Cat has fleas please help

shaggyfox

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Mom's cat has fleas. Tried everything! Started out with the spray and a flea collar. Still had fleas. Tried a bath with flea shampoo, ouch! :p Still had fleas! Put the actual flea medicine on her; directly on her skin, rubbed it on and everything! Still had fleas! Took her to the vet, the put her under, shaved off most of her fur and "claimed" they gave her a flea bath. We flea bombed the house, 2 in each room while she was in the vet's. Just noticed a few fleas today and one jumped on me just now. Do we really have to call an exterminator? We can't really afford it now after that vet bill.

Also she is a 100% indoor cat!
 
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kissthisangel

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Hi, with fleas, it can be an ongoing battle. Cut up that flea collar and stick it in your hoover, keep hoovering the house regularly and  make sure to get all soft furnishings when you hoover  like sofas, cushions etc, as well as any hard surfaces your cat visits frequently and corners of the rooms as well. Fleas full life cycle depends on the heat of the weather and are particularly active in heat. The spot on treatments are supposedly less effective in some areas, but if you can find one that has been successful in your area, you will have to ask the advice of the vet because you have already treated the cat with a spot on already.

You can try combing the cat with a narrow tooth comb, and focus on the areas where the fur is a little longer, fleas like to hide in the cats armpits and under the neck because it's warmer there. Though if she's shaved, you might be able to see them. You will need to treat your house in another week or so to kill any new hatchlings of the fleas, one treatment won't kill eggs and larvae.

Also some cats are allergic to flea bites so she might be itching because of that. How many have you seen? can you see them in the fur,  any jumping on you for their next meal?
 

siamiam2

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I used Servants one spot. No problems the first two doses but now that she doesn't go out much at all? It's just like being back to square one and I don't know why. Anyone have any thoughts as to why? It's not as if that's all the protection she's ever had and the apt. has been cleaned of any fleas. Why would fleas recur on her?
 

kissthisangel

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well it may be that some unhatched eggs developed a tolerance for the treatment. It's something I have been reading up on alot. When I first got my little one I was determined to have no fleas. Unfortunately, the home she came from also had a rogue out door cat. On both visits to our vet, they have said she has no fleas and she is also100% indoor. But we do have fleas, I've seen them on her tummy, combed them   outetc. We've even gone to lengths today of putting a collar on for a couple of hours. It hasn't helped. i've also read they can be dangerous, I'm really reluctant to use one unless we have to.

when we're off at the weeked I'm going to crate her and treat everything. I've got loads of products my partner bought. I am however allergic to Fipronil, so my OH will have to do all the work, whilst I go out. What a shame
 

siamiam2

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This is what the good people at Hartz told me: you can't expect her to be flea free. I took a huge step back when I heard that. The only product of theirs that truly works is the purple collar and she scratches it off. She was certainly born to the purple given her breed but...the cost of repetitive collars makes no sense. Servants makes the same product except in a one spot version but I'm sorta left surprised since 2 doses were perfectly fine and the rd a semi failure. I'm thinking time of storage too. These companies tell us how to store their product but don't say whether they have a shelf life. Food does. Front line is for dogs and I shudder to think that a person on another thread was using it on her cat. No problem??? Yes! Cats atrent dogs. Internet write ups say even a chihuahuas very is different than a cats. I'd say so. So the question is? Does the product lose effectiveness over time of storage? Maybe the problem?
 

jcat

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[article="22394"][/article]
Front line is for dogs and I shudder to think that a person on another thread was using it on her cat. No problem??? Yes! Cats atrent dogs. Internet write ups say even a chihuahuas very is different than a cats. I'd say so.
Frontline makes a product specifically for cats, which also kills larvae and eggs: Frontline Plus for Cats

[article="22394"][/article]

There are quite a few threads here about the dangers of flea collars.
 
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siamiam2

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Is there a shelf life for larvae? I treated her with cider vinegar and she ingested that too and have washed her a gazillion times with Ajax dish deterdetergent in between the collars all before the one spot three months ago. Could she still have larvae in her ski?
 

aprilc

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We have had really good luck with Revolution, which is also the only medication that is safe for rabbits (which we also have). You need to do it for a couple of months though, at least 2, maybe 3.
 

catpack

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I never rcommend the use of any Hartz, Seargents or Sentry flea/tick products. I have witnessed cats die from the proper use of these products. (I work in rescue and there are cats that come into our local emergency clinics every month or so after experiencing toxicity from these products.)

I like Advantage II; but, Revolution, Advantage Multi, and Comfortis are all good flea products. Frontline seems to not very affective anymore for a lot of people, so I would choose another product.

You will need to do 3 consecutive months of treatment to get the situation corrected. The good thing about Advantage II is that it can safely be used every 2 weeks for get a handle on serious outbreaks.

If finances are a concern for you, get your vet to call in a script to 1-800-petmeds as the products sold here are exactly the same as you get at your vet's office, just at a reduced price.
 

siamiam2

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My problem Catpack, is that we can't get a vet and I still wonder if storage is an ississue. Less effective if stored at room temp w/out constant air conditioning? I must keep my body at room temp at all times. If storage place gets a little warm does it kill the effectiveness of the one spot? All bodies are different. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. Like humans. What works per area is a good point. SW temps are different. Hot and humid or hot which I don't see as more than the usual problem needing attn. I've never heard of the brand you mentioned Revolution. But? They run commercommercials for dog stuff around here in saturated form. Heard of the brands but they all seem like name is more of where the cost comes from
 
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