Cats with Fleas in a House with Toddlers

Hi A.,
I belong to a wholesale buying club which sells nontoxic products, incl. remedies for fleas. These products are completely safe for humans and animals.
If you like to know more details about this contact me at ____@____.com or ###-###-####

C.

I just had this problem too. I have one cat a small 1000 sq ft house. Frontline took care of the problem completely. The kind that kills all life stages of the fleas. It kills all the fleas, the eggs and the larvae on the cat. Then the cat goes around the house like a flea vaccuum killing them as they jump on him and bite. I chose this method because I think any kind of pesticide you spray around your house is potentially unsafe for kids. But this you just put on the animal and it clears up the problem in the house too. Watch the cartoon video on www.frontline.com called The Bloodsucking Menace and it explains how it works. good luck

If you are able to send the children off to Grandma's, Aunt or a friend for an over night stay during clean up would be ideal....

Bring the cats to the vet or groomer for a flea dip treatment. And if they are out door cats, I would consider using Front Line on them so that this doesn't happen again...

Clean up would have to be done all in one day or it becomes defeating....

If the children and cats are in fact out of the house, I would use a flea bomb in the house...or I would hire an exterminator and then I would air out the house before their return but that's up to you to decide....

Do a massive laundry of sheets, bed skirts, blankets, bedspreads, mats, towels and clothes.

If you have carpeting, rent a steam cleaner...

Wash all toys and I would get rid of all stuffed furry animals and dolls with hair.

Vaccume each room everywhere encluding inside of closets, window arrangements, under beds, flip mattresses, all corners, behind and under all furniture, all pillows, sofas etc...working your way out of a room, closing the door if there is one..... Change and throw out the vaccume bag taking it out doors before starting each room.

.....and when you think you vaced it all...do it again and do it often because if you don't get the eggs, the house will become infested all over again...

It might make it easier if you ask a friend for help with all the work...

Hi! We live in a lake community and a number of years the fleas were so bad that people didn't even have pets had to get their houses exterminated. Unfortunately we found that this was the only way for us to. It was kinda of challenging, not to mention expensive. We had to stay out of the house for a number of hours and they I had to get the 2 dogs & 2 cats to the vets to be dipped. It was an eventful day, but thankfully we were done w/the fleas! Good luck!

HI A.! I work at an animal clinic. Two products to use are Advantage and a spray called Siphitrol. Do not use any over the counter flea topical products as one, they dont work and two are not as safe for the animal. Advantage kills the flea's as soon as it comes in contact with the product and they don't have to bite the animal in order to be killed as in other products. It last for a month and then should be re applied till you get a good frost if you live in an area where that happends. As far as the spray, I know we sell it at our clinic but I don't know if its vet exclusive or not. Its safe and its just a light mist that gets sprayed and you don't have to leave the house like when you use a flea bomb. I usually do one room at a time. Make sure everyone and all the animals are out spray the room the furniture and curtains, open the windows for an hour then go to another room. This spray works GREAT!!! other than that just read the directions on the back of the can. It works better than other flea stuff because it kills all life cycles of the flea. Most people dont understand that every time a female flea takes a meal she layes hundreds of eggs then the eggs fall off on to your carpet and floors. Then depending on the enviroment it can take 6 months or so for the eggs to hatch. If you have summer and winter months is your area I would really suggest to use the advantage in the summer months so that you don't get a problem again. People always want to wait untill their pet actually has the fleas before they use something, but as you have found out its a pain in the butt! :) Let me know if you have anymmore questions!

Hi A.!!

If your problem isn't THAT bad, just apply either advantage or frontline on the cats at night so it is dry in the morning, that way you don't have to worry about the kids touching them. Frontline is so safe, it was used to treat head lice in kids in europe......Do not buy anything over the counter unless it is frontline (advantage is not over the counter yet), because pyrethrins can be toxic to some cats and can make them start twitching uncontrollably. None of the over the counter stuff is as safe or effective as frontline or advantage. Frontline gets fleas and ticks, and advantage is just fleas. If the problem is really bad, just apply it on the cats and do a VERY thorough cleaning job in the entire house. They also sell an oral product at vet hospitals called Capstar which is a pill that you give once and it starts working within 10-15 minutes and kills any flea thats on them, but only lasts 24 hours. That's why you would put the topical on the same time. There is really no need to bomb unless your problem is EXTREMELY bad, like when you walk in your house with white socks, they are jumping all over you. I am not sure how many cats you have, but you have to treat all of them at the same time. If they go outside, you need to use the once a month topicals on all of them, once a month, during the entire warm season to prevent this from happening in the first place.... I am a certified veterinary nurse and work in an emergency clinic. I have been in the field for 13 years, if you have any further questions. PREVENTION is the key to the solution for the future...... Good luck!! -A.

