Help with fleas!!!!!

[DisneyPhD]

For the past 2 days I have woken up with some kind of bites on my torso. About a dozen total so far. (6 yesterday, 6 today.) I can't figure it out. Small red welts. (smaller a bit smaller then mosectio (sp??) bites.)

The only thing I can think of is fleas. We do have one indoor cat who NEVER goes outside or sees another living animal. I have done some research on line and the bites do look like they could be flea bites. He has never had them (he is 12 years old). He hasn't seen a vet in a while though.

The cat does sleep on my place in the bed during the day. He sleeps at the foot of my DH's side of the bed during the night. Only I have these bites (only on my torso, not legs or arms.) The kids don't have any either, but do often lay in bed with me in the morning, but not all night. (oh and he isn't allowd back upstairs now, I am keeping the door shut.) I hope I am not blaming the poor cat when it isn't him. I am not very happy with him athe momment.

I am currently washing the sheets and mattress cover on the bed (new bed less then a year old.)

I have been looking stuff up on line, and will call my Doc and vet if I can't get this under control, or think it is fleas. Just looking for help from others who might know what way to turn. Thanks everyone. :teeth

 

[AmazingGrace]

Are bed bugs a possibility? I hear that they're getting bad again.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Are bed bugs a possibility? I hear that they're getting bad again.

I thought of that, and can't figure out how since it the mattress is one year old and we haven't sleept anywhere else (like a hotel or friends bed). However from what I saw of pictures on line they are smaller and closer to gether. These are spred out, one here, one there. Not rash like at all. Maybe a spider, but so far I have 12 bites.

 

[Castlebound]

Check your cat over and see if you can see any fleas. If you have a fine tooth comb use that to brush the cat and see if you find anything. Our never goes outside cat got fleas. The vet said that it only takes one flea to start the madness! If you or your kids happen to be outside and a flea decides to get a free ride into your house on your socks or shoes you now have fleas. I hate fleas. I ended up getting the whole house and yard sprayed twice before we totally got rid of them. Just thinking about them makes me feel itchy.

 

[MommyPoppins]

I wouldn't think it would be fleas unless you are actually seeing fleas. If you had fleas that bad to be getting bit that much, you'd see them! I had this happen to me a few weeks ago actually. I had these very tiny welts that itched like crazy I thought fleas, but we don't even have an indoor animal. After a few days they went away and I didn't get any new ones. I had them on my legs and arms. I'd take some benedryl(sp?), but it will make you sleepy...take it for a couple days, see if the bites go away/don't get anymore.

I'm getting itchy just writing about it...

 

[sweet angel]

I always heard flea bites are usually on the ankles.

I've had spider bites and they're more painful than itchy and at least as large as a mosquito bite. I've also had bites (from outdoors) that were nasty -- huge, itchy, oozing, swollen -- that the doctor said, "EW, where have you been?"

I would hate to say bed bugs because I know what that would mean to me! Yuck. I'm getting itchy now....

 

[kimmikayb]

This was me just a few weeks ago!! Search my threads and you'll see it. Our stories are almost identical, I swear. I ended up finding two bugs. One I killed and the other I managed to keep alive and take to the extention office who in turn sent the bugs to the university to get a ID. Like you, I had over a dozen bites on my legs and torso. I have a cat who was sleeping with me but the cat (even with a fleas comb) showed NO signs of fleas. Either did any of the other animals. I've had fleas before and I know the signs. My bed was showing no signs of any bugs. I thought bed bugs because we had to stay in a very questionable motel on the way home from Florida and we had our own pillows. I was horrified because getting rid of bed bugs is not easy (they even recommend you take your furniture APART to get tot he crevices). I was miserable with all this bites, taking benadryl but nobody in the house had bites!! Even my DD4 who sleeps with me almost every night.

Guess what? Came back from the university....fleas. I don't understand it, not a typical flea investation.

We cleaned our bedroom top to bottem....even took the comforters to the laundry mat so they got good and clean...we moved the bed and cleaned behind it, under it. We vacuumed the mattress...everything. So far no more problems.

It was very odd, but I'm glad it wasn't bed bugs.

 

[Thumper's Tara]

My bunny (yes, my bunny) who never went outside got fleas last year. It is possible for a human to bring one in, they find your pet, and wala flea problems.

A couple of suggestions...treat all the pets in the household with the Advantage flea stuff. It is good for three months and will help stop the problem. Fleas can't live on humans - only bite them. They need furry animals to live (so I have been told). If you treat the fur-kids, it should help.

Also, vacumm your house really well. Then, empty the bin and wash it out (or change the bag). Fleas can live in the vacuum and you end up reinfecting the household. I learned this one the hard way.

It is fairly easy to see if an animal has fleas. Get a white towel. Place the animal on the towel. Rub the fur the wrong way. If your cat has fleas, you should be able to see them jump onto the towel or around in the fur.

Good luck!

 

[HERSEY]

It sounds like fleas. My cats never have gone outside except to the vet. My guys had fleas. I use the flea powder on the rugs and on them. I also them flea collars. So far no more fleas. Look on your kitty's stomaches it's easier to spot the fleas there. Good luck.

 

[cardaway]

Our indoor only cat somehow got fleas as well.

