Rescued cat with a lot of fleas!

[prettybm09]

Hey everyone. Yesterday night I rescued an indoor only cat who had been thrown outside to fend for himself by his owners. The roommate said they wouldn't feed him either. Poor cat lived outside for a month and as you can imagine he has a lot of fleas and is super skinny. Anywho I was able to get a hold of some Bayer Advantage Multi topical for cats and within a few hours the fleas started to fall out of him on to his bed. There was seriously like tons of black little bugs all around him. Every time we would move he left fleas there. Some where alive but weak. I'm guessing we made the mistake of not bathing him before the treatment but he was so terrified and hissed out of terror. We could not risk a flea infestation and our cats getting them so we immediately got the flea meds. My question is how do I deal with all the dead fleas falling off of him and the flea dirt? I know I can't bathe him for the next couple of days as it can affect the treatment and all he ever wants is to be with us on our bed. He is temporarily in our bathroom. Should I just brush him out dry with those flea combs? Your help is much appreciated. TIA!

 

[DreamerRose]

Poor kitty. People like that should be arrested for animal abuse. 

Yes, just brush him thoroughly every day until the fleas are gone. It sounds like the topical is working well, so it shouldn't take too long. Brush the dead fleas on the bed into a pan and flush. 

 

[prettybm09]

DreamerRose right? I'm thinking of reporting them. Thank you will do. Just found out he may not be litter box trained. He just peed all over his bEd and pooped on the floor. And the covered litterbox is intact. Well I did put him on the litter his instincts kicked him, he scratched , peed, covered it and then decided to chill there. Gosh I have my work cut out for me. Any tips on training an adult cat? I may start anew thread.

 

[SeventhHeaven]

Hi  You can also buy a tablet from Vet clinic called  Capstar  for 5-10.00

then stand kitty in the bath literally they will fall off. It sounds like what you're using in potent

for same results though.  The pill works very fast immediate results. You can also place in a crate outside just wait a few minutes then brush outside before coming back in. Tablet lasts for 24 hours.

 

[DreamerRose]

Take the lid off the litter box. A lot of cats don't like it. You don't need to train a cat to the box - it's what they prefer.

Go ahead and report them and see what happens. That's cruel to turn a cat out like that when there are shelters around everywhere.

 

[prettybm09]

Yea it's working thank God but I keep brushing him and alot of flea eggs come out. Thought it was flea poop but they popped. Will they still hatch even though the medicine is strong? I hope not. His tail has alot but I cannot comb his tail. I tried and he bit me really good.

 

[prettybm09]

SeventhHeaven is it really only $5-10 bucks? I saw online and I didn't see Capstar for that cheap. Yea he may still need capstar though since their is still eggs. It's very minimal though now. Most of the fleas and eggs seemed to fall off over night. I'm making sure to put what I catch on a napkin and flashing it. And I'm vacuuming every single night.

 

[raina21]

P prettybm09

Have you tried using advantage II ? It also kills flea eggs and larvae. If he really has as many fleas as you say he does, it may be a good idea to get some advantage II and apply it to your other cats. Believe me, those little bugs will find their way to your other cats and then you'll have a full-blown infestation.

By the way, you can also buy the Advantage II for large dogs, its the same formula as the one for cats, it just comes in larger tubes so you can split the tubes into multiple doses.

 

[prettybm09]

raina21 is it safe to apply 2 types of topical medicines? I actually used Bayer Advantage which is vet prescription on cat. I was just going to buy Capstar for extra protection. My cats are on revolution already. Is advantage a topical or pill?

 

[DreamerRose]

I don't think you need Capstar because the Advantage is working. With Capstar, you only give one pill, followed the next day with a topical. You don't need 20 pills as sold on line. For now, I would suggest you treat your other cats with a topical, and follow up each month for all your cats.

 

[raina21]

raina21 is it safe to apply 2 types of topical medicines? I actually used Bayer Advantage which is vet prescription on cat. I was just going to buy Capstar for extra protection. My cats are on revolution already. Is advantage a topical or pill?

P prettybm09


I don't know whether it is safe to use with the bayer Advantage, I wouldn't try it until the monthly dose for that has run its course. Of course, most monthly topicals say you can reapply in 2 weeks if needed. If he is very infested with fleas, you may be able to get the advantage and apply it 2-3 weeks after you applied the bayer advantage. If your other cats are using revolution, it should protect them from the adult fleas just fine, it doesnt prevent them getting flea eggs or larvae on them though, which means that fleas may continue to reproduce and you may still have to deal with the infestation in your home even when your cats may be free of adult fleas.


Advantage II is a monthly topical that comes in a tube and you apply it to the back of the cat's neck every month.

The reason I use advantage over revolution is because it also kills the eggs and larvae and starts working within 12 hours.

 

[misty8723]

My cat recently had a bout with fleas, but not nearly so many as your poor kitty. But I searched because I don't want to put chemicals on him and found you can get a flea comb and get a pan of boiling water with a little bit of dawn. You comb kitty and dip the comb in the dawn water, which kills them instantly.  Also I read they did a study and vacuuming does kill fleas, so that's something else to do frequently.  And bless you for taking him in!

 

[prettybm09]

@raina Oh so advantage II Is better than revolution but alot more expensive. Good to know. That bayer stuff is powerful though. I'm going to look into advantage II. Thank you.

 

[prettybm09]

misty8723 Oh I will try. This cat is so feisty though you can tell he's been through alot. I was going to take him to the vet to be tested to FelV and fIV but I couldn't:-(. I'll try again in a few days after he decompresses. Well I'm only fostering untill the shelter can give me a surrender appointment. I live in austin TX and we are the nation's largest no kill. Unless his health deteriorates or he's deemed dangerous his chances of living are 94%. I've already talked to a smaller shelter that pulls from the big one and the adoption manager told me to let her know as soon as he gets his AC#. He'll most likely get pulled and his chances of finding a forever home increase dramatically.

 

[SeventhHeaven]

@Seventhheaven is it really only $5-10 bucks? I saw online and I didn't see Capstar for that cheap. Yea he may still need capstar though since their is still eggs. It's very minimal though now. Most of the fleas and eggs seemed to fall off over night. I'm making sure to put what I catch on a napkin and flashing it. And I'm vacuuming every single night.

Tip/ Flea collars are called Poison collars  BUT they're wonderful to cut into sections and drop into your vacuum cleaner bag to destroy them.

I'm in BC 10.00 per tablet through Vet 5-6 yrs ago...online right now 6 tablets for 45.00 plus shipping. Very handy for emergencies.