Hi A. I have kitties too. The best thing is Advantage. I'm sure you heard of it? You can order it thru petmeds.com if you don't feel like going to the vet. All you do is part there hair on the back of there heads and apply it to there skin and let it soak in. And poof no more fleas. Make sure you do this opnce a month though.

With Advantage it soaks into there skin. Advantage also takes care of fleas in your home too. No need to go crazy with the bath and all that. It is good though to vacuum of course. Like the vet said below.

I promise you it works, I have six cats and my house is just fine. :) Its like a heaven sent product lol.

Hartz makes a once-a-month drop you put on the back of the cats' necks. It kills fleas and ticks for you. I use it all the time and have had no problems, even on my older cats.

If you don't want to (or can't afford to) flea bomb your home, and if you have carpets, you can try steam-cleaning them with a diluted Lysol solution. My mother swears by it -- I've never tried it myself.

Hi A.,
My vet told me to go get Boraxo at the grocery store and sprinkle it around my rooms, then let it sit all day or over night and then vacuum it up. I also pour it around the foundation of my home every spring to prevent ants. For the fleas, I sprinkled it all around the perimeter of the rooms that were carpeted and I went out and got FrontLine for all the dogs and cats we have (2 dogs and 4 cats). The combination of the 2 should work fairly quickly, as in within a week. If the fleas are that bad I would bomb or have someone come in and professionally deal with them.
Hugs,
T.

Hi A.-
I had a flea problem afew years ago and did alot of research. (I admit, I was a little crazy!) I wanted as safe a product as possible while also addressing the dangers of fleas. Bombing my house was out of the question. (Stay out of the house for 4-6 hours and then wash EVERYTHING?!!) What I found was a product at a livestock supply store called Hard Hitter Aerosol, made by Earth City Resourses.(some pet or hardware stores carry it too.) It is made for use in homes and in barns without removing the animals. It's water based, safe to touch when dry, and you only need to vacate for an hour or two.(yes, I washed surfaces that would be touched!) The results are like bombing, but because it is so dense you only need to spray exactly where you need it. (animal bedding, under furniture, around windows, etc.)
As for my pets, I use Bio-Spot products. (specifically the spot-on treatment) They are also water based and work very well for ticks too. Most pet stores carry them, but you can also get them at Drs.FosterandSmith.com. I gratefully haven't seen a flea in years! Good Luck!

To rid your house of fleas there are a few steps you should take. First thing you should do is get the cat to a clinic where he can be bathed and cleaned. Before binging the cat home you should then steam clean the furnature in every room and carpets if you have any. Wash all of the clothes that you asolutely need and get rid of the rest. Last but not least clean outside.

M. Cobb

Your best bet is to call an exterminator and get rid of them all in one visit. It's a long preparation process regardless of what you do, and the chemicals used aren't good, but atleast with a professional, you know it will be done right the first time. We dealt with it a few years ago and tried a flea bomb first, which didn't get rid of them completely and had to have the exterminator in after all was said and done. Good luck! After you get rid of them, just a heads up...Frontline works great as far as prevention goes.

I'm a licenced veterinary technician at a cat only hospital and see fleas all the time! The most reliable, safest way to eliminate fleas is using a product like Revolution, Advantage or Frontline (for cats we personally prefer Revolution). They are prescription products so you'll have to call your vet. (PLEASE don't buy them from internet/phone pharmacies like PetMeds.com, oh how i hate petmeds, they're so bad, they were even almost sued by their own shareholders! weird, i know! and many of these places have been found to sell counterfeit products and they are NOT regulated as far as storage and shipping of the meds!)
If you use Revolution (or Advantage or Frontline) you shouldn't have to treat your house at all, but a little extra vaccuuming and washing never hurts (just make sure you empty the vaccuum well!). Fleas much prefer cats/dogs over people and as the fleas hatch from their eggs they will jump on your kitty and die before they can reproduce again. WARNING though, flea eggs can sometimes take a month or 2 to hatch so treat each of your cats for at least 3 months. And then your problem will be gone! :)
They are very safe products for cats and those who live with them... very unlike the pet store brands and flea collars (please don't ever use Hartz - just hearing that brand makes me cringe!) I've seen cats in bad shape from using petstore treatments... either by siezuring caused by a reaction (honestly, it happens) or by the cat still being loaded with fleas and flea bites many many dollars later (in my experience they just don't usually work well)!
I agree about prevention being the key also! Using those products as prevention, especially during the warmer months, is always a good idea. Good luck!

