Flea help...I've tried everything!?

Question

So I have, well, had two cats...down to only one now. We thought when the other had to be put down the fleas would go away since he was always covered in them from being in the basement so much. Well we still have them...they're under control but I want them gone for good! This is about the 5th flea battle I've had in the past 3 years...we went a whole year without fleas and then my ex-stepmom dragged some in while I was in Texas. We've bought carpet poweders, carpet sprays, we've flea bombed honestly about 30 times now, I've tried every shampoo on her, every kind of drop out there, and the list goes on. I brush her everyday and don't find many eggs and only a few adult fleas. They seem to be under control alright, but we are moving at the end of the month. I'm so afraid of dragging fleas into our new home with us! It just seems like everything we've used just doesn't work and have even thought about shaving her...IDK...I'm stumped.

Answer 1

Hey it sounds like you are trying really hard but dont really understand the enemy - the flea. Facts that make fleas hard to kill!! Fleas spend most of the time off of your pet, hiding under wardrobes, in cracks in floor or kitchen etc. Flea bombs never get rid of 100% of the fleas. Fact 2. Fleas hop on you pet to feed, catch up with a mate and lay eggs. These eggs do not stay on your pet. They roll off into their new habitat - your house. Fact 3 95% of fleas are off of your pet in other stages. Larvae and pupae are resistant to some methods of treatment. I have found it takes three months at least to get fleas under control in any house. You NEED to treat your cat with frontline or revolution or advantage monthly and capstar daily when ever you see fleas. I know its expensive but so is what you are doing. Advantage works like a flea contraceptive so the eggs wont hatch - breaking the lifecycle. You will continue to see fleas for some months with advantage before they are all gone. Frontline kills both adult and juvenile fleas - works within 48 hours. Capstar kills all fleas on your cat in 30 minutes, is safe enough to give daily and lasts 24 hours. Any treatment must be continued for 3 months or the newly hatched fleas will just start the cycle all over again. Killing the fleas in your carpet is difficult and steam cleaning rarely makes things better but often worse for a period (warmth and humidity = more fleas), flea collars do not work so dont waste your money, flea baths are also very temporary so dont waste your money and make your cat hate you! Bombs work great but dont kill all the fleas (on cat, under kitchen bench etc). And dont forget you cats may be getting their fleas from the neighbours new cat/dog so watch out for that! I would advise frontline (monthly for min 3 months) and capstar (daily for 7 days). All these products are over the counter in most stores including vets - why not ask your vet.Good luck.

Answer 2

OK, you'll be surprised to discover that flea shampoos, carpet powders, flea collars and 'bombs' actually don't work, which is why you've had such a battle on your hands. The stuff sold in stores does not work - I know it should, but it doesn't. Stores aren't licensed to sell the appropriate drugs, so they just dress up random chemicals and try to entice people to buy with cheap prices. Best part is, a lot of the stuff sold in stores is also toxic - I've known a fair few cats end up dead from application of store-bought stuff. You've been lucky really!

You can only find stuff that actually works at a vets. The spot-ons they sell at stores are not the same as those sold in vets - you need Frontline, Revolution or Advantage, and you need to make sure it gets on the skin of the animal, not the fur. You also need to pick up a proper spray for your house - Indorex, Staykil, Acclaim and Skoosh are all good ones that actually work. If you treat your pets now you won't be taking fleas in to your new home. If you use Frontline Plus, which also kills flea eggs, you shouldn't even ever need to spray your new home.

There's no need for your or your pets to be suffering like this - pop in to a vets today!!

Chalice

Answer 3

Did you "try" a professional exterminator? Prescription flea product from your vet? The over the counter stuff doesn't work, plus it's quite dangerous. Treating the animals and indoors doesn't do a good deal of good if they go outside and get infested again. Have your home AND yard treated by a professional. While they're doing that, take the critters to the vet and have them treated with a GOOD flea product like Advantage, Advantix, Revolution, or Frontline, and possibly given a dose of Capstar as well. When you can get back in the house, have your carpets steam cleaned, and wash ALL bedding (yours and the dogs), rugs, etc. in hot water.

