Fleas on cats HOW TO get rid of them. Hey ho, just found this page cos I’m looking for a solution to a puddy problem.
One of my cats is hypersensitive to fleas, and even though we keep up the the flea treatment, it only takes one, and it sets her off, and she starts pulling at fur, biting, and making her skin sore.
We then go off to the vets every 2 weeks for steroids till its calmed (usually 2-4 visits). We have been doing advocate and drontal flea every 2 weeks (staggered) on advice form the vets, and its not worked, and its come back again.
We don’t have carpets, and sweep every couple of days, any bedding they have is washed on a 60 every week, and our bedding is changed once a week, settee is vacuumed and treated.
Any help/advice please?? Tim Darnbrough via Facebook
Answer:
Fleas On Cats How To Get Rid of Them
Hi Tim, yes fleas can be incredibly hard to control. There are always many, many more in the surroundings than on the cat. You need a complete systemic approach where you treat the cat, the house and everywhere the cat goes … and keep it up until it is all clear. This can be next to impossible, depending on your climate!
Initially as a breeder and now as a multi-cat household, it took me years to get a grip on fleas and here is how I do it now. It is incredibly simple, next to no nasty drugs to poison the kitty either!
But, you do need to be a little patient …
How I Control Fleas With Many Cats
Firstly, keep doing what you are doing as there will always be new fleas coming into the area.
Second, buy this inexpensive and safe treatment here: Lufenuron for flea control UPDATE: Many apologies – but this product is no longer available 🙁 . (More info below this article)
Give this to your cat in her food once every month. I mark my calendar and do it on the FIRST of the month so I never forget. None of my cats have ever objected to eating it in their food – so it is extremely easy to administer!
This product is a natural one and not a toxic chemical as all standard flea products are – it is actually used a lot as a human health supplement!
Now – keep in mind it WILL NOT kill fleas. How it works is that it renders any new fleas on your cat infertile – so they can’t reproduce. And that is 95% of your battle fixed! This is the part most people never get on top of!
BUT … you will – in the meantime – have to keep up your management of the current population.
You can use regular baths for your cat, grooming daily with a flea comb – or the easiest way is to use a Capstar for cats every week or so until the fleas are not breeding any more. NOTE: Capstar is toxic – but will only be needed in the short term and it is nowhere near as bad as the harsher spot-on flea treatments.
In a month or two, there will be no new fleas being hatched in the house or surroundings.
These great little flea traps can help a lot with minimizing the current flea population: Flea Control
More Info on Lufenuron for Flea Control
Lufenuron is a Flea Control product that comes in 12 Monthly Capsules of Lufenuron Generic Program Cats
- Works for one full month
- Comes in a easy capsule form
- Approved for dogs and cats over 6 weeks of age.
- Lufenuron is stored in your pets fat and transferred to adult fleas when they bite your pet, this prevents offspring and larvae from developing. This breaks the life cycle and the infestation.
- 95% of fleas during a home infestation remain waiting in the carpet, bedding, furniture and yard to hatch and re-infest your dog.
- While lufenuron does keep them from hatching on your pet the best results are with a full treatment of all areas to completely rid your home of these pests.
- 100% safe and there have never been any known over dose of this product.
As mentioned, this is what I use for my cats – after many years of constantly battling with fleas- and I love it. It only takes a couple of months for the fleas to be completely under control – and it has work like nothing else, with so little effort.
But remember that it doesn’t kill the fleas – just renders them infertile.
That means that any new fleas born from now on will not be able to reproduce. Hallelujah!!! You only need to control what is alive until they stop breeding.
Get it here: Lufenuron and intermediate flea killer here: Capstar for cats
Have you ever tried using borax or baking soda? I’ve heard they work well but I’ve never tried them
Hey, Mark. Actually, Borax is a big no-no for cats. And Baking Soda? Never tried that and can’t really see how it would be a solution to a flea infestation. Have you tried it yourself?
The baking soda I’ve tried with some success but what I’ve found works WONDERS is diatomaceous earth. Sprinkle it on everything (carpets, couches, etc), leave it for a day or so, and vacuum. I tried flea bombs, sprays, everything but the buggers kept coming back until I used DE.
Thanks for these details.. Before using any conventional flea treatment, consult your conventional veterinarian on what product would be most appropriate for your cat’s age and health.
Hey Mark, Yes, D.E. is quite effective – although it is very messy and you should be careful it is not inhaled. It is available here: Diatomaceous Earth
I realize I’m posting this is a year later but you CAN get (generic) lufeneron from Europe rather cheaply, with proof of purity. I found two sites by simply running a search. Having had an unusual illness years ago for which lesser toxic medication was only approved in Europe, I am completely at ease with purchasing from “across the pond”. I’m not posting any links because I’m not affiliated with them. Since you say it’s completely safe, I’ll give it a try. I hate using anything besides DE and certain EOs but we live in Florida where flea season is year round. I purchased Spinosad for our dogs and cats after my vet assured me it was safe and used in organic gardening, only to find via search that animals had allegedly died from it. Personally, after seeing the gastric distress it caused in all 3 of my dogs, no matter what my vet says I won’t use it on the cats. This leaves me in a pickle as we are infested and have 10 cats including 3 formerly ferals who are so skittish I don’t know what to do. We also have all tile floors, so DE isn’t the best option in the house. We sprayed beneficial nematodes outside but honestly it doesn’t seem to have done much. It had been exceptionally hot, humid and rainy this summer. I’d love advice, if anyone has any?!?
Hi Julie, if you can get pure Lufeneron as a supplement (not a flea killer mix) THEN GRAB IT! Honestly, after many years of constantly battling fleas in a breeding situation, and in a humid, sub-tropical climate – this works and is safe! Use the directions on this page and your life & your pet’s will be so much easier.
And yes, I have seen lots of horrible (even deadly) results over the years of vet recommended “safe” flea treatments. They are NOT safe, none of them.