Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Susanne (urbantigers) on August 12, 2010, 12:28:33 PM

Title: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on August 12, 2010, 12:28:33 PM
Oh the embarrassment  >:( >:(  I think Jaffa and Mosi may have <cough> visitors <cough>.  Mosi has been scratching behind his ears a bit.  I examined Jaffa closely when he was having a cuddle yesterday and so no evidence, but then later on I was checking over Mosi and think I saw a tiny black fleck :(  So it's out with the frontline again (they were done just over a month ago) and I do have some stuff to spray in the house that I got from the vet some time ago (years) - how long does that stuff last for?  I guess I probably need new. Sigh...  It's such a pain doing the  house when you have indoor cats.  I've only done it once before and had to shut them in the bedroom whilst I did the living room and opened the windows and then shut them in the living room whilst I did the bedroom.  And it stinks iirc.  Would a thorough hoover do instead?

ETA - has anyone used Skoosh to treat the house?

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/flea-products-household-flea-sprays-c-3_419/skoosh-non-insecticidal-household-flea-spray-400ml-p-1122

or what about these

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/flea-products-household-flea-killer-c-3_527/flea-killer-electric-effective-safe-p-2022
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: cheekycj on August 12, 2010, 13:58:49 PM
I think my boys may have afew visitors aswell...... :(  Oh god how i hate fleas  >:(

I put Frontline on Charlie one week late (i usually do it every 4wks) yet it states on the pack it can cover them for 4-5 weeks...i did him on the 5th week  :)

So im abit miffed...both of them are having alittle scratch!!  Im with the council so i get them out..i did use R.I.P Fleas awhile ago when i took Joey in he was crawling....poor little fella!

Good luck!

cj
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Pinkbear (Julie) on August 12, 2010, 14:33:19 PM
To be honest I am losing my faith in Frontline. I've found it not nearly so effective in the last couple of years. I think they've tickered with the formula so it can be sold in chemists etc. I much prefer Stronghold these days.  ;)

As for the house... we use Indorex. Expensive but a can lasts us a over a year here.  :)
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on August 12, 2010, 14:41:55 PM
I agree about frontline.  I used to use Advantage but have used frontline for the past couple of years as I don't need a prescription for it, but I think I'll go back to using Advantage.
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Mark on August 12, 2010, 15:50:06 PM
So they must have got them from you Susanne?  :shify:

It really must be as simple as picking eggs up on your shoes or something?  :sick:

Isn't skoosh the sticky stuff that stops the fleas moving? - not sure how effective it is. I only ever used Indorex. I use stronghold except for Clapton as he is severely allergic to it and Advantage - even frontline makes his skin go pink. I discussed with the vet and we decided to not give it to Clapton at all unless needed. We haven't had a single flea since I treated Clapton and the house nearly 4 years ago when he was badly infested.  I am convinced it was from the previous owners of this house.
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Kirst on August 12, 2010, 17:06:18 PM
I am not so sure about Frontline either now - and in fact in the vets today we were recommended Stronghold instead!
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on August 12, 2010, 17:34:38 PM
So they must have got them from you Susanne?  :shify:

It really must be as simple as picking eggs up on your shoes or something?  :sick:


 :P 

This'll teach me to stroke every cat I see in the street  :innocent:  But they can't have picked them up themselves as they don't go out.  So I  must have brought them in.  Just goes to show that indoor cats can get fleas.  They're not exactly infested and I can't see any on Jaffa.  It was just one little bit of flea dirt on Mosi but that's enough for me to crack open the frontline.  I have 2 vials left so will use that up and then get either Advantage or Stronghold for the next time.

I quite fancy trying those trap things from vetuk (the second link I posted).  The 3 reviews on there say that they really do catch fleas.  I just dont' like the idea of doing the whole spray the house with very stinky stuf that requires us all to stay out of the room for a period of time and for me to have the windows open (always tricky with indoor cats).
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Claire_smc on August 12, 2010, 19:08:52 PM
I think we may also have visitors in our house  :sigh: When Darcy was at my friend's house she said she saw a flea on him so Frontlined him as he hadn't been done yet. However I saw a flea on him the other day, but obviously can't Frontline him or treat him again for another 3 weeks, any ideas what I can do? Pepsi is scratching more than usual so I'm going to have to get her done, and then spray the house too  :tired:
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: snarf on August 12, 2010, 20:54:22 PM
However I saw a flea on him the other day, but obviously can't Frontline him or treat him again for another 3 weeks, any ideas what I can do?
sparecat got earmites just after shed been frontlined and the vet prescribed advocat and said it was ok to use advocat as ones absorbed through the skin and one lies on the skin. its prescription only so a vet will prob need to see him but there are secondry options. might be worth a phonecall to see?

