Fleas!!!

[tiermat]

Scratchy little bastards.

Apparently they are becoming immune to Frontline, which explains why our two cats have fleas still after treatment.

Rather kindly the cats have left the little, jumpy, buggers all over the house.

Short term the plan is to visit Pets At Home to get some spray (one lot for the cats, another lot for carpets etc), then tovisit the vets for the nuclear option.

<scrit scrit>

[Hot Flatus]

The big blue syringe?

Yes. Its the only way to be sure.

[Jaded]

You need a different flea treatment like Advocate. Unfortunately it is prescription only.

[tiermat]

You need a different flea treatment like Advocate. Unfortunately it is prescription only.

Advocate is, but, apparently, Advantage has just recentlt been taken off prescription only.

[Wowbagger]

Where my daughter's cat is concerned I have to be quite careful what I say.

Said daughter claims a significant number of allergies, some, I feel, more real than others. However, there was no doubting the anaphalactic shock that a bee sting sent her into when she was 10. Still, 23 years later, she carries an epipen and has been known to run into a busy road to avoid an unidentified insect.

It therefore puzzles me that she allows their cat to sleep on her bed during the day, and then worries about the hives that she suffers when bitten by one of its fleas, hives that seem to be getting worse and resembling in some ways the rash she suffered after that bee sting 23 years ago.

[Hot Flatus]

Mum of 4 year old daughter's friend just texted to say her daughter has nits.

Suddenly feeling itchy and can feel them crawling round the nape of my neck

[tiermat]

We flea-bombed the house last, so the cats won't come anywhere near us and the house stinks!

Less bites today, though, so it must be working.

On the plus side it also kills spiders!

[Otto]

Where my daughter's cat is concerned I have to be quite careful what I say.

Said daughter claims a significant number of allergies, some, I feel, more real than others. However, there was no doubting the anaphalactic shock that a bee sting sent her into when she was 10. Still, 23 years later, she carries an epipen and has been known to run into a busy road to avoid an unidentified insect.

It therefore puzzles me that she allows their cat to sleep on her bed during the day, and then worries about the hives that she suffers when bitten by one of its fleas, hives that seem to be getting worse and resembling in some ways the rash she suffered after that bee sting 23 years ago.

Mad cat woman?

[mrcharly-YHT]

We struggle with the damn fleas.

Frontline is useless and make the cat sick. I don't like cleaning up cat vomit.

On Feline's recommendation, we got capstar tablets. These are so effective that it's recommended you give them to the cat, then lock the cat out for 2-4 hours. The fleas literally leap of the cat within minutes.

However that only deals with live fleas, wears off and then flea eggs hatch . . .

Best spray we've used is a permethrin-based one, http://www.medicanimal.com/c/Indorex-Household-Flea-Spray/p/I0001208
Capstar
http://www.medicanimal.com/Cats/Flea%2C-Tick-and-Wormers/Flea/Oral/Capstar-Flea-Treatment-Tablets/p/I0000223

[tiermat]

Flea bombing the house (one per room) then flea spray for the places that the bombs don't get to (under bed etc) and a new round of Frontline on the cats seems to have worked wonders, but not overnight, it has taken since Saturday night until now for me to notice that my lower legs and ankles aren't all itchy.

FWIW the flea bombs (and spray)are permethrin based, too.

Interesting you say that about the Frontline, one of our cats has been regularly vomiting (and I am the person tasked with cleaning it up as neither Mrs T or TLD can stand vomit, in fact both would add to it).  Shall see if it continues, if so shall change to Advantage.

[tiermat]

Well, a few weeks on and the bombs weren't totally successful. So we are trying the essential oils route, which seem to be more, immediately, effective than the permethrin based stuff. So a mix of 150ml warm water, 10 drops of cedar, 20 each of Lavendar and Eucalyptus. Smeels much nicer and has less of an effect on our breathing than the chemical treatments.