Fleas, home treatments and waiting periods. Your experiences.

I'm new here and read many threads about flea treatments and home remedies. I have three 5 month kittens and an 8 year old outdoor cat.  I live in the Midwest where fleas are rampant.  I learned years ago with my dogs and Mookie cat that prevention is key!  Preventing them before you have an infestation can save your sanity.  So, as usual, I treated Mookie with a topical as always as soon as the weather turned warm in April and the 1st of the month since.  The kittens were 2 weeks old in April so I did not treat them and figured since they are indoor kittys I wouldn't have to.

Boy, was I wrong!

Mookie must have drug some fleas in because my poor kittens have fleas!  I have done everything.  DE in the carpets for 24 hour hours then constant vacuuming. stripped the bed and washed and dried. Bathed them in Dawn with a little apple cider vinegar but couldn't get them to stay in the water long enough to do much.  I waited 48 hours and put Frontline Plus on them and still finding fleas when I flea comb them.  Do I really need to wait an entire month to try Advantage Plus on them?

I have never had luck with the home remedies.  ACV and DE are probably good for prevention but not an infestation.

My son is very against chemicals and recommended making a citrus spray for my furniture and bed and then covering the floors in DE.  He said fleas hate citrus so they will jump off the furniture and onto the DE covered floor.  I know citrus and other oils are dangerous for cats so I am only using the juice and pulp.  Will let you all know how this works.

Here is another idea I read about.  Capstar daily for 2 weeks to break the flea cycle???  They are expensive and 2 weeks worth for 3 kittens is a lot, but I will do it if it WILL work?  Anyone have experience using this method?

Mookie does not have fleas!  My neighbor has his lawn sprayed each year and he is on a hill so when it rains it all runs in my yard : ))

Ok nix the citrus idea.  Very sticky and messy.  I did take the peel and chopped it up and placed in between and under the sofa cushions and under the sofa.  Also put some on an old sheet and laid it on my bed.  Not sure if this will make the fleas hit the floor but I am willing to try anything.  Well, I had a bit of fun with my kittens but they slept right through it.

I took these photo's to send to my son to put a smile on his "holistic" face.

Discloser: No kitty's were harmed during this photo shoot, never even woke up : ),

Keke and Handsome in their orange peel hats

IMO: When it comes to fleas.

Haha! I laughed so hard when I saw that photo.  Everytime I flea comb them and see fleas then dip the comb in a glass of soapy water, I cuss them. "die you 'explicit, explicit, explicit."  I hate them!

themomcat said:

 
Haha! I laughed so hard when I saw that photo.  Everytime I flea comb them and see fleas then dip the comb in a glass of soapy water, I cuss them. "die you 'explicit, explicit, explicit."  I hate them!

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Yeah...They call it flea control.

I don't want to control fleas.  I want to be rid of them! 
 

I wonder if I can find a guy, that knows a guy, that's brothers, uncle....can get ya some DDT for the right price?

I had been using Frontline  on my 4 cats whenever a flea problem occurred . The last time I used it which was last June one of my cats still continue to scratch. Also he was licking his fur off his stomach and the back side of his body. So I thought maybe he still had fleas. The other three weren't scratching though, now upon retrospect I think he was having an allergic reaction to  the flea treatment , but at the time I didn't realize this so in August I put Advantage ll on him and within a week I could see  he was having  a very bad reaction. All the hair fell out on the spot where I put the treatment, also with each day more hair fell out in clumps and sections  his skin was a deep maroon . His skin didn't become raw but was a deep red. By the end of the month he had lost all the hair from his shoulder to his backside ,including his tail. He is a Maine Coon cat and has long hair so he ended up looking like a lion with a mane because it didn't affect the hair above the shoulders or his face and front paws. As soon as the  reaction became evident I researched online and found that many cats and dogs had bad reactions to Advantage ll  . I also learned that coconut oil can help heal their skin. So I began applying coconut oil to his whole body every day and saw improvement right away. His skin returned to a normal color within a week , but it's taken a long time for the hair to grow back. His tail used to be very bushy , but it only has fuzz now. I will never use any spot on treatment again. It's not worth the risk. I have nursed him through this,and  even though he is recovering , I know it made him sick. I could see it in his eyes. He slept a lot and also ran a temperature. He did keep eating though so no problems there.  It's been nearly 2 months and the worst is behind him but I'm just wondering how long it will take for the hair to grow back. I will only use natural treatments from now on. 

My4catz said:

 
I had been using Frontline  on my 4 cats whenever a flea problem occurred . The last time I used it which was last June one of my cats still continue to scratch. Also he was licking his fur off his stomach and the back side of his body. So I thought maybe he still had fleas. The other three weren't scratching though, now upon retrospect I think he was having an allergic reaction to  the flea treatment , but at the time I didn't realize this so in August I put Advantage ll on him and within a week I could see  he was having  a very bad reaction. All the hair fell out on the spot where I put the treatment, also with each day more hair fell out in clumps and sections  his skin was a deep maroon . His skin didn't become raw but was a deep red. By the end of the month he had lost all the hair from his shoulder to his backside ,including his tail. He is a Maine Coon cat and has long hair so he ended up looking like a lion with a mane because it didn't affect the hair above the shoulders or his face and front paws. As soon as the  reaction became evident I researched online and found that many cats and dogs had bad reactions to Advantage ll  . I also learned that coconut oil can help heal their skin. So I began applying coconut oil to his whole body every day and saw improvement right away. His skin returned to a normal color within a week , but it's taken a long time for the hair to grow back. His tail used to be very bushy , but it only has fuzz now. I will never use any spot on treatment again. It's not worth the risk. I have nursed him through this,and  even though he is recovering , I know it made him sick. I could see it in his eyes. He slept a lot and also ran a temperature. He did keep eating though so no problems there.  It's been nearly 2 months and the worst is behind him but I'm just wondering how long it will take for the hair to grow back. I will only use natural treatments from now on. 

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Oh gosh...stories like your's make me so afraid to treat my baby with anything he is a siberian and I found a few fleas on him the other day...ugh...I am so glad that your baby is on the mend,.

Jennifer

Thanx so much! Today I notice he's had  more hair growth . I think he's rounded a corner towards recovering.  He is such a friendly and affectionate  cat . 

My4catz said:

Thanx so much! Today I notice he's had  more hair growth . I think he's rounded a corner towards recovering.  He is such a friendly and affectionate  cat . 

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I'm so glad!!! It hurt my heart just reading what happened to him!
Jennifer