Cat has fleas???

My kitty Pumpkin and I were having a snuggle when I found what looked like a small flea on his nose.  I tried to remove it but the thing disappeared.

Every time my kitty goes to the vet they check him for fleas and they never find any.  It's been awhile since I posted here, but some of you may remember that about a year and a half ago I took in Pumpkin from off the streets of Pulaski, NY (just north of Syracuse).  His previous owner abandoned him and he was in good health except for tapeworms, which were promptly treated.  He also had poop problems in that he couldn't go very well, so he's now on Lactulose and Laxatone. 

Stomach-wise, Pumpkin is doing great.  I just wish he didn't have fleas.  I just saw one.....I don't know how many more he has (if any).

Pumpkin is an indoor kitty.  Sometimes when I come home from going to the store, etc, he sneaks out the door to the inner hallway, which everyone uses.  Once in awhile he'll make it to the outer hallway, but thankfully he's not been outdoors at all.

So I'm not sure how he got this flea, unless it was by rolling around on the carpet in the area outside this door (inner hallway).

There's one other possibility - one of my friends who lives in another part of this complex has a little dog that loves me (and Pumpkin) to pieces.  That dog has been in my apartment, but not very often. 

I'm not sure this requires a trip to the vet but would appreciate anyone's input on this.  Should I stop my friend from bringing his dog here?  I don't know for sure this is how Pumpkin got this flea on him.  It could have been from his being in the hallway.

Can indoor cats get fleas?

Can Pumpkin get tapeworm again?  He had it when I first got him and the vet gave him topical medicine that wiped them out.  I haven't seen any tapeworm in his poop for a very long time.

Lastly, I have a mobility scooter that I use to get around town.  I wanted to get a wearable carrier to take him outside but now I'm wondering if maybe that's not such a good idea?

Thoughts, anyone?  Thanks!@

dianajune said:

 
Thoughts, anyone?  Thanks!@

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Why not just prophylacticly de-flea him? Advantage, Frontline, etc?

Someone else told me about Advantage too, and I found a local store that carries it.  I will pick it up today.  Is it very effective?

dianajune said:

 
Can indoor cats get fleas?

Can Pumpkin get tapeworm again?  He had it when I first got him and the vet gave him topical medicine that wiped them out.  I haven't seen any tapeworm in his poop for a very long time.

Lastly, I have a mobility scooter that I use to get around town.  I wanted to get a wearable carrier to take him outside but now I'm wondering if maybe that's not such a good idea?

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Yes, indoor only cats can get fleas. Sometimes you or your guests knowingly bring fleas into the house, like if you garden or take walks in a wooded area or play with someone's dog.

Have you asked the vet for recommendations on flea treatment? I've never used Advantage so I can't comment on how that works.

The vet can also suggest a preventative for tapeworms and other parasites.

Some cats who go outside love it and will constantly beg to be let out The meowing and door scratching will drive anyone nuts. Other cats are super scared of even going near a carrier. I feel that it's best to keep cats indoors unless they need to go somewhere (vet office, etc) inside of a carrier or stroller,

Well, I got Advanrtage II this evening and gave it to Pumpkin about a half hour ago.  Applying it was easy, but did he run from me afterwards.  I thought it was supposed to not sting or anything?  So far he's resting and I haven't notice any side effects.

Can someone tell me if they tried Advantage on their cats, and did they tolerate it ok?  The vets office said it should work for him. 

How long does it take for this to dry?

If any residue remains after a few hours, do I wash it off? 

I love my kitty.....had to get this for Pumpkin because when I adopted him, he had tapeworms.  Probably from a combination of running around as an abandoned cat and foraging on mice, etc.  I could throttle his previous owner if I ever found out who did this to him.

Someone please tell me he'll be ok.  I get scared taking new meds for myself because of possible side effects.  Thanks.

I gave my cat Will Advantage for the first time last Tuesday and he has had no problems.  Do not wash any residue off.  It will be absorbed by tomorrow.  

You might want to wash any bedding Pumpkin has been laying on and vacuum the house just to be on the safe side.  If there's one flea, there could be others.

dawnie42 said:

 
I gave my cat Will Advantage for the first time last Tuesday and he has had no problems.  Do not wash any residue off.  It will be absorbed by tomorrow.  

You might want to wash any bedding Pumpkin has been laying on and vacuum the house just to be on the safe side.  If there's one flea, there could be others.

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So far Pumpkin's doing pretty well.  I can see where the medicine was applied.  It's been over 7 hours since I gave it to him.  Does it take 12 hours to absorb or 24?  Is it safe for me to pet him now?

I'm going to wash his bedding in the morning along with the sheets on our bed.  He sleeps with me and has toys on our bed.  This probably sounds stupid, but can he keep using these toys or should I toss them?  He hasn't played with them tonight....not yet anyway.  I'm more concerned about whether or not any of this medicine got on his playthings.  I couldn't smell the medicine when I gave it to him, but he ran like crazy from me.  Does it sting?  I hope not.

dianajune said:

 
So far Pumpkin's doing pretty well.  I can see where the medicine was applied.  It's been over 7 hours since I gave it to him.  Does it take 12 hours to absorb or 24?  Is it safe for me to pet him now?

I'm going to wash his bedding in the morning along with the sheets on our bed.  He sleeps with me and has toys on our bed.  This probably sounds stupid, but can he keep using these toys or should I toss them?  He hasn't played with them tonight....not yet anyway.  I'm more concerned about whether or not any of this medicine got on his playthings.  I couldn't smell the medicine when I gave it to him, but he ran like crazy from me.  Does it sting?  I hope not.

