Did I do enough to get rid of the fleas?

Question

We saw a sign that said "free kittens" yesterday and it was very sad. We took one home. She appeared clean, but today, I picked her up and saw fleas on her belly. There were at least 5 or 6 that I could see, but I never saw fleas before. I bathed her in flea shampoo, put a collar on her and my other two cats (fyi: I never let my cats outside at all), sprayed the sofa, rugs and bedding with household spray by Hartz, and I'm washing all my bedding (the cat slept on my bed last night). Maybe this is overkill, as the cat has been home with us for only about 24 hours, but I know nothing about this! Did I do enough, and if not, any suggestions? I have hardwood floors through most of the house and plan on vacuuming/mopping tonight (was going to do this anyway).

Answer 1

you need to be really careful when de-fleaing a kitten and many of the treatments cannot be used until the kitten is 12 weeks old as they can cause breathing problems etc so dont do anything else and if the kitten seems unwell take it to the vet immediately as it will need attention . however if its been ok up till now youve probably 'got away with it,
it does sound like youve been thorough and done enogh so try not to worry and relax a litle. maybe deflea your other 2 cats to be on the safe side as they may have picked them up off her good luck

Answer 2

It's not that you haven't done enough, it's just that your did the wrong things!

First of all, NEVER use any Hartz products - check this out: www.hartzvictims.org. Even if your pets were OK with it, we want these crooks out of business so more animals don't die!!

Do take the flea collar OFF your cat, because they don't work and often cause reactions like hair loss and skin irritation. I'm afraid flea shampoos also don't work!!

Basically, nothing you buy in a store is going to work because stores aren't allowed to sell the proper drugs for safe and efficient flea treatment (God knows why) so companies get around it by bottling cheap, random insecticides and hoping people are convinced by them. Don't be: they don't work!

Right, now for how to actually deal with fleas. Basically, go and get some treatments from a vet - if kitty is under 8 weeks old you need Frontline spray - over 8 weeks and you can choose from the range of veterinary spot-ons; Frontline, Advantage or Revolution. Make sure it gets on kitty's skin, and don't bath her within 24-48 hours before or after applying a spot-on or it won't work.

You need to treat your house as well as you know, as this is where most of the fleas are living. Again, get a spray from the vets.

Lastly, allow me to dispel the myth that indoor cats don't get fleas - I'm afraid they do. Fleas can actually sense body heat and vibrations caused by movement, it's what stimulates their eggs to hatch. They enter warm houses looking for a meal, so I'm afraid even indoor cats are not safe.

Chalice

Answer 3

Hi,one of the best treatments is Frontline.I decided to start using it because I had read so many great reviews on here about it.I have used it for 4 months now on my kitten and since then he has not had a single flea on him.You can buy it over the counter from any vets and it's worth every penny.I also used some "Bob Martin Flea bombs" a few months ago,they have got rid of the fleas in my home,all you have too do is light one and get out of the room quickly.They completely fumigate a room,you need to use one for each room. My vet told me flea collars are useless because the fleas just move to a different area on the cat. The flea bombs that I used cost only £4.99 .Sprays are expensive and you can never spray every crack and gap.Good luck.

Answer 4

take the flea collar off IMMEDIATELY...if you gave her a flea bath then that would be over doing it if you put a flea collar on her that could cause her to have seizures take it off NOW....and dont use any Hartz products they are strictly poision please do a little research on Hartz stuff it is terrible and horrible to animals....give kitty another bath (NOT with the flea stuff) do you have any baby shampoo or soap? the bathing will drown the fleas and pay special attention to her facial area and her ears the fleas will run to these spots ...then dont allow her out of the bathroom until you dont see anymore fleas and you wont have to treat your house ...you may need to give at least 2-3 more baths until all the fleas are drowned and keep the kitty warm in the meantime while she is wet...good luck...by the way you can call the vet and purchase advantage or frontline (approved flea medication) for around $10 or less

Answer 5

Definately vacuum everything and throw out the bag. Then vacuum again. Only time will tell. Good Luck

Answer 6

You did enough but if you want to do more you can buy flea med. and put it around her neck
(i hope i helped)