Cat fleas

[Teamedup]

I used to keep cats but never had any problems with cat fleas. I'm pretty sure I found one on the cat today. He has had frontline six weeks ago and I've put more on today. Is there anything else I should be doing.

He goes all over the house and I've known one family with infestations of the things, they were everywhere, even biting them and that is something I can do with out.

[Christine Animal]

Perhaps you could be "foggering" TU, getting rid of the fleas in the house.  Of course you have to be careful to treat the rooms without the animals in them.  You probably know that there are products to treat the house, apart from the animals.  This is why the Frontlining of animals before they go to the UK always seems a bit daft, it doesn't matter if the owner and the car are full of fleas!  Also the French often say to me "but don't they have fleas in England?"

I also don't understand why it seems that Frontline have the "monopole" for trips to the UK.  There are other brands and there is a problem where the fleas get immune to certain products, so it is necessary to change.

C'est bien compliqué tout ca!

[Teamedup]

We have never had fleas. The cat doesn't go out and all I can think is that the dog brought one back with her, although she is frontlined too.

I don't know what to do. It is our son's cat and we will only be having him here for the next few weeks whilst he is away. I let the cat have full run of the house, which he happily explores.

I think I'm going to have to look at the life cycle of the flea now.

 

And the cat flea infestation was friends in the UK, not here.

[Christine Animal]

Please let us know if you find anything useful as it is a problem.  You may find that the flea spends most of its time off the animal, so in the habitat.

We have enough with the Tour de France, without the flea cycle!

[Deimos]

Whilst I have used it (though not for flea infestations), I understand that Frontline COMBO is designed to treat flea infestations (i.e. kill fleas in the house or stop then in the house) whereas normal Frontline just kills fleas on the pet. Needless to say the COMBO version is more epensive (and only available as a spot-on).

When I used to use the COMBO version (on my dogs and actually because that was what the vet had and I did not know the difference then), I did find that most supermarkets pt shops, etc. do not stock the COMBO version (as it is more expensive ?).

Ian

[Val_2]

Mine get them too and ordinary Frontline hasn't worked for some time so its over to the Combo version which costs 28€ for six pippettes from both the vet or the local pharmacy. You can also have a Program jab which lasts 6 months. I do our four cats religiously every month throughout the year but I still think some get through, good job they don't bother us too much and we hoover the bedroom carpets regularly.

[Christine Animal]

That's why you can buy what they call a "fogger" to do in the house, kills the fleas and the eggs in carpets, furniture, animals' beds, parquet, etc.

They hatch out like mad in this heat; we still get some fleas in Winter now with the central heating.

[Chocolate]

Please what is a 'fogger'? Sounds dodgy. Does it cloud up the house so the little perishers can't see the animals or humans? Is it electronic like the mouse scarers, emitting ultrasonic waves?

Actually I would be very interested to know as though Frontline is good for our cats, I am glad to be forewarned by the experiences of others in this forum. I'm learning far more than I ever needed to know in England!

[Christine Animal]

TU started this and has now disappeared with a flea cycle.  So what is a fogger?  When I heard about foggers over here, I thought they had come from over there, by the name.

A fogger is an aerosol can full of stuff to kill fleas and their larva in the house, the car, the garage, the kennel, wherever they may be.  It is called a fogger, I suppose, because you don't just give a squirt as with normal aerosol cans, but you press on the button and get the hell out of the room as it "fogs off" slowly on its own. You should of course have previously emptied the room of any living creatures, apart from those you want to fog off.

Ask your vet or pharmacien for a "fogger contre les puces" and see if he understands.  Read carefully the instructions as each fogger is for so many cubic metres.  If you think your room is too small for the whole can, you may hold your breath and get back in the room to stop it and take it to another place needing fogging off.

C'est simple... 

[Wicce]

Hi there.  Fleas are pretty horrible, especially in hot weather when they breed...like fleas.  There is a new product on the market called Capstar.  It's a tablet to be swallowed by the cat and is apparently 100 per cent effective against fleas, according to the scientific reports.    Rationale is that fleas bite the cat and are poisoned.   You can get it on line actually - there is a site called Beeston Animal Health  (wormers.co.uk), which I have recently discovered, and they also do wormers for pets at low prices and postage paid.   I think they also do a product called Staykill which you spray on the carpets.

Mary

[Dick Smith]

Give the cat a pill. Hmmm.

Old internet story:

HOW TO GIVE A CAT A PILL

Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as is holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb of either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.

Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe.

Call spouse from garden.

Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat’s head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat’s throat vigorously.

Retrieve cat from curtain rail; get another pill form foil wrap.

Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains.

Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse’s armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw. Force cat’s mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

Check label to make sure pill’s not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

Retrieve cat from neighbour’s shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot.

Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the read.

Apologize to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat.

Take last pill from foil wrap.

Tie cat’s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat’s mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour ½ pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

Get spouse to drive you to casualty. Sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants form right eye. Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.

Buy a Dog

[Christine Animal]

...or buy a "lance pilule" when you go to get the fogger.

Wicce, I'm going to have a look at that site, thanks.

 

about fleas in French :

http://www.france5.fr/maternelles/animaux/W00242/2/85308.cfm

here's one, amongst others, with a fogger :

http://monanimal.com/commande/index.php?cat2=51

[Wicce]

Actually, looking at my posting I note that it should read "plus P&P" - they used to do postage paid, but I guess prices had to rise a bit.   Horse wormers are really good value though.

I never have problems giving pills to our moggies (farmyard warriors all!) - I just butter the pill and put it into the back of the mouth.  I suspect half the problem is the bitter taste, and buttering it temporarily seals the edges, so to speak.

 

Mary

 

[Teamedup]

Christine Animal, I am actually a great listener, or in this case reader and am simply getting informed.

[Hegs]

The correct way to give a pill to a cat is called a "sweepie bullet" named after the cat who is currently eating my house down and has kept many a vet in business over the last 15 years. She would have died several years ago without this technique:

Take one pill

Smear liberally in butter or good margerine

Wrap in thin Serrano or Palma ham

Smear outside in butter...

Feed to greedy oversized ill moggy