Kitty help needed, Pretty Please.

[Lucky1307]

We love our cats and kittens but we are having a horrible time with fleas. We do treat them(except the 3 newest because no one how old and the vet said to give them another month before starting a treatment) with Frontline. Everything has been fine until this month and the Frontline did not work. The vet wants me to try again and I'm thinking that is silly because it's $100 a month to treat them all and this month was a waste of that money.(I don't mind spending $ to keep my pets healthy, I just don't like to waste money.) Plus does anyone know where I can get a flea comb. Any advice on what to do would be more than helpful.

1) I have put flea collars on the bigger kittens and cats
2) I give the kittens Dawn baths and hand remove the fleas
3) I treated the yard and their main "living" area with flea control
4) I treated the house because although they are outdoor pets those kittens can beat me in the house

[mandi0808]

Ask your vet for capstar pills for all of the cats, including the kittens.
Give everyone a pill a day for three days.**
Purchase some boric acid and sprinkle it in your carpets and then vacuum it up.
Treat your yard with a liquid spray like Diazanon or Triazacide.
Frontline all of the older cats.
Flea comb them all.
In a few days your should see a reduction of fleas.

**If you have a feed and seed store check and see if they carry capstar, as it may be cheaper there. I know it is at mine here.

[Rene S]

IMO, I would remove the flea collars. They are full of toxic chemicals and aren't healthy for cats/kittens. I agree with Amanda in saying to ask for the Capstar. I have heard stories where fleas in some areas have built an immunity against some topicals.

If you do want to try topical, use Advantage or another brand from the vet. Do NOT, however, buy Hartz or an OTC topical. There have been many cases of those killing cats!

Vacuum daily and throw out the bag/wash the dust container with hot soapy water. Bleach and wash their bedding (and yours) in HOT water. Repeat, repeat.

[couponlady]

My vet has suggested that we split 1 tube of the Frontline between all of our 4 cats. It has been a great $ saver and we don't have any problems w/fleas. I probably wouldn't try it while you are having a huge problem but keep it in mind for later.

[ASweetHeart]

Last summer I got a spray version of the frontline. I believe it was a little over $20, and I used it several times on our 3 and still have some left.

It seemed better than the other version of frontline, too IMO

[choka162]

The problem with frontline is that it works great until you get the fleas in your carpet and the eggs. Then the fleas just jump on and off. If you're having a serious problem with them, I would just go ahead and fog the house. Do that and the capstar and you should see a serious reduction in fleas.

agree about the flea collars though they aren't worth the money or the risk! Actually a lot of times the fleas will just move to the tail end of the cat but they won't actually go anywhere.

I have a bunch of cats and have found the spray frontline to be a much better deal. It runs about $40 but it lasts forever! The only problem is how much the cats hate it^_^ I think it offends their dignity lol.

[Rene S]

My vet has suggested that we split 1 tube of the Frontline between all of our 4 cats. It has been a great $ saver and we don't have any problems w/fleas. I probably wouldn't try it while you are having a huge problem but keep it in mind for later.

Yes, you can buy the large dog version and Google the amount for cats and split it up. Just make sure to look up the amount so you don't give too much.

[Penelope06]

I don't have any experience with getting rid of fleas that are already established in your house, but here are the things I do know:

Definitely get rid of the flea collars, they don't work well and are hazardous to your cat's health. Seconding the capstar. Do NOT under any circumstances buy a dog version (of any size) and put it on your cats, even if it's a smaller amount. There's a reason vet's are supposed to tell clients to keep cats away from dogs for at least 24 hours after having a topical flea medication put on them. Cat's are far more sensitive and many everyday things are toxic to them.

You could try revolution, but you have to get rid of the fleas in your house too. If there's fleas hiding anywhere, they'll just jump back onto your cats.

[faeryedark]

I used Diatomatious Earth (sp?) rub it on them and sprinkle in carpets it's natural and they can lick it without problems.

[Penelope06]

I've heard DE is very very effective against fleas. My vet also recommends sprinkling it around the perimeter of your yard to keep fleas away.