How To Treat Scared/feral Cats For Fleas?

[Linderin]

My 2 semi-feral girls have been going outside for 3 weeks now and I recently discovered they have fleas. They are still quite scared of humans and won't come near me, or let me touch them. They are comfortable enough around me as long as I keep my distance. I've tried giving them Comfortis, ie pills against fleas. I also sprayed the house with insecticide from the vet and washed all their bedding and toys. I haven't seen any more fleas, but they still shed flea poop and they keep scratching. I think the fleas are still there.

So the pills did not really work and I'm looking for other solutions like spot-on flea drops. Since I can't touch my cats, I don't really know how to give them these drops without unleashing total hell and damaging our already precarious bond.

Have any of you had experience with giving flea treatment to ferals? What's a humane and relatively safe way of catching them and applying the drops? I've tried the towel method once before, that was no success at all, I couldn't handle the towel properly so the cat escaped and was even more scared and furious. She wouldn't interact with me for months. I'm really hoping to avoid that situation again!

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ There is a liquid flea medication that goes in wet food - Program Liquid Suspension For Cats . Not perfect but worth a try . See below and decide ...

http://www.onlinepetmeds.info/oral-suspension-liquid-program-for-cats.htm

 

[di and bob]

Yes, I would try any oral flea treatment, FOR CATS, there is before trying to handle them. The only way I treated my feral was to get him used to strokes while he was eating. Then you have to be very quick and apply the medication high up on their down to the skin. you only get one chance! So first you have to tame them down a little. There are a lot of 'natural. oral treatments out there you add to the food, you might try a few of them. Flea treatments HAVE to be repeated every two weeks or so because of the eggs hatching later, so keep at it.

 

[walli]

It's a tough one, I too had the same problem. It's hard getting them to eat the oral flea treatments. You have to get creative and try different things.

You can try Organic/Pet grade diatomaceous earth for their bedding etc..

I had to capture my Feral because we had our house fumigated, It didn't go well but we took her to the vet and she got a flea treatment etc., she is in the house and her catio so I don't think she is being exposed to fleas, if she does I will be in the same boat as you, I was trying the comfortsis tablets before I got her in the house. I think it works, you hear bad things about it tho, kinda confusing.
I don't think I had luck with the liquid so if you get it to work I would be interested.

Thanks for posting! very good question, I'm sure others will be interested in this.

 

[walli]

hey di and bob!
can you list some of the natural oral treatments?

 

[msaimee]

I treated a feral cat monthly with Frontline Plus, and he never let me touch him. He used to allow me to sit next to him while he ate. I would serve his favorite food, chicken breast, and while he was eating, I'd dribble the Frontline between his shoulder blades. He would be so preoccupied with the food that he didn't fuss about what I was doing, the worst reaction he might give would be to momentarily hiss, then go back to eating. If there is a food that you're cats love, like tuna fish, see if you can dribble the Frontline on them while they're engaged in eating.