Kitties and Fleas

[Aurora63]

My kittie has fleas!

We noticed a few of them on her last week, so we took her to the vet for a bath. Then, today, my DH asks me, "What are these black things?" I look where he is pointing (a place where our kittie loves to sleep) and there are what appear to be dead fleas all over.

So we examine her again, and she has some on her belly. So I went out today and got the powder you can use on rugs to kill fleas, and also the spray that you spray right on you pet to kill them.

Needless to say my cat did not enjoy this one bit. We did it around 4:00, its about 9:30 now, and her fur is still matted and stinky. I followed the directions exactly, I can only think that maybe DH was a bit over-eager while spraying and sprayed too much.

So, has anyone used the spray stuff before, and does it work? Will the smell go away? We used the Hartz kind for cats. Poor kitty is still not speaking to me. She just looked at us after we were done, like, "You've betrayed me!" and ran off. And of course, she wants to lick it, but when she does, she stops soon with this "Ick" look on her face.

Oh well. As long as she is okay, I'll be okay.

 

[helenabear]

Sorry your kitty has fleas... good luck with dealing with all of it and I hope they don't come back. My cats once had that spray stuff used and they HATED it!!! For the longest time anytime my kitties heard any spray bottle they'd dart out of the room. Now I just use something called Advantage that I get from the vet. It works wonderfully (instantly) and the cats like it so much better. Hope your kitty is flea free soon

 

[DocRafiki]

You need Advantage. And don't try to re-dose the kitty with the over-the-counter stuff. It could kill the cat. That stuff really should be taken off the market.

 

[Rajah]

I use Revolution, which takes care of fleas as well as other pests. Fairly fast-acting or so I've heard. I wouldn't waste money on the flea dips and collars and stuff -- they aren't long-term and some of them that you can get at stores can even hurt the animals. I'd go to the vet and get either Revolution or Advantage and start your kitty on that right away!

 

[sammi]

Another vote for Advantage!

Good luck

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Here's another vote for Advantage. I used to get it at our vet, but now get it at a local pet store. It may seem a little expensive, but it's worth it. You just squirt it on the back of the neck, and it lasts a month. It'll also kill the fleas that jump back on the cat (or dog).

My ds & I are flea magnets, and you sure can tell the difference when we put that stuff on our pets.

 

[DocRafiki]

Actually, Revolution WOULD be better. Advantage works faster and has higher efficacy, but I always put all cats on Revolution when I worked at a place that carried it. It was a good way to make sure people were giving their cats heartworm prevention. A lot of cats won't eat the heartgard, and a lot of owners don't think that's important. It also prevents some intestinal worms and ear mites, but that shouldn't be a problem as long as kitty stays inside like it should.

 

[jcemom]

Advantage is the ONLY thing that worked for us. I buy through 1800petmeds.com because the prices are much lower than through my vet.

 

[disneyluvers]

My vote is for Advantage.
You have to watch out for the pyrethins in flea and tick meds. Kitties can become very sick if exposed to too much of that junk. Advantage uses the smallest amounts of chemicals that can safely eliminate the fleas.

Michele

Concerned Kitty Owner