Fleas help!!

[MummyShelly1985]

Hi I have 2 pet cats who are both about 4 years old. We have always treated for fleas even if no sign of them but this year we can not get rid of them!! The cats are up to date with there drops (same brand we have always used) and we regularly treat all of our rooms with sprays just to make sure but we noticed some bites on daughter last week so got some flea bombs which we have used in the past we set these off whilst lo had night at granny's but we still have fleas! I am now finding it really upsetting because I keep my house clean and tidy and really don't want people to think I am doing nothing about them and am just letting my lo get eaten alive by them. Oh is talking about getting rid of the cats but I really don't want to do this as lo and me both love them. They are not allowed in lo's room at anytime though. Does anyone have any advice please I can't think of anything else to do. xx

[floweryblue]

Are you using Stronghold? I think that's the one the vets recommend as being the strongest. It's expensive but very effective, long term.

Are you sure you have fleas? Have you seen any?

There is also the possibility that you have got mosquitos/midges/unusual biting insects in this heat, there's not a lot you can do about that apart from putting insect repellent on your LO.

We are getting nasty bites from something at the mo, but we are pretty sure we don't have fleas.

[MummyShelly1985]

It's not stronghold but its the same the pharmacy told us about it, it has exactly the same ingredients we have been using it for well over a year and seemed to be working well.

I thought it might be something else but I have seen one of the little gits tonight . I couldn't believe it when I seen it!

Oh keeps telling me its the weather and lots of people are complaining about bites but I just feel so sorry for lo as she has quite a few bites but we have nothing.

[MrsIgglePiggle]

You might have an infestation of them (brought on by the heat, which they love). This happened to me a few years ago, I phoned the council and within 2 days they sent someone around to spray the house top to bottom. Cost around £40 at the time. No more fleas !

[lljkk]

Are you vacuuming loads?

[MultumInParvo]

Yes are you sure it's fleas. Gnats, mozzarella etc all are around and much more so with windows open at night.

[Bakingtins]

Is it a fipronil spot on you are using? Whatever Merial say, it is becoming less and less effective. Go to your vet and get either stronghold or advocate (for which they will need to have seen your cats recently as they are prescription) or advantage (they can sell across the counter to anyone). You also need one tin of house spray containing permethrin and an insect growth regulator like Smethoprene (brands are RIP, Indorex, Nuvan stay kill, Acclaim - whichever one your vet stocks is fine). Both the cats need worming with drontal or milbemax because fleas carry tapeworms. You need to treat the whole house regardless of whether there are areas the cats don't go into, flea eggs are sticky, you are carrying them round on your feet. Fleas love warmth, humidity, noise and vibration. They have a stage in their life cycle when they are in a pupa and nothing short of a nuclear bomb will get them. Your job is to get them to hatch out before you spray. I'd normally suggest heating on and bowl of water on the radiators but think we have enough heat/ humidity at the moment. You Hoover one room at a time, then spray, concentrating round the skirting boards and underneath heavy furniture that wouldn't normally be moved. Then you Hoover every two days until the problem is solved. If you use the recommended sprays you do it once properly and don't respray for a year, just keep up with a monthly spot-on for the cats.

now go say three hail Mary's for taking advice from a pharmacist who knows nothing about fleas and wasting your money whilst the fleas party. Next time ask your vet

[MultumInParvo]

I use a fipronil one ATM. I have thought of advocate as my pup suffers with demodex and it protects against that too. Hmm.

[Bakingtins]

Also forgot to say chuck everyone's bedding in the machine on a hot wash.

[lj123]

Omg! I'm having the same issue!
I'm in a high rise flat so only myself to blame for them coming in, they don't effect me or my partner at all just appear to be on the cats, flea dirt on window ledges, I've tried 3 different cat treatments so far and 3 household sprays! Buggers don't want to go and I'm moving house Saturday!!!!!

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Can I add to bakingtins Hail Marys others for using the pharmacy is cheaper I regularly collect palliative care drugs from local pharmacies for certain patients and am always at what they charge for just regular frontline as it is much more than we charge for advocate and the such like. Lloyds in particular.

[tallulah]

We have a huge flea infestation ATM. DD and I are covered in bites. We got Advocate from the vet, and some indorex spray. She said it would get worse before it gets better but that once the cats were treated to let them go all around the house. The fleas jump onto the cats and bite, then get poisoned. Of course lots of dying fleas have been dropping off the cats, which is fairly disgusting, but their numbers are definitely thinning.

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

oh god, us too, i wouldnt say that we are infested at the moment, but definitely got bites, have seen them on the beds and have picked a few off me and the kids at various points in the last week. Have treated the cat, with frontline in the last week, but might have to get something stronger. We have no carpets, just two rugs in the whole hous and only leather sofas. have washed all the bedding today, but not at sixty degrees Also have let off flea bombs in loft room and upstairs. Will do downstairs tonight when we go to bed. Its FREAKING ME OUT!!!!!

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

OH, also, we have put shallow bowl of soapy water on floor with a lamp over it, and caught a few that way, at night. they are attracted by the light and jump in and drown. And im glad.

seriously, I am itching and convinced that they are all over me at all times. horrible.

[lj123]

So I've moved house! Treated the old house and the cats while in it, treated the new place and hoovering daily, still finding the little buggers on the cats!!! Wish they would hurry up n die! The fleas that is!