Fleas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DianeSnizzy]

Is this just a bad flea season or are the fleas immune to Frontline Plus?!?!?

Three of my four kitties are indoor cats. They NEVER go out. Only one goes out and, most of the time, she's out for an hour or two and then crying to come back in.

Anyway, I treated all four with Frontline Plus because the one outdoor cat brings home fleas. Well, we STILL have fleas. Not as bad as it was, but we still have them.

I asked the vet about fogging the house, but he doesn't recommend it. He said to just use the Frontline Plus and to vaccuum every day and toss the vaccuum bag. (I'm the only one getting eaten alive by the fleas. My husband and daughter don't get bitten at all!)

Is anyone else having the same problem???????

[Catty1]

Take you and the kitties somewhere and get the house defogged!

If you have carpets, they will be snug and happy in there!

In the 70's, we lived in Winnipeg, and had fleas every year. DDT was still legal, and I remember my mom going around with the DDT gun....YECCH!

Today's pros use better stuff, and it's not as harmful. Still, you'll want the kitties and humans elsewhere for a while. Make sure the stuff is ok for pets, as they will walk on the carpet and then groom themselves. :eek:

You might ask your vet about a preventive to give your outdoor kitty, so she doesn't pick up so many. Or treat her just before she goes out.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm sorry to hear this. I went through something similar but not as bad many years ago. I only had 2 cats at the time and they're both indoor only. They both got fleas so I took them to the vet and they got some kind of a shot so that the fleas would become sterile and wouldn't be able to multiply. I think it was a program shot but I don't think that they have these any more. They do have the liquid and pills though. Then I also bought some advantage and I put it on them. I've been using advantage every month now and I've never had another problem. I buy the large dog kind and then I measure it so I save money and it'll last me a long time. My vet approved this and recommended this to me. At the time I took my cats out and I sprayed my carpet and then we all left for a while until it was safe to return. Good luck.:)

[Laura's Babies]

Why not try spraying your yard for the fleas, that could make a big differance.

[Don Juan's mom]

On the suggestion of several other Pet Talkers, I've sprinkled 20-Mule Team Borax on the carpets and sofa. Will let you know how it works.

[catmandu]

I have had sporadic flea problems as the front porch is open and they can hop in in search of Cats to land on. So far very little this season as its been so hot and dry.
I find advantage and the flea spray my Vet gave me control the worst of the pests.

[Shadowcat]

Try one of the other topical treatments. Revolution or Advantage. Be sure to treat all of the kitties, not just the one that goes out. Remember that fleas can be in the grass, ride in on you and then live in the house. Good luck

[Catlady711]

Only 5% of the flea population shows up as adult fleas. So for every 5 fleas you see there are 95 immature stages laying around your house (where the reproduction takes place). Each female flea lays 2,000 eggs in her lifetime. Needless to say good flea control takes more than one application of Frontline Plus.

Frontline Plus takes about 6 hours to kill fleas and they are very active right before they die. Don't panic, they WILL die. You will need to keep treating all the cats every month to gain full control over the flea lifecycle. Vacuuming is a very good help also, but I agree with your vet, don't go the route of fogging/bombing the house. The main ingredient in Frontline Plus is Fipronil and has been used in fruit orchards in the US since the 1980's and only attacks the nervous system of insects NOT mammals. However the chemicals in foggers are much more dangerous, not to mention a real pain to deal with.

Keep vacuuming, keep putting the Frontline Plus on EVERY month on all the cats and eventually you will only see an occasional small flea that has not fed which would have just been brought inside by the outdoor kitty most likely.

[DianeSnizzy]

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

I think I'll try the Borax, as well as continue with the Frontline Plus. It really seems like the kitties are scratching less and I'm scratching more, so the fleas are probably nesting in the carpet. :mad:

I really don't like the idea of the foggers. I had considered it, but realized that whatever is in the fogger is going to be all over everything in the house, including the kitties beds, our beds, furniture, etc. I would hate for any of us or the kitties to wind up getting sick from it. Also, the vet said he doesn't like the idea of foggers for anything because of the potential for harm to both us and the cats.

I think we had such a bad flea season because we had a lot of rain before it started getting hot (I'm in NY). On top of that, our landlord REFUSED to cut the lawn until it was over 4 feet high (he lives here, you would think he would want the place to look decent! AND he keeps the lawnmower locked up, so no one else could mow! What a slumlord, huh? :rolleyes: )

Thanks again, everyone!!!!!

[catnapper]

Yup. We just found two fleas in bed tonight :mad: Everyone was immediately dosed with Revolution. I never give it to them unless I see fleas, just because I can't afford the monthly cost of dosing 5 indoor cats. I'm praying that dosing them works.... especially because I freaked out Abby BIG TIME by applying the wet liquid and she probably will run and hide from me for a few weeks :(

[DianeSnizzy]

I have a question about the Borax.... How much do you sprinkle on the carpets, etc. and how long do you leave it on before vacuuming it up?

I'm going to be treating the kitties with Frontline Plus again this week (it's been almost a month since the last treatment) and I want to Borax the carpets as well to kill whatever may be hiding out in there.

[DianeSnizzy]

Anyone?

[krazyaboutkatz]

I've never used it but here's a link that may help you. Just click on the link borax and salt and it tells you the info about it: fleas and ticks (http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/fleas-ticks.html#borax).

[DianeSnizzy]

Thank you!!

That was an excellent article and very informative.

[Don Juan's mom]

I've found All Terrain Herbal Armor (TM)Insect Repellent at a Long's drugstore near my home. It's a combination of oils of citronella, soybean, peppermint, cedar, lemongrass and geranium. I've been using it, and it does keep the fleas off my ankles. (Don Juan and Zerlina have Advantage, leaving ME as the one remaining warm-blooded creature available to the fleas. :rolleyes: )

I know that a repellent containing DEET would probably be more effective, but I'm not comfortable using the stuff around my babies (or, for that matter, me).

[momcat]

Could it be that fleas have developed a resistance to some of the products used to try and control them?

[DianeSnizzy]

Could it be that fleas have developed a resistance to some of the products used to try and control them?

I was thinking the same thing. I mean, roaches are immune to just about anything you use to get rid of them. A few years ago, we had a roach problem (thanks to the people in the apartment next door!) and we tried everything to get rid of them. Finally, the exterminator used a new mixture of chemicals and I bought the Combat roach baits and, together, they worked and we haven't had any roaches since.

With the fleas, I'm not too sure. Another poster mentioned that the active ingredient in Frontline is something that's been used in fruit orchards for years. She said that it attacks the nervous system of the pests, but not mammals.

I'm going to be giving the kitties another dose of Frontline Plus this week and will be using the Borax on the carpets. I'll let you know how it turns out.