Answer 4

You have to treat the yard, the house, and the animal. That's the only way to do it. Even though you have a cat, still a good idea to treat the yard area. I used the granules you put down with a spreader. They also make sprays-both should be in the lawn and garden section. Or, you could have a professional come out and spray.

For the house, Borax works good. I put some out on the carpet, let it sit overnight, then vacuumed the next morning. Lots of vacuuming as well. Suppose it could work on the floors as well, I'd use it in with some water or even just some bleach and water for linoleum or ceramic tile.

For the cat, I would use either Advantage or Frontline. It's good for a month, but you have to keep using it. If you're in the south in a warmer climate, I would use it year round. For the north, mainly spring thru fall, but I would continue using it in your case for at least 2 months with no signs of fleas. Stay away from the over the counter treatments that you can buy at the pet store or Walmart, they don't work. Same goes for the flea shampoos and dips. You can get the Advantage or Frontline at your vet, a farmer's coop, or online at drs. foster and smith(they're the cheapest I've found). It's expensive, but really the only thing that works.

Also, be sure to wash anything the cat sleeps on, and run it through the dryer on high heat(if it can handle the high heat), especially before moving to your new place, because you will bring them with you. I remember years ago right when they first came out with those spot on treatments, I had a nasty flea problem and brought them with to my new house. And, like you found out your step mom brought them with her to your house, you can even bring them home from the grocery store or other places. Vets offices are real bad, my mom brought her dog in, few weeks later she was innundated with fleas at her house. We lived next door to her, so the kids dragged the dang fleas to my house from hers....All it takes is one. Good luck!

Answer 5

Hi Hon..

Take the cat to the Vet, for a flea bath..In the meantime wash all the cat's bedding..
While the cat is at the Vet..Bomb all the rooms in your house.Start with the basement, and work up!..Make sure all the windows in the basement are shut, and the closet doors are open.Open the cabinet doors,Either put your boxed and canned food in plastic bags, then into a big plastic bag and put outside , or have a neighbor take care of your stuff until everything is done.. Put a bomb in each room at the same time,close the windows and get out of the house for about
4 hours..
When you come back to the house, open all the windows, clean each room thoroughly...Change your linens,wipe down your selves in the kitchen..Clean everything floors and all..Vacuum each room..This should do it..

PS..Make sure your vet or do it yourself..put Frontline in the cat's fur..or a flea collar..
Good Luck

Answer 6

I managed to rid my home of fleas before without the expensive drops. I had at the time 1 cat, 4 dogs, and at least one foster dog.

have you tried borax laundry booster? Put it down in your basement floor.. leave it a few days and vacuume it up.. put more down.

Put some down in the cracks of your furniture.. under/behind furniture, under cushions. vaccumme it up and put more down.

vaccume daily.. wash all bedding often... expecially bedding that the pets come in contact with. Wash stuffed toys that may be laying on the floor, furniture, bedding. Wash pets toys.


I also sprayed either adams flea spray or the frontline spray daily after vaccuming. Pets were bathed weekly with flea shampoo.

Treat your yard too.. Im sure you can find something for fleas at any store that sells gardening supplies. If they do not have anything specifically for fleas, get some diatamaceaous earth.

Answer 7

You should use a mixture of boric acid and salt. Boric acid acts as a desiccant and dries out the exoskeleton of the flea, but does not have any side effect on human beings or animals. Check this out http://pests.in/fleas.html

Answer 8

Pest control will come to your home and treat your carpets and entire home. I suggest you get your pet a flea dip at a local pet salon. You'll have to wash all your pet's bedding. With the help of a professional your home and your pets should be fine.

Answer 9

you haven't tried everything because their some other good ways to get rid of it but i forgot...lol