First my kitties had diarrhea, and now fleas. What's next? (Hopefully, healthy kittens!)
So, I found two or three fleas today on my 7 week old (we think) kittens, and I've been reading here on TCS about the safest ways to get them under control. But I still have a few questions.
1. I read about bathing them using Dawn dish detergent, and although I dread the bathing process, I plan to do this. I was just wondering if this actually kills the fleas, or just stuns them long enough to comb them out?
2. Does the Dawn do anything to the eggs/larvae, or am I going to have to break down and buy some Frontline from the vet? My hubby is already frustrated about the money we've had to spend on these "free" kittens because of their diarrhea-related vet trips. They still have to get all their vaccinations, which I know won't be cheap. And when he saw how much the Frontline costs for just one month, he looked like he was having second thoughts about bringng the poor babies into our home! (Since we have three cats, it would cost about $600/year. And we are not made of that kinda money, honey!)
3. What is the safest and most effective treatment for my carpets and furniture--Borax, Diatomaceous Earth, or Flea Collar in the vaccuum? I have a bagless vaccuum with a hepa filter, so I'm not sure I could even use the flea collar method. Everyone's comments I've read have said you have to throw the bag away. I would only be able to was the canister, not the filter.
4. Finally, will washing their bedding (and mine!) in regular laundry detergent do the trick for any fleas that may be hiding there? I have a septic system, so I have to be careful what I use in my machine.
Thanks for any advice you can give! I NEED it!
So, I found two or three fleas today on my 7 week old (we think) kittens, and I've been reading here on TCS about the safest ways to get them under control. But I still have a few questions.
1. I read about bathing them using Dawn dish detergent, and although I dread the bathing process, I plan to do this. I was just wondering if this actually kills the fleas, or just stuns them long enough to comb them out?
2. Does the Dawn do anything to the eggs/larvae, or am I going to have to break down and buy some Frontline from the vet? My hubby is already frustrated about the money we've had to spend on these "free" kittens because of their diarrhea-related vet trips. They still have to get all their vaccinations, which I know won't be cheap. And when he saw how much the Frontline costs for just one month, he looked like he was having second thoughts about bringng the poor babies into our home! (Since we have three cats, it would cost about $600/year. And we are not made of that kinda money, honey!)
3. What is the safest and most effective treatment for my carpets and furniture--Borax, Diatomaceous Earth, or Flea Collar in the vaccuum? I have a bagless vaccuum with a hepa filter, so I'm not sure I could even use the flea collar method. Everyone's comments I've read have said you have to throw the bag away. I would only be able to was the canister, not the filter.
4. Finally, will washing their bedding (and mine!) in regular laundry detergent do the trick for any fleas that may be hiding there? I have a septic system, so I have to be careful what I use in my machine.
Thanks for any advice you can give! I NEED it!