The other day I was telling my husband we still had fleas in the house, after powdering 4 times, durring the conversation, I found 3 on me...little black buggers, try to squish 'em between my fingers, but then they jump away. My legs and arms have so many bites...I look abused, I would were kitten flea collars on each limb, or wear bug spray, but I am pregnant what should I do?
2007-07-19 06:31:03 · 9 answers · asked by Tito 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
buy special flea shampoo and use it on your hair and the rest of your body also. It might do some good to keep them off, and then call pest control to get rid of the rest of them in your house.
2007-07-19 06:44:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Consult an exterminator service like Orkin as to what to do about the fleas in the house. As far as the cat, make sure to bathe him. I would start out with lemon dishwashing liquid to get rid of the fleas, and then get Advantage or Frontline flea medicine from your vet. It is the stuff you put on their skin on the back of thier neck. The reason you don't want to use flea soap is they may absorb some of the chemical, and have an adverse reaction when you apply the other medicine. Flea collars just don't work, so throw that away first. The medicine will kill any that get on the cat and any eggs that might be on the cat. The combination of that, and a professional exterminator should be a big help. I know you have to spend some money. I don't have much money, but to me that would be money well spent. One last thing, don't buy the topical flea medicine at the pet store, it also does not work. The stuff from the vet is all I have found that works for sure.
2007-07-19 13:41:28 · answer #2 · answered by angpharo16 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Flea collars don't work, simple as. They may possibly kill any flea that happens to walk on them, but that's about it. Take the collar off the cat, it's not doing it any favours!
You haven't used any useful products yet, so don't panic. You just need to pop into a vets for some proper treatment. Get a spot-on for your cat like Frontline or Revolution.
When an animal has fleas, the fleas will always be in the house, no exception. The fleas live in the house as well as on the animal, so you need a housespray as well (not a powder) from a vets - suggest Indorex, Acclaim, Staykil. Just anything from a vets really - stores are not licensed to sell proper drugs so there's no point buying their stuff.
Proper flea treatments from a vet will not be dangerous to you. You don't have to treat yourself, but you do need to treat both the cat and the house.
Chalice
2007-07-19 14:17:14 · answer #3 · answered by Chalice 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you are a flea magnet, you can try these suggestions:
Keep a bucket with dish soap in it and a light shining on it nearby. Apparently the fleas may be attracted to it, and then can't get out of the slippery water.
Or keep sticky tape near you and when you see one, slap some tape on it and dispose of it in the bucket.
Eat garlic. Supposedly they are repelled by the scent of garlic. And yeast, and citrus, so you could douse yourself with lemon juice!
Below is my standard advice. Pick and choose any items you haven't already tried.
Note that while these are still chemicals, they are considered fairly non-toxic and even "natural."
1. Treat the cat. Go to your vet and get either Advantage or Frontline Plus (I went with Advantage).
2. Get yourself a "flea comb" and comb your cat at least once per day. Have a bucket with dish soap in it handy to dunk the comb in and to collect the hair. Fleas can't jump out of the slippery soap. No point in combing them out only to have them jump back on your cat. Flush this down the toilet, pour it down the sink, or dispose of it away from your house.
3. Treat your house. Options are a borate powder product or something that uses diatomaceous earth. Fleabusters (BP), Fleago Natural Flea Control (BP) or Flea Away Natural Flea Powder (DE). Put about a tablespoon of this in your vacuum cleaner bag (or you can cut up a flea collar to put in there. Just follow the directions which will vary by product, but in general you'll sprinkle on the carpet and vacuum up and also sprinkle into cracks and crevices. (I chose Fleago because it's less expensive than Fleabusters. I may also try Flea Away in time).
4. Vacuum as often as possible. Before vacuuming, stomp around the house. This will bring the fleas to life because they'll think there's a tasty morsel out there. Then vacuum those little bastards up. Be sure to use your attachments to vacuum as many cracks and crevices as you can - they love to hide out there.
5. Wash any pet bedding in hot water, and you'll want to be particularly diligent about vacuuming/treating areas where your cat hangs out.
6. Treat your yard. Even if your cat doesn't go outside, you or others may bring fleas in the house with you. Get hold of some nematodes to spray in your yard. I believe you only have to do this once per year. These little creatures will eat the flea larva. As one website put it, these critters are too small to hug, but they deserve it! (I had to order this online; I wasn't able to find a place that sells them in my area and didn't feel like calling every place in the phonebook).
Things not to do: Don't use any essential oils on your cat, particularly anything with pennyroyal or eucalyptus. They're toxic to cats. Don't use flea collars. Don't give your cat any garlic/yeast formulations. Don't give your cat lemon baths.
You're going to want to continue treating your home as directed, whether that be sprinkling once per week or once a month. Continue treating throughout flea season (when it's warm). You can stop during the winter months, but start up again in the spring. You'll nip them in the bud!
The key is to treat the environment, not the cat. If you do that, you may never have to apply another flea product directly on them again.
2007-07-19 16:33:34 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
To totally get fleas out of your home a flea collar and powder is not enough.
You have to wash ALL linens, vacume all furniture, cushions,Curtains Rugs, and then you need to purchase a flea bomb for each room the pet had access to and set that off.
You may have to follow this proceedure again and again if your pet continues to go outside where he will bring more back inside.
Also there are things to treat your yard with also, this is where he is getting his fleas from. all outside animals that are infested and are let to run outdoors spread them all over the neighborhood wherever they go.
You also have to watch him for ticks as well.
2007-07-19 13:38:31 · answer #5 · answered by Lisa R. 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You need to get your home thoroughly fumigated followed by vacuuming to completely get rid of the fleas, along with making sure that your pet does not again bring them into the house.
2007-07-19 13:35:11 · answer #6 · answered by XOUT 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've always used Lysol spray and sprayed everything with it. It seems to work. I got the idea from my mom, when we had the same issue as a kid with fleas in the house.
2007-07-19 14:08:27 · answer #7 · answered by kristy k 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Vacuum all of your carpets really good and then spread regular table salt in the carpet and let stand for about 3 days and repeat. We had the same thing happen to us and it has worked so far.
2007-07-19 13:41:25 · answer #8 · answered by Mauri 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Try eating something with garlic in it. It works on Mosquito's it should work on them too!
2007-07-22 18:49:51 · answer #9 · answered by kagome383 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