when I adopted my 6 month old male neutered kitten back in July I gave him a bath right when I brought him home just to get all the fleas off. he had about 20-23 fleas then. well, Labor Day, I gave him a bath again because I saw what looked like a flea on his belly. after I gave him a bath I counted those fleas and all in all I found about 10-12 on him. but for the past week I've been noticing that he'd been scratching more than usual so yesterday I gave him another bath and this time he had a total of 26 fleas on him!! why is it not getting rid of the fleas? I don't think that the flea shampoo that I use is killing any of the eggs in his fur and a couple of weeks later they're all hatching in him. in 2 weeks I'm going to give him another bath to try to kill all the eggs that hatch and try to prevent them from laying eggs in him. I just don't understand why it's soooo hard for him to get rid of the fleas. why is it taking so long to get rid of them on him? Thanks!
2006-09-25 06:00:00 · 15 answers · asked by *miss lily* 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
he's strictly an indoor only cat and NEVER goes outside! I also have a 2 yr. old spayed female cat who received a bath on Labor Day as well and she had only 1 flea (probably one jumped from him to her). yesterday, she recieved another bath and she had no fleas. so, I really don't think that they're all in my house because she doesn't have any. it's just him! I don't think that the flea and tick shampoo that I'm using is strong enough!! what else can I do for him?? I'm stuck!
2006-09-25 06:03:40 · update #1
should I keep flea collars on both of them?
2006-09-25 06:04:19 · update #2
I've cleaned my whole house from top to bottom!!
2006-09-25 06:07:29 · update #3
where he lays and everything.
2006-09-25 06:07:54 · update #4
he doesn' have any worms!
2006-09-25 06:08:51 · update #5
but I kept him lathered up for about 8-10 minutes! more than usual.
2006-09-25 06:10:48 · update #6
Thank You for all your help!! I'm going to try Advantage ASAP!
2006-09-25 06:13:24 · update #7
You need to get Advantage on both cats as quick as you can or the whole house will be infested.
Flea shampoos don't do anything but drown the fleas and any old mild shampoo or dish soap will do the same thing.
The Advantage is just so effective and worth the price. It will absolute get the fleas and you won't be bathing any more.
Flea collars are absolutely worthless on the cat. Put one in your vaccum cleaner bag to kill some of the fleas you pick up that way.
2006-09-25 06:11:34 · answer #1 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most vets neuter male cats at 6 months of age. Some will do it as early as 8 weeks. Just dont neuter him past 7 months, then you run the risk of him starting to spray. Neutering at a vet should cost $150-$250. You may find some organizations that participate with vets that charge alot less, but the dont usually do preoperative bloodwork and heart monitoring. both of which are important. As for fleas, you need to get something from your vet called capstar. It will kill the adult fleas within a 1/2 hour (for your dog and cat). THen you need a liquid product for the dog called advantix for the cat its advantage. THey are expensive. They are over the counter but your vet should sell them too. The vet will have singles if you cant afford a 6 pack at once. It is a great product and worth the cost. It is a liquid that you squirt between the shoulder blades on the skin. You do it once a month. If you use it for 3 or 4 months it will also continue to kill the dormant eggs and larvae around the house. Just killing the adult fleas wont stop the problem. THats why this advantix/advantage works well, it stops the problem from cycling. Be careful with other store products like biospot, that is actually a very risky product to use. A flea collar for the cat can be hit or miss. Some cats have bad reactions also dog flea collars can be deadly to cats if the cat grooms the dog. Collars dont stop the ongoing flea growth of eggs and larvae. You could also try frontline or promeris if advantix is too expensive. When you apply the liquid be sure to put it in a few spots so it gets into the skin and the pet cant reach and lick it. As for any other tips and info. Dont use your fingers/hand has a toy for the kitten, he will learn to bite. Make sure you have a scratching post. THe cheap cardboard kind, many cats like. Or those curve shaped ones that have a tight loop material at petsmart. When your kitty is sleeping, let it sleep! Good luck, sounds like you want to do the right thing. Kristy
2016-03-27 09:02:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, most of those shampoos don't work unless you leave him lathered up for more than 5 minutes.