I had a similar problem and we bought frontline. It's a little pricey but it does work. You actually watch the fleas walk out onto thier whiskers and fall off. You have to watch the natural remedies as they do not work. I was told to sprinkle borax on the carpets and they dehydrate and die. The vet told me that it could take up to a month for that to work. He recommended that we either bomb or purchase hartz control pet care system. That is what we did. Just spray and leave for a couple of hours. Go shopping or take the kids for a walk. But remember that you have to treat BOTH cats and home. Not doing one or the other will not work. I tried every home remedie out there before having to use the Hartz. Also was told to put a cup of soapy water on the floor with a light and they would jump in a drowned. Worked somewhat but not enough. People told me to vaccuum, that made it worse. The vet said that they vibrations hatched the eggs that were in the carpet. Save yourself alot of aggrevation and money. Just buy the Hartz. Follow the directions to a tee and you will be fine. Hope this helps. Good luck.

I am having this same problem.... I have read that brewers yeast will take care of the critters... I need to get some of it myself. You can get it in tablets that you feed the pets or put on their food each day.
You can also use borate on your furniture and rugs.....
if you go to http://www.onlynaturalpet.com they have a full listing of natural flea killer/removers.

I did a google search on the menatodes that were suggested for the yard. I would encourage you to read up on these critters frist. I found information at http://nematode.unl.edu/wormepns.htm they can be damaging to agriculture and can carry diseases for animals and humans.

Good luck... I am hoping to get rid of our fleas soon too. They seem to be terrible this year.

HI A.,
I'm M. I live in brooklyn,ny how are you doing this evening. I grew up with cats and dogs we always had flea collars on the animals but times has changed I went to the internet for advise and a help site for get rid of fleas safely. They suggest "Safer Insectidial Soaps" and stay away from flea collars especially with young children I sugggest you visit the site and decide from there. I pray the fleas will be gone instantly. Look forward to hearing from you. From brooklyn God bless you.
Mare

i dont know what to tell you to do, but for prevention, we get my cat program injections. it works by making a flea infertile once it bites the cat, so there can never be an infestation. about $45 every 6 months, but well worth it since we've never had a problem in 8 years.

I'm a dog groomer, the best and easiest way to start is to go to your vet and get advantage or frontline. Its a topical product you put on there backs. It will take a very short time for the fleas to die. Also to treat your house pick up some flea bombs at the vet also. The on;y problem with that is you have to leave the house for 2-4 hours. Hope this helps

A.,

I went through this about 6 years ago. Cat and dog who loved to roll in the grass. I have a bunch of info somewhere on my computer, happy to send it to you.

*Without chemicals, nothing is instant, but it is worth the wait to avoid the health hazards.

Basics:

1) Crazy as it sounds - Vacuum. 2x a day, if not more, but definitely 2x. Get a cheap cat/dog flea collar, cut it into about 5-10 pieces, store the extras, and put one in the vacuum bag. (and rinse your hands, too, that stuff can be stinky :)
Doesn't have to be extensive, just has to happen.

2) wash the cat beds (if they have one) hot water.

3) wash your linens, hot water if you can for the fabric
(bleach isn't necessary - just the hot soapy water)

***If you catch one, hot soapy water. Nothing else will work, and he'll just crawl out to make more friends.

4) make sure your laundry isn't on the floor. Catch up with your wash if that is where it lands - need help with that - www.flylady.com - Mt. Washmore. :)

5) bathe the cats - simple soapy water, don't need flea bath with the kids, but you do need to bathe. Multiple cats that hate water, it's worth the trip to PetSmart, Petco or the groomer. Trick: fill the tub first, then have a cup and the soap and the towels handy. If you're lucky, they'll start to like the extra help with the upkeep. :D

The fleas will avoid the water - so short sleeves for you, and know that they will travel away from the water - which means they'll likely be crowding on the cat's head - this needs to be washed too!

6) For your lawn: especially if you have outdoor, or accidentally outdoor cats. Nematodes. Garden center. You have to do the application just right - dark night, not freezing weather, follow the directions on the package. These are helpful little critters you can't see (won't run into in the light of day) who prey on flea eggs (and a few other things in your lawn you'd like to get rid of). They have to be delivered to the lawn in the dark of night - we did it at 3 AM, but an hour after dark (not sunset :) will do it. Our lawn was free for 4-5 years (just starting to come back), much better than the 1-2 year guarantee on the package.
*** Worth it for flea=free picnicking.

If necessary, a trip to a boarding place that will put flea-meds on for you does wonders. The meds wear off after a month, if your kids are used to playing with the cats. Expensive, but will allow you a little time to get a handle on the vacuuming.

7) bathe the kids - it will help with the itchies. Don't have to soak a long time, and don't use soap more than once a day (unless, of course, they found the muddy puddle after all this rain! :)

**Remember: when you start getting overwhelmed with non-chemical remedies - remind yourself that it is for your babies! (and the cats and yourselves count too!) If you think the flea-bomb is easier, think again about all that powder going all over EVERYTHING - food, linens, floor, air, everything.

Good Luck maintaining your sanity, but you can do it!
M.