sparrow
New Member
Joined: November 2019
Posts: 1
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Post by sparrow on Nov 20, 2019 19:05:46 GMT -5
Just found this place- I'm a hoarder who is too ashamed to let anyone into my flat, but one of my neighbours dogs has fleas, and they seem to have moved onto my cats. I need help, but I'm not sure how to get it.
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Post by Unswamping on Nov 20, 2019 20:45:54 GMT -5
Welcome sparrow thats a difficult situation you are dealing with. Im glad you found us. First are your cats indoor only, indoor/outdoor? Have you been treating them for fleas before this? Sometimes people who have indoor only cats dont flea treat them because it seems to make sense (if they dont go out, how could they get fleas?). That would be my first suggestion, use something good on the cats to get them protected. They may still get bitten but at least they wont be harboring them. Flea infestation can be very harmful to cats.
Im guessing you live in an apartment. Has your neighbor treated their dog and cleaned their apartment? The common areas will need to be cleaned too. Vacuumed (even if theres no carpet) and washed. Fleas when they are inside like crevices so you want to make sure any corners and along baseboard is cleaned very well.
What is the situation in your apartment? Is is just hoarding (lots of excess stuff) or squalor (dirt and trash) or both? FYI this is a judgement free zone, all of us have dealt with disgusting situations. So no criticism, just help from people who have been there, done that. Is it carpeted or hard floors? Do you have a vacuum cleaner?
Lets try to help you however we can. You are not alone.
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Post by dtesposito on Nov 20, 2019 22:21:03 GMT -5
Hi sparrow, I second Unswamping's suggestion to treat the cats first--I always used the topical flea meds on my cats, and I worked at a cat shelter for many years and we used it there too--adverse reactions are pretty rare. Get something good from your vet though.
After you do that, you can do some things to get rid of them in your apartment. And hopefully tackle your hoard at the same time!
Let us know more about your situation, and keep posting!
Diane
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Post by larataylor on Nov 20, 2019 22:45:21 GMT -5
sparrow - so sorry you're dealing with this. I've had fleas on cats in a cluttered situation, and it's difficult. Hopefully the neighbor is dealing with their own situation. Currently, I use Seresto collars on my cats. My vet recommended them. They're expensive, but they last for eight months. My cats stay indoors, and there were no fleas for six years, and then suddenly we had them. I vacuumed everywhere and used flea powder. I put Borax into the vacuum bag to kill the fleas in there. The infestation started in the basement, where we didn't notice until it was bad. I hope you've caught this at an earlier stage. Clutter gives the fleas lots of places to hide. In the end, we had to remove the cats from the house and use flea bombs, over and over again, to get all the fleas. You have to be vigilant for about a year because of the life stages of the flea. I used to use Frontline, but it stopped working in my area, and I think Advantix works now if you want to use the drops. I don't recommend the cheaper flea collars, especially not Hartz. Your vet can give the cats a pill--I think it's called Capstar. It kills everything currently on the cat, but you have to follow it up with something else because of the fleas in the house. Good luck and let us know how it's going.
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Post by joyinvirginia on Nov 21, 2019 11:12:05 GMT -5
Welcome sparrow! yes, flea infestations are not fun. get those kitties some flea meds, then vacuum vacuum vacuum!
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Post by Tea on Nov 28, 2019 9:59:49 GMT -5
I recommend using something like Revolution (https://www.revolutionplus.com/) which you get from the vet and just goes between their should blades or back of their neck. Within a day the fleas are dead/dying and the cats are much happier. Then you can focus on the cleaning.
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Post by mylittlescholar on Nov 28, 2019 10:32:27 GMT -5
We had a horrible flea infestation, and I found an amazing safe product that kills the fleas when they hatch. Its helpful to understand the life-cycle of fleas. The collars, etc. kill the adults, but the eggs survive, and the heat and vibration from vacuuming wakes them up. Of course now I have to go look it up... bbl... okay I think it is Flea Stoppers, which is basically boric acid compounded so that it is safe for humans and pets.
I hired a company which came out and applied it on my carpets with a special applicator, but you don't need that, you can just sprinkle it, depending on your clutter situation. Its about $30 for a jar, which will cover 400 sq ft. If you have a good relationship with your neighbors, perhaps you can co-ordinate with them?
oh, and WELCOME! we are glad you found us! this is an awesome community.
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