Fleas or something else???

I'm having a bit of a problem...

A few days ago, I started getting bitten on the legs and arms during the night and the bites are extremely itchy. I thought it might be fleas because I have been bitten by them back when my cats had fleas a number of years ago.

I'm a bit confused because my cats have been indoors for years and have not come in contact with any other animal. I've also combed them all with a flea comb and I see no signs of fleas nor do I see any black specs left behind by these pests. I'm also on the lookout to see if they scratch themselves and they never do.

I'm in the process of cleaning out our bedroom by vacuuming everywhere, washing the bedclothes and applying Zodiac spray just in case. I will also go and purchase some Advantage from our vet in a bit and treat them all just in case.

Could it be some other kind of bug that I'm not aware of? Has anyone had this problem before? Help!! Thanks!!

I'm sorry you're getting bitten. I know that stinks, I've been there.

We can carry fleas in from the grass outside. My indoor cats have had some fleas a few times.

The other thing that comes to mind is bedbugs. I don't know much about them, but a few people have posted here about some trouble with them lately. From scanning this article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedbug

it sounds like a person can easily bring them home from hotels, etc ...or in used furniture. So even if your place is clean, I think there is still a risk.

Whatever it is, I hope you can figure it out soon.

Might be chiggers. Did this start IN the house or after you came in from outside?

Originally Posted by beandip

We can carry fleas in from the grass outside.

Click to expand...

This is true, even if its not the fleas, it could quite possible be their eggs.
If you have been through any really long grass recently?
You say your cats havent been in contact with other animals, but how about yourself or your visitors? Fleas are amazing little so and so's and they can happily travel around undetected for a small amount of time until they bite you.

Its a horrible thing though, theres nothing worse than a flea infestation, I hope you get the problem fixed soon.

It could also very well be the bedbug too, so don't rule that one out.

P.S do you have frontline over there? I swear by that stuff even though its quite pricy.

Goldenkitty...it's hard to tell if it started IN the house or when I come in from the outdoors but I do spend alot of time outside gardening and I'm a bit of a neat freak inside.

Beandip...we have two outside cats and I check them regularly for fleas and they don't have any so I don't believe I picked up fleas outside. I get bitten only during the night. As for bedbugs, like I told Goldenkitty, I'm a neat freak so the bed is always clean and we haven't travelled anywhere for a very long time. After this thorough cleaning, I'm hopeful that will do the trick because this scratching is driving me nuts!!

Thanks for the help everyone!! I hope I can find the answer soon.

Diego...thanks for your reply. No, I haven't come into contact with other animals.

What I don't understand is, if it were fleas, why aren't my cats showing any signs of having them...that's what's confusing me.

As for Frontline, I don't know if it's available here in Canada, I'll have to check with the vet later today.

I think it is probably fleas they are persistent little critters as mentioned you can easily bring the eggs in from outside on your shoes or even or yard brushes.

Do you use any treatments for your outdoor kitties - it can be hard to see them, one of my cats has a dense undercoat which obviously makes it hard to spot fleas. So I always find it best to use a flea treatment.

You can also buy stuff to treat your house as the eggs can lie dormant and if not sorted, those will hatch and you'll have the same problem recurring all the time.

I hope you get it sorted soon !

I know the chiggers can cause the bites/itching too. Are they little red spots? Chiggers can be found outside in the grasses. Dont' think animals are affected but do know they bite people. I've had them when going thru taller grass.

Here's some info about them:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2100.html

my partner does pest control and it really does sound like bed bugs. it dosnt matter how clean your house is you can still get them. they only come out at night to feed then they go back to their nests, that can be anywhere in cracks on the wall skirting boards draws beds etc. you get the picture. they will go to the same place and person to feed of. is anyone else getting bitten in the home?

Okay, well all our cats have now been treated with Advantage just in case it might be fleas. The bedroom has been cleaned throughly and all that's left now is wait and see what happens tonight. Hopefully no more bites!!

Goldenkitty...I looked up Chiggers and I live in Quebec so that's pretty far up North and it says that they are mainly found in the South but, then again, you never know.

Here's a similar picture of what my itchy bite spots look like...http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/p...lea_bite_1.jpg that's why I'm leaning toward the flea theory.

I'll let you all know tomorrow, if tonight I have a biteless sleep.

Again, thanks everyone for your responses.

Also looks like the chigger bites - maybe its similar. Hope its not fleas. Someone else here had fleas in the house and sprinkled plain table salt in the carpet/furniture and put a small bowl of table salt on the floor - next morning there were fleas in there.

The salt would dry them out.

When I was eaten up by fleas one time, ice helped the itchiest spots. Just thought I'd pass that along. Mosquitos don't bother me a bit but fleas, aaaargh...very itchy!

they sure do look like bed bug bites, what are chiggers? gonne go look them up now lol. ok looked them up there basically a mite that lives on humans. and seen as its only at nights you seem to be getting bitten i still would look into bed bugs , if you like i can give you some names of treatments you can use. just be carful with getting pest control in they will charge you tripple the price.
to help in the mean time you can steam the hole bedroom, the carpet, the bed , the draws all linen either throw away or put on a boil wash. this wont get rid of the problem but it will help untill you can get it treated.