# Bad cat mommy!



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Who doesn't realize their cats have fleas? Seriously?

ME! 

I have indoor cats, but I noticed they've been scratching a lot lately and overgrooming. The overgrooming I chalked up to Gigi, because I read that when cats are uneasy, they groom themselves because it calms them down. 

But the scratching has become annoying these past two days, especially when I'm trying to sleep. So I looked at them closer. EWWWWWWW!

Went to my vet today and got Advantage for all of them. Hopefully it'll kick in soon. I wanted Capstar tablets, but I would have had to bring my cats in because they're prescription pills. Still annoyed about that. 

I read on line that if you put a bowl of vinegar in each room, it attracts fleas and will kill them. Not too sure about that, but even if it doesn't work, I've only wasted a couple dollars. 

How the fleas got in the house, who knows? Maybe Gigi brought them with her. They could have come in on my clothes, but I don't really see how. Just one more expense I don't need right now.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

The problem with fleas is that the eggs can lie dormant somewhere for a year, and then with the right heat and humidity conditions will hatch out, and you wonder where the fleas came from even tho even if your cats don't go outdoors. Were there any fleas in the house a year ago?

Fleas On Dogs and Cats and What You Can Do About Them - Skin and Coat - ThePetCenter.com - The Internet Animal Hospital


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I've never seen fleas in the house before this.


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## love4himies (Nov 12, 2009)

Yup, fleas can come in on your socks, pants, shoes etc. If you are at ground level, they can come in through screens.

I use Revolution on my cats and it costs $90 for 6 doses, very expensive.

Hope you don't have too much difficulty getting rid of them.


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## katlover13 (Apr 15, 2008)

Yuck! I've always thought my cats were safe from fleas because they are indoor. Good to know it is something to watch for even if they don't go outside. Hopefully the Advantage works very fast and you are rid of them soon. And their nasty little eggs, too!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

And the horse they rode in on.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Poor kitties; poor Mother Marie! I hope you get rid of them soon!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

atback It isn't just you, I've done it, too. 
I mean, we've got housecats who don't go outside so fleas just aren't on the top of our list of culprits for the behavior changes. 

The Fosters were just *covered* in fleas when I brought them home and I waited a day to treat them because I wanted them well-fed and hydrated. I used Advantage (w/ Imidacloprid) and w/in 3hrs, fleas were dying on the bathroom floor and kittens were jumpy/scratching at their legs and tails because all the fleas were trying to run away from the product on their back. About 8hrs later, the next morning ... ALL fleas were dead on the bathroom floor, no live ones on the kittens and only a few on the floor just barely kicking a leg here and there. Easy to sweep up and flush!
The Bayer Advantage product ROCKS!

Also, if you need to treat your yard, or home, a good product to use is Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub, available at Home Improvement stores for about $20-$24.

It is a 1qt liquid with .... *Imidacloprid* .... the same active ingredient in the Advantage spot on product. Either use a spray bottle or a small pump-up yard spray canister and spray the baseboards, door and window frames and then spray all around the exterior base of the home and outward into the yard. 
_I put some in a spray bottle and sprayed the bathroom door and baseboard area, including the carpet, on the outside and closed all kitties out of the bedroom (fosters in the bathroom, ours in the rest of the house) until it dried to create at least a small 'barrier' between the fleas in the bathroom and my own housecats in the rest of the house. I waited a day and then vacuumed the carpet and the next day I let the kittens out of the bathroom and into the bath and bedroom during non-sleep times. My kitties didn't get any fleas._

I told my friend about this product because she has had a flea problem every summer for the 10yrs she's lived at her rural property. She used it this summer and her home and yard (_house, lawn and barn area, about a half acre_) are flea-free! She said when she used it, she sprayed it in the early evening and the next morning ... she already noticed heer dogs were scratching less and when she walked in the yard, she only saw a few fleas hop ... and the ones she said did hop, didn't look like they were hopping too well. 

I spoke w/ her today and she commented that she bathed her dogs and only found/saw 2 (TWO!) fleas on all three yard/farm-dogs. Before she used that product she said her yard dogs would be *covered* and constantly itching themselves raw, even using the spot on products from the vet. She said the fleas on them would bite and die but the yard was so infested, they were constantly under seige. Now they can relax and lounge around the yard in comfort. 

She also went under her house and sprayed because the dogs like to lay under there in the cool dirt. She didn't know if fleas colonized in dirt, but it worked so well on the lawn and porch, she figured she'd just as well spray the dirt under there where the dogs like to hang out. She said she's never had such a flea-free time like this in the summer. She hopes this will mean even less fleas for next summer, too.

If your home and yard are under seige from fleas, maybe give this product a try. Just close the kitties away until the spray has dried.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Yuck.,..buggies aren't fun.

I hate to break it to you, but now the next thing you need to be concerned about is tapeworms....


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I know, I know. 

Can I get a preventative dewormer from my vet on Monday when I go back?


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

Poor Marie and girls. I really hate fleas.

To help get the fleas off the girls quickly you can always use a flea comb. Just put the fleas that you get off them into a cup of soapy water to kill them.