theres something in my house but its only eating me! cats are clear- no scratching or dirt so either the frontline is working  :faint: or its not fleas and its some nasty flying beastie.
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Angiew on August 12, 2010, 21:28:15 PM
I think there is a very good reason vets are advising the use of alternatives to frontline (££££££££'s).

Unfortunately if they all start this then we'll jump on the bandwagon and start to believe that frontline is no longer any good.

Remember fleas need to go onto the cat for the frontline to work, so if there are fleas in the environment they will keep hoping on for a bite before dying.

As for that flea killer that heats and traps, I remember in the dark days before frontline having serious flea problems and not a one was caught in the trap that I bought - it looked pretty similar to the one on ebay with a light for heat to attract the flea.

Get yourself some indorex, its not that smelly and does the job.
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Sam (Fussy_Furball) on August 12, 2010, 21:57:47 PM
I  have to say we'be been using Frontline and so far ...No Problems (or fleas!)
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: maryas on August 12, 2010, 22:16:43 PM
I must admit I never used anything on Smudge and he only ever had them once - I got some powder for him and some own brand of house spray from Wilkinsons and got rid of them easily.

Although Bonnie is an indoor cat I do use Frontline every few months just in case because of her having that rash when I got her and she's never had any yet.

Mary  .... itch, itch, scratch, scratch  :rofl:
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on August 23, 2010, 08:03:24 AM
Well I saw one on Jaffa on Saturday!  :-[  I have to hold my hands up and confess that I think I know where they have come from.  A couple of months ago (just before I left my old job) a couple of people complained about fleas in the staff room at work.  There are 2 other people there with cats and both cats go outside so they are much more likely to have fleas than my boys (who can only get them if I bring them in from somewhere) so I reckon I have picked them up from work (yuk) and given them to the boys.  Sorry lads!  They have both been frontlined and drontaled, and I have some spray for the house which I am going to use next weekend.  Fingers crossed we will see the back of these unwelcome visitors.
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Ellen2010 on August 23, 2010, 18:17:24 PM
I did have a problem with Frontline and the vet just told me to go to the pet shop get a cheapo spot on flea product for a few months then go back to Frontline.  Did as he recommended and have been using frontline again since.  I had been using frontline from the moment it came out every single month for about 7 years when this happened.

My animals are all clear now.

Oh those bitey things that could be getting you could be ants lol
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on August 24, 2010, 02:48:18 AM
My big cats get stronghold once a year maybe and the birmans not at all. The big cats are outside most of time during summer but Sasa will get some at vets cos she may have earmites again, but usually plump fdor spot on wormer and both cant be done at once.

Fleas dont have to bite with stronghold, so good for cats with flea allergies.

We dont have fleas here and we had a couple on Franta about 3 years ago so all cats had stronghold but dont believe in dpoing lots of spraying and spoton cos dont thi nk its goog for the cats.

I have a lamp thing goping back to when I had Kocka 15 years ago, cos was infested with them and they caught loads but that cos they were hopping around everywhere. I was a new cat person back then and tried the shop powders and everything to no avail.Eventaully went to vets and he sprayed her and gave me a house spray, cant remeb er whichh one but that all worked and we stayed flea free for next 1o years despite all the cats that popped through the flat............I didnt use flea stuff on Kocka very much either but went from Advantage I think, to stronghold cos ahe had anallergy to flea bites.

It also worked for her ear mites.
Title: Re: I think we may have visitors
Post by: Janeyk on August 24, 2010, 07:09:16 AM
Just after we adopted Pepper last year we had fleas - first time mine have ever had them in all the years we've had cats and I rarely use flea treatments tbh.  It was awful, got Frontline Combo and Indorex spray from the vets and it took a while to get shut but eventually did.  I was covered in bites, but saying that I am again this year and they haven't got fleas so might not have been them biting me lol!