Flea Frenzy!

[flea_crazy]

I have tried everything from flea collars to spot treatment/"prevention", to flea shampoos, house sprays, washing bedding, vacuuming regularly, and flea combs but my poor cat is still infested! Today when I used the flea comb, one of my cats, who previously had the most fleas, had only 1 larvae.  My other cat who had not as many before, was loaded with them! I gave her a flea bath and still got more off of her a few hours later.  I don't know what else to do and I feel so bad for her! Lately she has been laying around more which is making me nervous that she may be becoming anemic.  Is there anything else I can do or do I just need to wait it out and keep doing what I'm doing?

[zodiacqueen]

You could try Advantage, that works great!!

[Tigereye1]

I used to live in a little old cabin in the woods.. Our cat brought fleas in and they infested the entire house and both dogs. We had to throw out our mattresses, dog beds, even the couch before we could get rid of them.. Bathing, brushing, vacuuming, bathing, brushing, vacuuming, religiously, every day.. We also started using frontline on the cat every 3 weeks instead of 4 to keep on top of it-that seemed to help alot. Our problem was our cabin wood floors-TONS of cracks for them to hide in.
Fleas hatch in cycles, so even if you kill all the adults, if there are even a few eggs hiding somewhere, they will always come back.. I've read that fleas can stay dormant for months and months, and the eggs won't hatch until a warm spell. If its that bad, then you need to bomb the house, just make sure they use kitty safe stuff and you may need to leave the house with your animals for a few days.

You might also want to think about treating your yard and keeping kitty inside for a spell.. No matter how well you take care of the house, if there are fleas outside then your cat will just keep bringing in new recruits. Treat leaf piles, bushes, anywhere your cat likes to hang out..

Its no fun.. Good luck

[PrettyKitty1]

Flea collars don't work. Some have the capability to cause allergic reaction in cats. I've had that experience.  Don't waste any more money on that.

I would suggest that you call pest control. Tell them you have cats. They'll know what substance they should use in order to not harm the cats.
You need to get rid of the eggs by sticking to an ongoing program. I know you've been working on the bedding and vacuuming but this is all I can think of that could help you. For instance, you can do the following:

- Wash all bedding thoroughly.  While the bedding is free of coverings, vacuum the mattress, particularly in the crevices, where eggs might hide.
- Vacuum carpeting daily and dispose of used vacuum bags.
- Steam-clean carpeting.  This will kill any remaining eggs the vacuum might have missed.
- If necessary, use a whole-house insect bomb which specifically targets fleas. It is critical to remove all food dishes and live animals, including birds during this process.  You may consider hiring a professional for this job, but make sure he knows you have cats, and will use a cat-safe product.

There are several topical cat flea control products which work by affecting the nerve receptors of the flea. They are usually applied to the cat's skin at the back of the neck. You can use Advantage, Frontline, Revolution etc. Bathe the cat and brush..or keep doing it since you've been on top of things already.

You're right. You should be nervous as the cat may become anemic. You should also worry about tapeworms and Haemobartonellosis, a more serious form of anemia, caused by a microorganism carried by the flea.

Lastly, talk to your vet about it. The vet can prescribe stronger medication which can take effect more accurately than commercial medication sold at the pet stores.  

Hope you get out of this soon. Good Luck.