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

When I first rescued my baby Oreo from the streets, she was covered with fleas but I didn't know until I brought her to the vet 3 days later. She had not been itching too much and she appeared to be clean but under her beautiful coat of fur were fleas. She was diagnosed with parasites and worms and needed agressive treatment. She was pooping loose stools for about a week and with medication she recovered. I also had to treat my entire apartment for fleas using a special spray that the vet recommended and vacuum several times to ensure that there were no flea eggs in the carpet, curtains, and furniture. And any toys that the cat had contact with went out to the garbage. I had to keep her separate from my others cats for weeks just to make sure they did not catch anything. However, a few months later, I noticed my other cats started itching and they developed fleas despite my attempts to rid them. I used Frontline Plus on all my cats and eventually the problem went away. My cats have been flea free for over two years now.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Marie
Arent you feeding a couple ferals by your house. Then they will have fleas too. I know when i lived in the south fleas could survive in the grass! A friend of mine who use to live in california said her vet told her to use Evening Primrose in the food to combat fleas. Since you cant treat ferals with advantage then Id go to the health food store and get the evening primrose for them. My friend swears by it!

Just what you need-- more expenses!

I think PanaCur sp?) you can buy on line for worms from fleas. We give that to all cats/kittens coming into foster. I know KV Vet sells it.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Oh goodness Marie, I don't know that I would necessarily notice right away either. I don't use flea preventatives on my pets on a regular basis. I Frontline Moxie once every 3 months (its effective against fleas in clinical trials for 3 months) and I've seen over-use render the product ineffective. I don't use anything on the cats. Have never had a need! But I know it can happen, especially with me working at a vet and having a dog that goes out and about with me. 

Anyway, I swear by Capstar for a quick kill of the fleas. Its getting them out of the rug etc thats hard! 

Good luck!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

When I fed the ferals, all I did was take one step out of my back door and put the food down. But since they used to lie on the steps, I could have easily brought them in that way. I was also petting one of the dogs in the cul-de-crap about three weeks ago, so I'm sure I could have brought them in that way, too.

Now I'm really bad. Didn't notice AND brought them in the house. 

The girls are already scratching MUCH less today and weren't bad overnight. I just vacuumed the whole house. Tomorrow, everything is going in the wash and I'll vacuum the entire house again. Just checked Cali and Charlee and found no fleas. Gigi's getting a lion cut tomorrow. Cleo got the worst of it, she just let me look for a few seconds, but I didn't see any.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Poor Cali has diarrhea. Is that a side-effect of the Advantage?


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

I don't know about the diarrhea. Maybe from a parasite from the fleas?

I am very thankful for you that none of the cats seem to be allergic to flea bites. Gracie is allergic and just one bite will send his skin into a mess. He will wind up with open areas all over his body.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

You're a great meowmie! You care about all the critters around you! Got any Dawn? Oh,and what's this about flea PILLS? Where can I get some? Do they work? If Clai's queasy,it could also be the heat...


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Definitely not the heat It's about 67-70 right now. Purrfect!

She seems okay today, eating and drinking just fine.

Capstar is the pill. I pulled a couple fleas off Charlee today. I guess it takes a few days to kill them all. I still may ask about the pill when I see the vet later today.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Mitts & Tess said:


> I think PanaCur sp?) you can buy on line for worms from fleas. We give that to all cats/kittens coming into foster. I know KV Vet sells it.


Went on KV's website, but couldn't find it. I'm probably looking in the wrong place. Does it need a prescription?

The girls' groomer slipped me some Capstar for the girls when I brought Gigi in. They still have a couple live fleas on them, but the horrible itching and scratching has almost stopped. Did 6 loads of laundry, vacuumed, etc.


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## love.my.cats (Jan 29, 2009)

I struggled with fleas for awhile with Sammy and Meeka last summer here. They can be so hard to get rid of. Goodluck with it! Hope Cali is all better soon too.


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## Muzby (Jan 9, 2008)

Marie, if you can find Diatamecous (sp) earth (human/food grade not pool grade) and sprinkle it around the house (baseboards, carpets, rugs..) then vacuum it up after a day or so it would help kill any live fleas and eggs. Naturally. Just don't sniff it, or let the girls get a nose full (rub it into the places you put it so there are no large deposits). It's a little labour intensive, but less work than vacuuming every day! I use this whenever we get fleas coming down from the neighbours upstairs. The pests barely bother my kids, but darn if I am not a giant walking buffet.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Thanks for all the good ideas and hints.

I think we _may_ have avoided the "worm" portion of the flea infestation (so far). Cali's explosive diarrhea has completely resolved. I've been checking all poops and butts and they seem to be okay. Now *that's* a work-at-home job I'd like to be paid for!


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## GeorgesMom (May 12, 2010)

Borax sprinkled in the carpets and in/under the furniture will also kill fleas. You can sprinkle it outside too. Although don't put it where the cats would get it on themselves and lick it off. 

Also, I found out the hard way (when I dusted my brand new sofa sleeper with it) that if it contacts metal it will make small rust patches (surface only).

Much preferable to poisons. Easier to find than DE (look in the laundry aisle of the store)


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