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Will didn't act like it bothered him.  Pumpkin may have run because it was just a strange sensation on his neck.  You might put his toys away until tomorrow if he likes to roll around on them.  I'm not sure how long it takes to absorb.  I dosed Will in the early evening and by the next morning I couldn't see the residue.  I did keep an eye on him until we went to bed because he likes to lie on his back and I didn't want it to rub off.  I wouldn't pet Pumpkin in that area until tomorrow.  Just give him some scratches under the chin.

dawnie42 said:

 
Will didn't act like it bothered him.  Pumpkin may have run because it was just a strange sensation on his neck.  You might put his toys away until tomorrow if he likes to roll around on them.  I'm not sure how long it takes to absorb.  I dosed Will in the early evening and by the next morning I couldn't see the residue.  I did keep an eye on him until we went to bed because he likes to lie on his back and I didn't want it to rub off.  I wouldn't pet Pumpkin in that area until tomorrow.  Just give him some scratches under the chin.

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I have to hold Pumpkin to give him his other medicine (Lactulose and laxatone for bowel issues).  Oftentimes if he sees me coming with that other stuff he will hide on me.  How I hold him can't be the cause because I'm as gentle as can be come medicine time!

This morning I touched the area where I applied the medicine to be sure it was dry.  It felt like it, but you can see where it was put on.  Almost like the fur is matted?  I think this is the residue that I read about when I googled this last night.    I washed my hands carefully afterwards.

Do I need to give him a bath?  I know that probably sounds like a stupid question, but can that residue stay on or does it need to be washed off? 

dianajune said:

I have to hold Pumpkin to give him his other medicine (Lactulose and laxatone for bowel issues).  Oftentimes if he sees me coming with that other stuff he will hide on me.  How I hold him can't be the cause because I'm as gentle as can be come medicine time!

This morning I touched the area where I applied the medicine to be sure it was dry.  It felt like it, but you can see where it was put on.  Almost like the fur is matted?  I think this is the residue that I read about when I googled this last night.    I washed my hands carefully afterwards.

Do I need to give him a bath?  I know that probably sounds like a stupid question, but can that residue stay on or does it need to be washed off? 

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I have never washed frontline plus off and give it monthly

Don't give him a bath. If you wash off the Advantage it won't work. I think the packaging says you aren't supposed to give the pet a bath until a certain amount of time has passed after application.

In my experience Advantage is gentler than other flea meds like Frontline and cats don't mind it too much, although they never like having wet stuff dripped on them in the first place. It takes a day or two until the place where it was applied looks normal again, but that isn't a problem.

Advantage is generally very effective and quite safe and you can pet him after applying it, just don't pet the wet spot where it went on. It doesn't sting, he probably ran because he didn't like oily liquid on his back.

Pumpkin seems to be doing fine this afternoon except for one thing:  He's scratching at the spot where the medicine was applied.  He can't wash it off with his front paws - it's too far for him to reach that way - but he's been scratching at it with one of his back paws.  Not only that, I just saw him wash one of his back paws and am hoping it wasn't the one he was scratching with!

I touched the area with the medicine on it and it felt dry.  However,  when I looked at my hand it had a slight amount of grease on it.  Btw, that medicine claims it has no scent but they are wrong.  It's a weird chemical smell.  I washed my hands carefully afterwards but I am still concerned.  I wish I could wash him.

I don't think that greasy sheen will come off.  When will it be safe to pet him there again?  And comb/brush him there again?

I washed the sheets and blankets on our bed this morning and will finish vacuuming this afternoon.  He didn't seem to have too many fleas but I am concerned about the fact that Pumpkin likes to roll around when he plays, esp. with his catnip toys.  If I were to remove everything he rolls around on this house would be bare.

Am I overly worried?  I never used anything like this on him before.   I wish I never got the stuff, but given his medical history (fleas and tapeworm when I took him in about a 1 1/2 years ago, plus g.i. problems) I felt I had to nip this in the bud promptly.

Help!

Signed,

An overly anxious cat mommy who loves her critter to pieces!  .............................

Do not worry about your cat. I put frontline plus on all my cats every month. It absorbs into skin within minutes.

Many thanks to all who responded!  I washed in and around the application site because Pumpkin kept scratching.....like he was having an allergic reaction.  My baby is feeling much better now.

I called the vet's office first to see how to best go about this.  I used a small wash tub and a few washcloths plus Dawn detergent.  It worked like a charm.  I can't smell the medicine at all.

It got to the point where my asthma was acting up too.

If anyone has suggestions as to how to control fleas w/o toxic medications please let me know.  Pumpkin's had this stuff on him long enough that he's got none at this time but I don't want them to come back. 

I guess we should join the club. My indoor cat has fleas too!!! I guess I have the likely cause of the eosinophilic granuloma complex she came down with Monday. Drag I have not had fleas in 7 years. grrr

Topical flea medications are popular and most people find them effective.

Two of my cats have very sensitive skin, and topical medications -- and I tried half a dozen including "natural" ones -- caused moderate to severe reactions, ranging from itching and scabs from scratching to all of my cats hair falling out at the site, and it took a long time to grow back.

I use oral medications, namely Comfortis. Your vet can sell it to you. My cats are indoor-only, but in summer fleas inevitably show up from my shoes and clothing when I come in. You can also try capstar, which kills all fleas on the cat in 24 hours and is used by shelters. Comfortis kills fleas for 30 days. It is based on weight so you need to have your vet weigh Pumpkin or if you recently visited the vet sometimes they can go by that weight.

Vacuum thoroughly and wash all bedding and soft toys.