Need some tips on ridding my cat of fleas...?

Question

My cat does not go outside and he has fleas. I have given him couple of baths with flea shampoo.... he doesn't love me for that. I also have used flea powder on him too and he still will get what's called 'flea dirt' around his neck and on top of his head. He is a year and a half old. Also he has worms and I give him medication for them but they don't totally go away.

Answer 1

Get the cat some frontline it works very well and I live in fla and we have the worst fleas in the entire united states.

Answer 2

You know, unless your children are licking the cats you shouldn't have problems with chemicals.

What you need is a layered attack.

The issue really starts with the severity of your flea problem. If all four of your cats have serious fleas you are going to need the kind of flea treatment you get from the vet. There's no way around it. I used to get the Frontline, and it worked really well. Well enough that I only used it during the spring and summer and used the Hartz from Wal-Mart during the winter and fall.

If your problem is starting to get out of hand you will probably need to fumigate your house as well. Once those little buggers get into the carpet or upholstery the only way out is to kill them all. Take everyone on a field trip for a few hours, including the cats. The stuff that you just spray on the carpets and the cat's bedding isn't always effective.

Finally, you may need to protect your home from the outside. Since we're fully into fall, there shouldn't be nearly as many pests being brought in from the yard, however there are treatments you can use on the perimeter of your house that can stop not only fleas but ants and mosquitoes as well.

You're probably going to have to see the vet for the worms as well. What I understand is that they are tape worms not the kind you can treat over the counter. The vet has a pill for it that is given once a month for two months. But the effects are almost immediate.

Answer 3

You don't have to torture yourself and your cat with all the baths & stinky shampoo! The flea powders & collars do not work very well.
I've used both Frontline & Advantage. I'm not sure what happened, but my vet will not carry Advantage any more. They implied that there may have been some suspected health issues with Advantage. The only problem that we ever had was that one cat was grooming the other after aplication and ended up with some in her mouth. It made her salivate and "foam" a little.

I use Revolution. It is GREAT!!! It protects against fleas, heartworm, ear mites, hookworm, and roundworm!!! So, you don't have to give so many medications for different paracites. And it's not internal -- just a squirt on the back of the neck. It works great for my cats. I don't claim to have the worst flea problem in the country, but I do live within 15 minutes of the Texas Gulf Coast. We even have a mosquito festival ("If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!)!

Here's their website: http://www.revolution4cats.com

You also have to treat your home. The fleas & their eggs are in your carpet now. The best thing that I found was a flea "bomb." You know the kind that you set off & leave. Afterward, you will need to vacuum everything (carpet, couches, chairs) thoroughly. Don't forget to empty the vacuum afterward!

Answer 4

Don't worm the cat with over the counter medications. They are outdated and vets have found them too harsh or ineffective and that is why they aren't used by vets anymore.

There are three types of worms that cats can get. Because of the flea problem I suspect your cat may have a tapeworm. Get that medication for a vet and also some Advantage to rid him of his fleas.

You are not saving any money by "do-it-yourself" treatment. Also if you bathe your cat you can just use Dawn dish soap. The flea shampoos don't do anything special because the fleas drown in the water. And don't use flea powder either. You can just get harmful pesticides powder in his lungs and yours.

Do it the right way, through the vet and end the problem right now.

Answer 5

Fleas don't just go away by treating the cat - you MUST treat the environment first!

If the worms are tapes, they are caused by fleas and also will not go away as long as there are fleas that the cat keeps eating. Where have you gotten the medication? Nothing should be used OTC until a dx has been given by a vet. Treating an animal with the wrong kind of medication can be dangerous. Also, using too many products at once or too soon after a treatment can be deadly.

Consult with your vet and get rid of the fleas in the environment, first! http://www.vpivet.com/html/Topics/Dog/24_265359.asp

Answer 6

In addition to tejas' advice, clean the environment. Consider purchasing or leasing a steam cleaner for your carpets, and cleanse your entire house once a week for four weeks.

I have found that this method, combined with Frontline, to be very effective. You will not have "instant results" but once the fleas are gone, you can be assured they will not return.

The three month process with Frontline kills the remaining eggs and prevents future generations of fleas to be born. At this point, you should steam clean once a month.

As for tackling worms, bring the cat to the vet. S/he will recommend the best strategy once the type of worms has been identified.

Answer 7

You MUST visit the vet. You can get "Advantage", which WILL get rid of the fleas....use it once a month. There is a pill that he will give you for the worms....it WILL work, but the kitty may catch them again from it's habitat. The vet will tell you how to handle that. GO!

Answer 8

go on pet med .com or your fet and ask for front line plus about 10.00 but works at lest 35 days guaranteed

Answer 9

Sounds like he needs to start being an outside kitty. I worked for me.