So... a little backstory. The first weekend after we got Harvey, we went to his Grandma and Grandpa's house in NJ in order to introduce the new kitten to them as well as get his first vaccines. Crumb, Harvey, Db, and I all got there Friday night, and by Sunday, I realized both kitties had fleas. I assumed that the kitten had come with flea eggs, as I know he did not have any live fleas on him when we got him; I checked him from head to toe. He was at our home a full 4 days before we all took the trip to NJ. Obviously, I felt terrible... I boraxed and vaccuumed their home before I left, sprayed Raid flea spray, etc. We never got bitten ourselves, surprisingly, even though the cats slept with us each night. Grandma and Grandpa have an indoor outdoor cat, and they insist neither they nor their cat have noticed any fleas since then. However, their cat is rather antisocial, so they don't really get close to him that often.
Once I got back to our apartment, I immediately boraxed and sprayed our own apartment. The kitties were treated with Revolution and given Dawn baths, and we removed all the flea bodies from them both. A live flea was never found in our apartment.
Fastforward to 4 weeks later, when we went back last weekend to spend the night to get Harvey's second vaccines. We were only there overnight, arriving in the evening, going to the vet in the morning, and then coming back home in the afternoon. We left Crumb at home. In the car on the way back, Harvey jumped into my lap... and I spotted a flea on his neck. Upon giving him a Dawn bath once we got home, we found 30 fleas on him! We first worried he got them at the vet, but he never touched anything but me and the exam table there. It was quickly realized that obviously, the fleas are at Grandma and Grandpa's.
Grandma and Grandpa were on vacation all last week, but they said they hadn't seen any fleas or gotten any bites before they left. Now I'm wondering... did Harvey give them fleas 4 weeks ago, or did Crumb and Harvey CATCH the fleas from their house? I offered to pay to get rid of the fleas if they discover they have a problem once they get back, because I feel horrible to think that we inflicted this problem on them. But... I'm now left debating which came first... the kitten or the fleas! Is it possible for a kitten to carry flea eggs and not fleas, and then not have shed any of them at our home before going over there? It just seems unlikely, especially with their indoor outdoor cat. The kitten had never been outside, although he lived with dogs.
It's a moral conundrum!
Once I got back to our apartment, I immediately boraxed and sprayed our own apartment. The kitties were treated with Revolution and given Dawn baths, and we removed all the flea bodies from them both. A live flea was never found in our apartment.
Fastforward to 4 weeks later, when we went back last weekend to spend the night to get Harvey's second vaccines. We were only there overnight, arriving in the evening, going to the vet in the morning, and then coming back home in the afternoon. We left Crumb at home. In the car on the way back, Harvey jumped into my lap... and I spotted a flea on his neck. Upon giving him a Dawn bath once we got home, we found 30 fleas on him! We first worried he got them at the vet, but he never touched anything but me and the exam table there. It was quickly realized that obviously, the fleas are at Grandma and Grandpa's.
Grandma and Grandpa were on vacation all last week, but they said they hadn't seen any fleas or gotten any bites before they left. Now I'm wondering... did Harvey give them fleas 4 weeks ago, or did Crumb and Harvey CATCH the fleas from their house? I offered to pay to get rid of the fleas if they discover they have a problem once they get back, because I feel horrible to think that we inflicted this problem on them. But... I'm now left debating which came first... the kitten or the fleas! Is it possible for a kitten to carry flea eggs and not fleas, and then not have shed any of them at our home before going over there? It just seems unlikely, especially with their indoor outdoor cat. The kitten had never been outside, although he lived with dogs.
It's a moral conundrum!
