar bedding. They aren't particularly effective, and they can be irritating or perhaps even harmful to cats. Anything with a strong smell is going to be much stronger for a cat whose sense of smell is much more sensitive.

Fleas are a stubborn pest and you're going to need a combination of adulticides and insect growth regulators (IGR.) Rest assured, these chemicals target flea physiology and are not harmful to people or cats when used as directed. This is why the first thing every one of them says under Directions is to read all the instructions first. The chemicals are only one piece. You will also need to do laundry and vacuuming and lots of it. Fleas can take weeks to months to eradicate an infestation. It's best to read up at FleaScience. Plan your attack. Repeat and refresh.

An alternative to those adulticides and IGRs is a powder called FleaBusters. You can buy it and apply it yourself. This one you will want to read all the instructions, do one room at a time, evacuate people and animals from that room, and wear a dust mask. It goes down very dusty. But it is effective and long-lasting. They also have a service where you can hire professionals to come out and apply it for you.

Home - Fleabusters

I have tried diatomaceous earth and Borax powder. DE is not effective and it dries you and the animals out faster than it kills the fleas. It's very irritating. I didn't find Borax powder all that effective either. Read FleaScience and consider FleaBusters.

 

[lemcat]

Do you mean that Frontline might not be enough?
We did wash her bed and vacuumed the vicinity of where her bed is.

 

[daftcat75]

Do you mean that Frontline might not be enough?
We did wash her bed and vacuumed the vicinity of where her bed is.

Go read fleascience.com so you know what you’re up against and what you can expect.

Perhaps if you’re lucky, you caught the fleas soon enough that Frontline plus a cleaning will be enough.

This is not typically the case.

Often an infestation can take weeks or months to clear using a repetition of multiple treatment methods: treating the cat(s), treating the home, and treating the premise which may also include yards and cars since fleas can hitch a ride on humans and deposit themselves or their eggs elsewhere.