A better solution - because it REALLY works, quickly - is Capstar. You have to get them through your vet or online but they are well worth it! I have three dogs and two cats and when I need to treat everyone to get rid of all of the fleas - I give each a tablet and within 15 minutes, EVERY flea is dead! It is not a harmful poison either, so I don't have to worry about the kids being able to come into contact with them.
I don't use the flea shampoos anymore either because of the poisonous residues, and because I don't have to.
If you plan on bathing your cat on a regular basis, try using the Cloud Nine pet products - they have a Buddy Shampoo that is made with lavender and mint - for fleas; and, wheat germ - odor - along with other natural ingredients.
Good luck!
2006-09-25 06:09:14 · answer #3 · answered by joycaro 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should look into Advantage or Frontline. They provide continuous treatment all month.
You are correct in assuming that baby fleas are hatching all the time. There is no way to stop the cycle without chemicals of some sort.
You are tracking fleas in like mud on your clothes and shoes. Any pets with yard privileges are also tracking them in. You have to treat your yard a few times, and your house as well. The best thing to do inside is to vacuum like mad. Three times a week for two weeks. Get in and under furniture, beds (people and pet) and wash everything that will fit into your machine.
Good luck
2006-09-25 06:11:09 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
obviously since i live on a farm with 10 acres and allow my cats to go outside i'm a bad cat owner, but strangle why don't my cats have fleas like your do. oh thats right because i take care of them correctly and know how.
aside from all that you need to clean the house to get rid of the fleas. you can bye a spray from the vet(preferable it works the best), or you can get it at the pet store. the one at the pet store can harm the cats the one from the vet will wear off quick enough so that it doesn't harm them. you need to vacuum like you have never vacuumed before and they spray the contends on the floor, especially in dark places like under the couch where fleas love to live, let it dry and then in a week vacuum again like you have never vacummed before. flea collars do not help that much you should go to the vet or local spca and get the flea drops by advantage they work the best and are only about ten dollars for a months supply.
so much for me being a bad cat owner.
2006-09-25 11:05:14 · answer #5 · answered by ~Saratini~ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask your vet about a flea bomb for the whole house. Fleas live in the carpets and in the vacuum bags if not disposed of carefully.
This happened to us when we bought our first house. The previous owner had a dog that was infested with fleas. In the absence of any other pets, the fleas bit us instead.
Fleas are nasty and carry lots of diseases since they hop from one animal to another. The Bomb really worked. Leave while the bomb is emitting its film. After the proscribed amount of time, open up all of your windows, and air out the house too.
2006-09-25 06:37:22 · answer #6 · answered by ne11 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my cats are strictly indoor cats too, and flea baths are never enough to get rid of the fleas. You need to buy frontline or advantage and put it on him. You put the little tube of stuff between his top shoulder blades and he'll absorb it into his system and it will last for a month. Beware of the products you can buy in the grocery store as they promise results and may or may not work but with horrible side effects. Our vet has seen people bring their cat in with water on their lungs from using these products and have even had cats die from these products.
2006-09-25 06:07:57 · answer #7 · answered by tk_9702 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to do more than just bathe him. Give him Frontline or Revolution once a month and every month. Plus, you will need to wash the things that the cat stays on to prevent a flea infestation in your house. Wash everything in hot water.
2006-09-25 06:05:14 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Flea bath isnt just the answer to fleas. You should see a vet, could be he has worms on top of it, which will just make matters worse. Also, maybe try frontline for cats...
2006-09-25 06:07:28 · answer #9 · answered by meesa2648 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fleas have a life cycle. you will not kill them in the pupae stage, because the shell is impenetrable. You have fleas all over, not just on your kitty. Vacuum, flea spray everything, and in a couple weeks you'll have fleas again. keep doing this, and in time, your kitty will be flea free!! Oh, and don't forget advantage or some other preventable flea medication!!!
2006-09-25 06:05:44 · answer #10 · answered by zoe and skylar's mommy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