Best way to tell IMO is to get a white or light colored towel and have the cat lay on it for at least a half hour. When it gets up you may find a flea or two, but at the very least, flea feces left on the towel if the cat has fleas.

We did got the Advantage treatment. Took a little time, but it did work.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Double post...

 

[Tigger&Belle]

When we got our 2 kittens last fall they came complete with fleas. What a bother! The good news is that we found them the first day when they were still quarantined from our other animals, so the fleas were confined to the bathroom they were staying in. We treated all the animals, just in case, and combed the kittens daily with the special flea comb.

If I were you I would get a flea comb and comb your cat with it. Make sure you comb well on the belly and around the tail. Carefully look at the comb after every swipe. We dropped every flea into flea killer, but you could use a mild bleach solution. They do not die or squish easily. Of course you don't even know if you'll find anything and it could easily be spider bites.

It seems early for fleas, especially since you live so far north.

The only topical stuff that I would use on a cat is Advantage. The other stuff is possibly a carcinogen, according to our vet. The Advantage did work well on our kittens.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Thanks for all the help everyone. I went to visist a friend today who has 2 indoor/outdoor cats and a dog so she knows fleas pretty well. She said the bites look like it. DH doesn't think it is, but better safe then sorry I stopped at a pet supplay store and got some drops and spray for his favorite places (and a new cat nip mouse and scracing post so he can leave the couch alone.

Hopefully things will be taken care off. Better safe then sorry.

 

[SillyMe]

I was finding fleas in my apartment shortly after I moved in. Not many, but a few here and there. They were biting my kids. I don't have any pets here. I bought stuff to sprinkle on the carpets and vacuum up and haven't had a problem since. My neighbor said they had them in their house as well, and their pets never go outside. The only thing I can think of is we were bringing them inside with us. There are a bunch of stray cats running around the neighborhood.

Give your kitty a flea bath and buy stuff for your carpets.

 

[Sleepy]

Best way to tell IMO is to get a white or light colored towel and have the cat lay on it for at least a half hour. When it gets up you may find a flea or two, but at the very least, flea feces left on the towel if the cat has fleas.

The easier way is to take a paper towel, wet it, then rub it on the lower belly and upper hind legs toward the rear. If you see light bloody stains on the paper towel, that is the flea feces.

Sweet Angel, flea bites are usually found on the ankles because usually you get them from walking around and the lower leg is the first location they hop onto. A flea usually crawls (for a lack of better words) to a location where they can attach. Meaning, on a sock, they would most likely plant themselves right on the edge of the cuff to bite. Same with if you get a flea in bed. They will most likely crawl to the elastic of your underwear and that is where they will bite. If you interupt them or they move, they will only move a few inches and bite again. Fresh bites resemble fresh mosquito bites, but older bites turn to red spots.

kimmikayb, if you could not tell that the bug you had was a flea, what did it look like and did they give it a name?

 

[DisneyPhD]

The easier way is to take a paper towel, wet it, then rub it on the lower belly and upper hind legs toward the rear. If you see light bloody stains on the paper towel, that is the flea feces.

Sweet Angel, flea bites are usually found on the ankles because usually you get them from walking around and the lower leg is the first location they hop onto. A flea usually crawls (for a lack of better words) to a location where they can attach. Meaning, on a sock, they would most likely plant themselves right on the edge of the cuff to bite. Same with if you get a flea in bed. They will most likely crawl to the elastic of your underwear and that is where they will bite. If you interupt them or they move, they will only move a few inches and bite again. Fresh bites resemble fresh mosquito bites, but older bites turn to red spots.

kimmikayb, if you could not tell that the bug you had was a flea, what did it look like and did they give it a name?

Thanks for the info. That sounds like my bites alright. They were all around my mid section, but under my cothes so I guess they crawled up them (also I roll around a bit.) We cleaned the bed and matress cover. I sprayed the mattress with the flea stuff and let it air out before putting it on. I sprayed his favorite spots (the bay window cusion and rocking chair). We treated the cat, but I will try the wet paper towel. Hopefully they are all dead now. I am keeping him off my bed for a few days just in case.

No new bites this morning! So hopefully we got it. I need to wash the guest bed because he lays there, but I will do that today.

Thanks again everyone. It was a puzzle for me and you guys helped me figure it out!

 

[kimmikayb]

kimmikayb, if you could not tell that the bug you had was a flea, what did it look like and did they give it a name?[/QUOTE]

That was the mystery! I know fleas, I have battled them on numerous occassions. My DH said all along, flea. I thought it resembled a flea but there were absolutely no other signs of fleas, not on the animals or the house. Nobody else getting bit. It was very tiny and get this....did NOT jump when I caught it. It was crawling on the bed. The cats and dogs showed no signs of fleas, even when brushed/wiped with a white towl. No flea dirt on animals or in the house (that I could see). The extention office told me that the university labeled it as an "adult flea". After we cleaned and kicked the cat out of my bed...I stopped getting the bites. We'll never know what happen, but I wonder if the cat brought fleas in from the outside and they got off in my bed? He does go in and out. I haven't treated him because he's showing no signs and I don't want to put chemicals on him if I don't have to. Of course, it's warmer now and he spends a lot of time outside (we live in the country). It was all not like the typical flea invasion.