fleas anyone?

Question

My roommates cat has fleas...he never goes outside, so how did he get them? also, how do we get rid of them , and how do we keep it from happening again? he had a flea collar.

Answer 1

The fleas probably came in on one of you... Regardless, y You want to do a thorough job treating the problem, and in the end it will be less expensive because the fleas will not return.

Fleas spend very little time on the animal. They feed, hop off, and lay eggs. The eggs hatch in about 3 weeks, jump back on and start the whole process again. The eggs can also lay dormant for up to a year.

What you need to do is give the cat a bath, rinse very well, and blow dry.

An alternative is to ask the vet for Capstar, which will begin killing fleas within half an hour. There are some very good flea prevention products on the market. My favorite is Frontline Plus. This kills fleas and prevents more from hatching. You apply it once a month on the back of the neck..

In addition, you really need to treat your home with a flea “bomb”. My favorite brand is Zodiac with Precor. Kills the fleas and contains a growth inhibitor to prevent more from hatching. Lasts for 7 months. Then apply a premise spray under any large furniture, such as your couch.

Here are a few sites where you can buy these products:

www.jefferspet.comJeffers Vet Supplies (Dr. Jeffers & vet techs answer questions, too)
www.petedge.com/PetEdge
www.drsfostersmith.comDrs. Foster & Smith

Answer 2

Look for some carpet powder or spray that kills all three stages of flea: Egg, Larvae, and Adult. If all three stages aren't killed the others will continue to grow and you'll have fleas again in a month. The best I've ever found was a Bengal brand bug spray. Unfortunately I've been unable to locate it myself for the past few months so it might have been discontinued. It was a green can with yellow letters.

I would advise against the flea drops you put on the pets. I have seen several animals get violently ill after this poison soaks into their skin. I wouldn't even put a flea collar on them. Kill the fleas in the house and they will die off the pet. Personally, I wouldn't want to have to wear a flea collar would you?

Answer 3

Hi there...fleas can transfer inside from the outdoors on clothing and shoes, from open doors and windows low to the ground. See web article about how indoor cats can get fleas: http://www.contentmart.com/ContentMart/content.asp?LinkID=15925&CatID=248&content=1

The most effective flea treatment is using either Frontline or Advantage directly on the pets which are ideally the best solution. You can purchase these directly through 1800 Pet Meds http://www.1800petmeds.com/cat.asp?LV=10.

Most over the counter (OTC) flea products (powders, collars, shampoos, etc) are essentially ineffective towards treating flea infestation and some can even be quite harmful causing chemical burns, seizures or worse fatal. Several class action suits are embroiled against Hartz, Sergents and several other. Please see the following website to learn more about the dangers of the OTC flea products: Hartz - http://www.hartzvictims.org/index.php

For around the home use Borax (boric acid--approx $3) on the flooring found at any at common store...kills fleas both by causing dehydration and by acting as a stomach poison in a matter of minutes. In laboratory tests boric acid damaged sperm and caused miscarriages. Just sprinkle...leave for a couple hours ... vacuum up and repeat two weeks later and if necessary a week later for added insurance. http://www.pesticide.org/fleas.html (See section Less Toxic Chemical Controls)

Answer 4

If you and your roommates are renting.. the fleas may have already been in the carpet. Also, just a trip to the Vet. There are a number of ways to kill fleas. You'll need to go through various methods to kill fleas effectively:

Chemicals - There are many chemicals designed to kill fleas. This site has a number of suggestions, and you can attack fleas chemically either on your pet, in the place your pet hangs out, or around the house or yard in places fleas live. The biggest advice: don't overdo it. Your pet doesn't need to be inundated with a variety of chemical products - exposure to one is probably enough.

Natural methods - You can also try many natural, chemical-free methods of killing fleas. Vacuuming them (it won't kill them, but you can put part of a flea collar into the bag and get rid of them), or washing clothing and bedding in hot water. All of these can help, but it is very difficult to wholly eradicate a flea infestation with them.

Answer 5

Fleas can come in on your clothes and shoes. Can also come
in through windows and doors.
You need to use a flea powder on your carpet and anywhere
your cat goes.
Dr Messonnier has some great ideas about getting rid of fleas
and about the problems that fleas cause.
You can find his recommendations here
http://www.happytalespets.com.
Hope this will help you.

Answer 6

Fleas occur if you don't vacuum enough.
To get rid of them I suggest that you use flea drops on the cat and vacuum thoroughly on a daily basis.
This should become routine and then you will have a happy, comfortable & appreciative cat and household.
Flea collar's are not strong enough.
If the flea drops don't work then try a flea shampoo.

Answer 7

I don't know where he got the flea's but the best way to get rid of them is give him a flea dip. You can purchase it at a pet supply store or maybe even wal-mart etc.. Be careful to read the directions so that you do not use to much and make him sick. And I use rubber dish washing gloves when I use this on my dogs so that it does not soak into my skin.
You might also want to get him a better flea collar. And you are going to need to get a spray for your furniture and carpets etc....
To get rid of the flea's that will be in your house, because they populate fast.
Hope this helps, good luck!

Answer 8

whatever you do since you already had a flea collar on him make sure you bathe him before you put anything else for fleas on him if you dont he will be overmedicated which could cause him to go into seizures...

Answer 9

who knows how they get them but give him a nice bath in original Dawn dish washing liquid and go to a vet and ask for some flea medicine, they will give you some stuff that will kill any other fleas that he has and kills the eggs too. and wash the stuff that the cat has been sleeping on "bed sheets ect"

Answer 10

Actually, people can carry fleas in, so it may have been one of you

My cats allergic to fleas