How can I not bring fleas with me to my new home?

Question

Ok, I have looked at lots of answers to flea infestation problems and I am totally empathizing with everyone out there and their pets who are suffering from these critters. My question is this. In a few days, I am moving from a flea-infested apartment to a flea-free house. What's the best way to insure the fleas stay behind? Treat the cats with the Frontline drops (that I have used faithfully every month, but they do very little when your environment was already over-run with fleas) and THEN move them out of the apartment? Or bring them into the NEW house and then treat them with the Frontline? Won't the eggs that are on them fall into the new house and begin hatching and then I'll have the same problem all over again? None of the vets or groomers in my area will flea dip my cats because they are both over 10 years of age. Any help would be SO greatly appreciated. My cats and I thank you.

Answer 1

Treat the cats with Frontline a few days before you move because the fleas have to bite the cat in order for them to get poisoned and die. Also, consider getting your new house sprayed by a pest control company like COOKS so the fleas won't be able to live in the carpet or anywhere else in the house.

Answer 2

You have vets in your area tha do flea DIPS? Weird. It's so old fashioned!

Get some Frontline Plus from your vet. This is the same as the Frontline you're using, but with an added ingredient (methoprene) that kills the flea eggs on your cat so they cannot hatch in your house. Obviously treat them with this before you move - 24 hours before. Just mak sure you part the cat's fur and get all the stuff on the skin - put it in a few different places on the neck, I find this helps stop it flooding on to the fur.

You don't need a flea dip, Frontline Plus will have your animal's covered. You need to get a spray to treat your environment - you ALWAYS need to treat the environment when there are fleas around. Petshop treatments don't work - see if any vets near you provide Staykil, Acclaim, Indorex or Skoosh.

You can't stop fleas hitching a ride on you, but you can stop them infesting your house, no problem - and no problem to keep them off your animals too. Not difficult in this day and age!

Chalice

Answer 3

I wouldn't use Frontline for a while as fleas build up a resistance to such medications if they are used all the time. Try one of the other vet-prescribed ones. Advantage is the best, to be honest, and this has been clinically proven.

There's also an injection that the vet can give which offers effective protection for 3 months.

I'd treat them within 24 hours of leaving your old house, but I'd check this with the vet to be certain.

Answer 4

Treat them before moving them, and flea-treat your home before you bring them in. Don't flea-dip your cats, most groomers don't do it right and there are better and less traumatic ways to flea-treat cats. Best bet is to be very proactive -- get the fleas before they get you.

Edit for Chalice: You recommend Frontline Plus. I never liked the original Frontline, but Advantage always worked well for my cats. I've never used the new brand. Should I switch to FL+? If so, why?

Answer 5

There's a new treatment for fleas. It's called Capstar. Jefferspet.com has this. It's a flea tablet. You can buy a 6-pack for around $15. This will kill off ALL fleas on your pet.
It will begin killing the fleas within 30 minutes all the way up to six hours.

Now it won't keep them off, ( Because it's not a treatment, keep using Frontline) but it will ensure none will travel from the old place to the new ON THEM. I would also reccomend ADAMS YARD SPRAY on your new lawn. This is also around $15.


Hope this is helpful! :)

Answer 6

Dawn dish soap is very effective in killing fleas. If the cat is a very young kitten, this shouldn't be too hard. If it's an older cat, could be very difficult. Then use a flea treatment that is applied to the back of the neck like Frontline or Advantage. Do not use a flea collar. They can make your cat very sick and they are not all that effective. You can treat your carpets and furniture with diatomateous earth. It's a white powder made from ground crustacean shells. It dehydrates the fleas and is very safe to use around pets and children. You can get it from the hardware store in the garden section (don't get the kind for pools - different stuff and can be deadly)

Answer 7

i had fleas on my kitty bad and my house got infected as well.

i would go with frontline but first i gave my kitty a bath with dawn soap it killes the ones on it on contact but they will jump back on. I used a house/yard flea spray on the carpet and couches and they were gone in a week!