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The Jeffos - 28 Apr 2005 16:16 GMT

One of our four furries is having problems with cat fleas. He reacts badly
to such things as Frontline and programme and sprays. We comb him daily with
an "electric" comb and a "flea"comb and he also wears a 12 month type flea
collar but the damned little fleas still make a bee line for him. Our other
three are not affected in any way as they are able to take the Frontline
back of the neck programme. Don't want to put him on steroids as vet
suggested so am wondering if anyone out there has had a similar problem and
has found a "natural" way to overcome it He is 7kg in weight so is a very
big cat to handle although a gentle soul . He and we would be most grateful
for any help or suggestions

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patjeffo

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JBHajos - 28 Apr 2005 16:48 GMT

>One of our four furries is having problems with cat fleas. He reacts badly
>to such things as Frontline and programme and sprays.

Sounds as though you're doing all you can. Is he an outdoor cat?
I don't know of any "natural" way but we do use Revolution which seems
to be more "tolerable" and effective than others.

Jeanne

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Yowie - 28 Apr 2005 22:32 GMT

>>One of our four furries is having problems with cat fleas. He reacts
>>badly
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> I don't know of any "natural" way but we do use Revolution which seems
> to be more "tolerable" and effective than others.

Advantage may also work - although again, its artificial.

You may want to try a citronella cat collar. I didn't have much luck with
them, but I had a *Severe* infestation. And I've also heard what Dan M said,
brewer's yeast is supposed to help if its in their food.

Would he tolerate baths?

Yowie

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Dan M - 28 Apr 2005 20:25 GMT

> One of our four furries is having problems with cat fleas. He reacts badly
> to such things as Frontline and programme and sprays. We comb him daily with
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> big cat to handle although a gentle soul . He and we would be most grateful
> for any help or suggestions

I have no direct experience with this, but have heard that brewer's
yeast in kitty's food will make him taste less appealing to fleas.

Dan

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Lorna - 29 Apr 2005 00:09 GMT

>> One of our four furries is having problems with cat fleas. He reacts
>> badly to such things as Frontline and programme and sprays. We comb him
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Dan

Brewer's yeast worked wonderfully well for my Missy (RB) - I bought bottles
of tablets and she would lick away at one as long as I could hold the nubbin
and she'd gobble the remainder when it was too small for me to hold any
longer. I believe you can also buy it in flake or granule form.
My current cats have no interest whatsoever in brewer's yeast.....
Lorna (Chessie & Nikki)

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Elise - 29 Apr 2005 00:13 GMT

>> One of our four furries is having problems with cat fleas. He reacts
>> badly to such things as Frontline and programme and sprays. We comb
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> Dan

I've heard brewer's yeast and also apple cider vinegar, although I
haven't figured out how you'd get them to drink it.

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Elise (supervised by Gossamer & Jeeves)
pics: http://photos.yahoo.com/dragonandthistle@snet.net

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Bev - 29 Apr 2005 00:59 GMT

> >> One of our four furries is having problems with cat fleas. He reacts
> >> badly to such things as Frontline and programme and sprays. We comb
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> Elise (supervised by Gossamer & Jeeves)
> pics: http://photos.yahoo.com/dragonandthistle@snet.net

The main thing is to get the fleas in the bedding and on the floor.
You say the fleas are little which means they have just hatched out.
Believe me, I know from experience you don't need many big fleas to get
an infestation as even a few fleas lay masses of eggs which drop off the
cat everywhere. The fleas go into the larva stage and then pupate,
usually in the carpet or bedding. They are very sensitive to vibrations
and will hatch as soon as anything walks near. Spraying the floor with
fly spray is a good idea; wash all bedding. Unfortunately you need to
do it quite often until they stop hatching.

Bev

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Cats aren't clean, they're just covered with cat spit.

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EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) - 29 Apr 2005 21:12 GMT

> The main thing is to get the fleas in the bedding and on the floor.
> You say the fleas are little which means they have just hatched out.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> fly spray is a good idea; wash all bedding. Unfortunately you need to
> do it quite often until they stop hatching.

And don't forget frequent vacuuming (hoovering), to get some
of them before they hatch!

> Bev

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Jo Firey - 29 Apr 2005 01:26 GMT

> One of our four furries is having problems with cat fleas. He reacts
> badly to such things as Frontline and programme and sprays. We comb him
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> weight so is a very big cat to handle although a gentle soul . He and we
> would be most grateful for any help or suggestions

What about going after the source of the fleas. Is this an indoor cat or
outdoor or in and out. Inside the house fleas and eggs can easily be
destroyed by a thorough cleaning and vacuuming. Then fogging the house.
(With you and the cats away for several hours obviously)

And the most important part, doing it all over again in 15 days even if you
think you got them all the first time.

If the source is outdoors, again, I'd keep the cats in for a couple of days
and spray as much of their territory as you can and give it a chance to air
out before they go back out.

I've been lucky in that Advantage always works on my dogs and cats and none
of them have a problem with it. Other that a sudden urgent need to be
elsewhere once they figure out its that time of the month.

Jo

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Mathew Kagis - 29 Apr 2005 18:40 GMT

Pennyroyal. Part of the mint family, fleas HATE it. Mop your floors with
pennyroyal tea, keep a few potted plants around, where your cat comes in &
out of the house, where he sleeps etc... You can even give him a bath in it.
It won't kill fleas, it will get them to run screaming away from it.

Mathew
Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat
En Vino Veritas

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Karen - 29 Apr 2005 18:53 GMT

>> One of our four furries is having problems with cat fleas. He reacts
> badly
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat
> En Vino Veritas

Isn't Pennyroyal poisonous?

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Pat - 29 Apr 2005 19:14 GMT

> Isn't Pennyroyal poisonous?

I think it takes more to hurt a cat than the cat would ever want to eat of
it. It certainly won't hurt to bathe in it or use it to wash the floor. The
essential oil is another story. Very concentrated. It's sometimes used in
natural flea collars.

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EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) - 29 Apr 2005 21:09 GMT

Brewers yeast is supposed to make their "taste" unappealing
to fleas, as is garlic. (And many cats seem to regard the
brewers yeast tablets as treats.) Trader Joe markets in the
Western U.S. used to sell tablets of combined garlic and
brewers yeast. (They probably still do, but since my cat is
now indoor-only, she doesn't get exposed to fleas.)

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Margaret Fine - 29 Apr 2005 23:10 GMT

If you cats go outside you may want to look into nematodes for your
yard. You spray them on the grass/soil and they eat the flea larvae
without hurting anything else.

Also, regular bathing (once a week during flea season) with a mild
shampoo is probably essential in your case to get the adult fleas and
eggs off the untreated pet.

Make sure the other cats are on Frontline Plus so the eggs will be
killed as well as adult fleas that may get on the treated cats.

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Margaret Fine
mefine@mindspring.com

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