Flea Treatment Recommendations?

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Me and easjer's cat (who as far as I know has never stepped foot outside of the apartment) somehow managed to get fleas. What products would you recommend getting to treat both the cat and to clear out any of the little bastards that may be lurking in the carpet, etc.? There's a ton of stuff out there now and of course it all claims to work the best, so I figured I'd tap the braintrust around here.

[DJREN37]

Adams products from petsmart work really good for us. The complete line has something for all your needs. I have 3 boxers and I dipped, sprayed indoors and out.

[pache100]

Advantage or Advantix for the cat. Don't buy the cheap stuff (Hartz Mountain, Sergeants, etc.), that stuff is very dangerous and can kill your pets or make them very sick, possibly with brain damage. Whatever you put on your cat, I recommend you get it from a vet.

As for the apartment, if you keep using the Advantage or Advantix, you will probably not have fleas in your apartment after you get rid of them this time. Spot spraying does not work, the fleas will just move around on you, you need to treat the whole place all at once. You may have to treat your apartment more than once (about 2 weeks apart) to get all the fleas that hatch from eggs. I have had cats (and used to have fleas but haven't had any for years because I use Advantage on my cat) for 30 years, and the best product I have found to get rid of them in a house or apartment is the Raid Fumigator. It's a smoke-type bomb, not the wet stuff, so you don't get all that sticky residue all over your house, plus it gets into cracks and crannies that the wet spray bombs don't reach. You will have to put any plants and/or animals or fish outside while you fumigate, though; and leave all the drawers, closet and cabinet doors slightly OPEN so it can work. And the longer you can leave your apartment closed up with the air conditioner off and the windows/doors closed after you set them off before you go back in, the better. It would be better to go back and open up the windows and turn the AC on about an hour before you plan to go back in to stay to make sure you have good air in there to breathe. It sounds like a lot of trouble, but it's well worth it. I did it on a regular basis for years before Advantage came out.

[pache100]

Adams products from petsmart work really good for us. The complete line has something for all your needs. I have 3 boxers and I dipped, sprayed indoors and out.

The Adams sprays are very good, I had to use that on a Himalayan I had for 13 years. Because he had chronic progressive liver and kidney disease, I could not put anything on him and leave it (like the Advantage). I had to spray him to kill the fleas, and then give him a bath to get rid of the spray. He would get deathly ill and have to have daily sub-cu fluids and other medications for days if he was exposed to pesticides for more than a few minutes at a time.

But, the best long-term solution is something that stays on the animal. There are several good products on the market that you can get from a vet. Advantage and Advantix are the two that I have experience with. We use Advantage on our three cats and dog; my brother uses Advantix on his dog. They are expensive products, but sooooo worth every penny.

[pache100]

BTW, SFIE, the fleas may not have come into your house on your cat because it went outside...but they will find the first available and most vulnerable host once they get inside...in this case - your cat. Since you live in an apartment, they may have moved into your apartment from another one where someone has fumigated. The fleas will just move around from apartment to apartment in that type of living environment. I fought fleas in apartments for almost 20 years. Have only had one infestation since I moved into my house, and once I got rid of them, haven't seen them since. They can also come in on your shoes and clothes from outside and it takes no time for them to multiply into an infestation.

[ObiwanGinobili]

I used Advantix on the cats I've had on on Mr. big , my dog.
It was about $13 per month. not bad. more importantly - IT WORKS. butyou HAVE to keep it up.

[Horry For 3!]

Fleas are bad this year.....all our pets have it and we can't get rid of them no matter what

[pache100]

Fleas are bad this year.....all our pets have it and we can't get rid of them no matter what

If you try what I recommended, you will get rid of them. Keep the Advantage or Advantix on them (you can't let it lapse) on a schedule, and they will stay gone. Fleas DO NOT like that stuff.

[Vashner]

Yea I hate fleas. I would advise people against the back drops. It's a neurotoxin that will get into your pet's system.. and maybe you and your family too.

Edit: I am not saying the drops don't work.. yea they do. But they work by coating the fur with the toxin. And they don't call "pets' pets for nothing. You pet it.. it get's into your skin.

Shampoo and collar that kills eggs. Sevin dust in yard.

[leemajors]

i have used revolution for my dogs for the last 7 years, it works great. i think they make it for cats too. no bugs touch them at all. it is a back drop though.

[Vashner]

Just ignore me.. I am paranoid by nature. I just figure if it's going to kill the flea ya know.. it's not exactly happy juice.

The GOOD thing about the drops is they work.. and a suffering animal and people from tons of fleas blows. I know that.

[leemajors]

it's also good because it pretty much instantly kills mosquitos when they bite as well, and prevents heartworms. i really wish they had something like that for us humans ^_^

[pache100]

i have used revolution for my dogs for the last 7 years, it works great. i think they make it for cats too. no bugs touch them at all. it is a back drop though.

The back drops you get at the vet's office are not the same as the ones that are so dangerous for your pets. They are specially designed to disperse and usually in a few hours, you can't even see where you put it on. The ones you get at grocery and discount stores are pure poison. My Mom used to work in a vet's office, and you would not believe some of the heartbreaking stories she's told us about people using that crap on their pets (trying to save money = being cheap) and the problems it's caused...birth defects in kittens and puppies when people used it on pregnant dogs and cats, etc. The products you get at vet's offices do not have this effect and are not dangerous unless your pet has some kind of pre-existing medical condition.

My Mom's mantra the whole time she was working in the vet's office (and still today) is...if you can't afford to take care of your pet and get it the correct food and medications (including the correct flea-cide) it needs, YOU CANNOT AFFORD A PET.

[DJREN37]

Frontline plus also works great, my mom uses it on her 2 doggies.