I have used a spray from a company called Adams. I have seen it
literally kill fleas on contact. Every one of the fleas that I sprayed
died instantly. You spray it on the animal and work it in with your
fingers.

You can use a comb meant for lice to remove the dead fleas or just
leave them. This product is supposed to be safe for young kittens and
I have used it on some with good results. It was necessary to use it
because the flea shampoo didn't get all of the fleas. There is a good
chance the shampoo did not work properly because of my inexperience in
using it.

You MUST follow the shampoo instructions carefully. I didn't at first
and the live fleas simply walked to the untreated portion of the
animal. That is when I asked for help and was told to use the Adams to
get the remaining ones.

At home, I have found that Frontline or Advantage has done the trick
for me. Perhaps that is partly because my flea problem at home has
never been bad.

A friend has had fleas after treatment with Frontline or Advantage,
but I believe that is partly because she did not treat every animal in
the house at the same time. She didn't think the rabbit needed
treatment until I pointed out the large hair loss area. The vet
confirmed it was from untreated fleas. The fleas from the rabbit would
re-infect the dogs and cats after the Frontline or Advantage wore off.

The vet also sold her some spray to use on the carpet and furniture.
She was going to bomb the house, but reconsidered when I reminded her
that ALL the animals must be removed for a few hours to do that.

It's not a bad idea to get a special spray for the grass if you are
having a hard time getting all the fleas. Many of the fleas do not
actually live on the animal. They live in the carpet, upholstry,
grass, etc. They jump on the animal only to feed, then jump back off.

READ the instructions, ALL of them. These chemicals are poision and
they must be treated with respect so they don't do any harm to you or
your pets.

Personal experiences: Actually, I have seen  fleas on so many animals
that I think either some do live on the animal or they stay a long
time after they have eaten. You can tell if dirt is "flea dirt" or
just plain dirt by putting a drop of water or spit on the dirt. Flea
dirt will turn red because it contains elements of blood. Regular dirt
will not turn red. Sorry to be graphic, but you need to know.

Wet fleas do not look like the pictures that you see. To me, they look
longer and less tall than the pictures I have seen. More like a much
smaller version of a roach. I would guess they are about 1mm long, but
the pictues made me expect 1/4 or 1/2 that length.  I have seen them
walking, not jumping as I would have expected, from the wet part of
the animal to the dry part when I use the flea shampoo.

That is when you use the Adams. It is very difficult to kill a flea by
squashing them, they are very resilient to that. Usually, you think
you squashed one and when you let your finger up, the flea jumps a few
feet and is gone. They are incredible jumpers.

The book says that fleas will not bite humans when there is an animal
to bite because the animal tastes better to them. I have been bitten
when there are animals present. Perhaps an animal tastes better, but
some will still bite humans. That has been my experience.

Perhaps is it because I am allergic to the fleas and the bite itches
me more than it does other people that I realize I have been bitten. I
have seen people bitten by mosquetos and the people never knew it. I
know it when they bite me because it itches.

Obviously, check with your vet for advice. Remember though, that every
vet has different skill levels with different problems. Some that I
have talked to are not adequately skilled in some of the things that
they have told me. No one can know everything about every subject so
get a second opinion if you are not confident in the first opinion.
Also obviously change vets if yours gives too many wrong opinions.

The second opinion should preferably come from a different office, not
just a different vet. I have found some offices where all the vets
have the same, but incorrect opinion because they compare notes and
thus think alike.