Cat fleas in my home, please help!

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Tara1984
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Cat fleas in my home, please help!

Post by Tara1984 »

My cat had fleas a few weeks ago and they have been in my home. They seem to have got everywhere, lounge, kitchen floor, bathroom and bedroom. I have been trying to do all the right things, I have been hoovering every day. I have been using Indorex flea spray and using that all over the sofa, behind the sofa, underneath the sofa behind the bed etc.

I use Advantage spot on and I was wondering if anyone knows if there are any better flea treatments out there to use? I have heard that Advantage is supposed to be pretty good. What have other people done when they have been in my situation? I would say that things have been better since spraying underneath my sofa as there was quite a lot of dust there, I just want to get rid of the annoying things, it has been making me feel quite down and depressed and plus been having problems sleeping :(
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fjm
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Re: Cat fleas in my home, please help!

Post by fjm »

Sounds like you are on the right track. Keep vacuuming floors and soft furnishings, especially any cracks and crevices (a flea collar in the dust bag may help), wash everything that can be washed at a high enough temperature, spray around the edges of all rooms that might be affected, and reckon on fleas continuing to hatch for some weeks to come. If you have used a treatment that breaks the breeding cycle you should be able to clear the infestation within a few weeks - treatments from vets are usually more effective than over the counter ones, but if you have treated already you will have to wait a while before using anything else.

I use a fine tooth flea comb as well, just to see how many are still on the cat, and drop any I find into a bowl of water with a drop of washing up liquid. A night light candle in a shallow bowl of water will also tempt them out - reckon on there being at least a dozen still around for every one you catch, and keep the precautions up for a week or two after they all seem to be gone. If all else fails talk to your local council pest control office - there will be a charge but it may be worth it to be rid of the fleas.
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Tara1984
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Re: Cat fleas in my home, please help!

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Hi,

Thanks for replying. It sounds like I might have another a few more weeks of the horrible things then? I have never really got flea treatment from the vets as I imagine it will be more expensive than getting online. I have been washing bed sheets on a high temperature. I have been combing my cat every day but he doesn’t seem to have many fleas on him now. I seem to feel the fleas around my thighs when I’m on the sofa which is most annoying! I keep hoovering the sofa every day.

I have looked into pest control on the council but it says that you have to be in council property? I looked at other companies and they charge around £150 which I think is quite steep. I had this problem once before and I managed to get rid of them by using spray, I’m hoping they will eventually go!
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fjm
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Re: Cat fleas in my home, please help!

Post by fjm »

They will go eventually if you keep up the vacuuming etc - there may be eggs and larvae still to hatch, but they should not last long if you have sprayed and treated the cat (and any other animals, of course). Prescription flea treatments are often a little more expensive, but they tend to be more effective (stopping the reproduction cycle, for example), and a vet can advise you on whether the fleas in your area have developed resistance to any of the commonly used insecticides - I had a problem with Frontline resistant fleas a few years back. Some over the counter flea spot ons contain permethrin, which is toxic to cats - another thing to be aware of.
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Tara1984
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Re: Cat fleas in my home, please help!

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Yes I will keep up with the vacumming. I have been vacumming every day. I have ordered some more Indorex spray as I have ran out. I used to use Frontline but I don't use that anymore, I have heard it isn't very effective. I use Advantage and I have heard it is pretty good.

I was seeing quite a few eggs on the floor but I am not seeing as many in the last few days which is something. I combed my cat last night and only saw one or two fleas on the comb.
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Re: Cat fleas in my home, please help!

Post by Mollycat »

Are you emptying your vacuum cleaner every time, or putting a flea collar or something in the bag? The vibrations can make flea larvae hatch and they can easily come back out of the cleaner once hatched.

Must say I'm surprised you're seeing adult fleas and eggs, that sounds like quite an infestation and eggs are ever so tiny. You would see a lot of flea dirt on the comb too. So the fleas on the comb are dead then?
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Tara1984
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Re: Cat fleas in my home, please help!

Post by Tara1984 »

I sprayed in the hoover so therefore any fleas in the hoover should die! Yes I am emptying the hoover. Yes the fleas on the comb look dead but he has flea treatment and that’s what the flea treatment is supposed to do.
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Re: Cat fleas in my home, please help!

Post by Miabrevera »

I know what you are talking about. Agree that pests like ants (https://peststopexpert.com/how-to-get-rid-of-fire-ants/), rodents, termites, etc are highly devastating for houses. It attracts the base of the house and starts to damage from there. Many pests feed on wood. Pests like termites destroy wooden parts of attics and ruin the wooden furniture and other wooden objects.
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