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Battle of the Fleas; I'm Losing the War

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haha, given how much random stuff you have used, your place might become uninhabitable in no time.

But I know how you feel, I did have to bomb my place (twice), vaccum 3 times a day and shower right after and wash all clothes (including bed sheets, covers, etc).

I got rid of them after like a month or so.


As far as what my cat had to go through....well, he was getting a shower like about every 2 weeks. I hated it more than he did (got the scars to prove it :C)

Bed...bugs...ugh. Mother nature is scary. As for the bomb, as I've said, I just can't wing it in case I blow the complex sky high, but I will have a meeting with her this weekend (I hope).

P.S. Thanks for adding another horror to the list. I do feel better!

Spiders/Cockroaches/Bedbugs > Fleas

Ants are far more annoying/harder to exterminate.
 
Ants are far more annoying/harder to exterminate.
Argentine ants are especially annoying, but I wonder if they might simultaneously be one of the easier ones. Outside of South America they're all horrifically inbred, to the point of seeing all queens as the same, so I imagine a larger swath of them are exterminated with the right traps. At least I haven't seen them in a long time once traps that worked were found.
 
This is true. Cockroaches and Spiders > Fleas




It does seem like a really high population given their resistance to multiple defenses, and maybe one month of hard cleaning, medicating and spraying isn't enough to make a difference, but I'm not sure what you mean by "suck it up and set off a flea bomb." As I said, it's against the apartment complex's policy and I've been trying to speak with my manager about getting around it. I'm not avoiding it because I enjoy the extra company.

They're gonna have to do it anyways if you don't since they can't rent out an apartment that's infested with vermin.
 
when i worked for a pest control company, i sprayed a house for fleas once. our policy was to spray it 1-2 times a week wherever the homeowner told us there were fleas. mist the carpet and rugs and under the rugs, mist the whole yard, the bed, furniture, etc. and the pets too.

however, the one time i did it, i was never told to go back so i don't know how it turned out. good luck :D
 
My house use to infested with fleas, would get bitten all the time.
You gotta physically kill/remove them in order for the problem to go away.
Sometimes they are just too quick to catch by hand, so I would suggest using scotch tape.
Whenever you see them, just get a piece of tape and quickly press it against them.
They will easily get stuck on to the tape. I've caught over a hundred fleas using this method, and eventually the problem went away.
 
haha, given how much random stuff you have used, your place might become uninhabitable in no time.

But I know how you feel, I did have to bomb my place (twice), vaccum 3 times a day and shower right after and wash all clothes (including bed sheets, covers, etc).

I got rid of them after like a month or so.


As far as what my cat had to go through....well, he was getting a shower like about every 2 weeks. I hated it more than he did (got the scars to prove it :C)



Ants are far more annoying/harder to exterminate.


Not random! All vouched for by professionals (i.e. the internet and/or the vet)! :D But, yeah. I do feel like I'm overdoing it and yet not making a difference at all. Ah, well. Several people have said that it takes time, so I may need another month to fully purge the pests and reclaim my living room. And you had to bomb twice, so bombing is not an insta-solution either... Cat will have another bath in... 10 days? I still have some Capstar but I'm holding those for the next big effort. Cheers for the account. At least you were able to free yourself of them eventually.

Argentine ants are especially annoying, but I wonder if they might simultaneously be one of the easier ones. Outside of South America they're all horrifically inbred, to the point of seeing all queens as the same, so I imagine a larger swath of them are exterminated with the right traps. At least I haven't seen them in a long time once traps that worked were found.

Ants aren't as creepy to me visually, but man they do bite harder. I've been lucky with the fleas in that they don't like my taste, I guess, but summer hasn't fully hit yet, so who knows? :/


Dear gods... With the humidity you must be very popular with the biters.

They're gonna have to do it anyways if you don't since they can't rent out an apartment that's infested with vermin.

You'd think, but she seemed pretty adamant when I mentioned it before (maybe someone else actually blew their apt up?).

when i worked for a pest control company, i sprayed a house for fleas once. our policy was to spray it 1-2 times a week wherever the homeowner told us there were fleas. mist the carpet and rugs and under the rugs, mist the whole yard, the bed, furniture, etc. and the pets too.

however, the one time i did it, i was never told to go back so i don't know how it turned out. good luck :D

1-2 times a week? Man. All the industrial flea sprays I read about were one time applications that mentioned "year-round" protection, but had no great results in the end. Maybe I need to spray again? I worry for the cat, though. I could board her again, but the stuff is pretty toxic. I guess if you weren't told to go back then it worked out, though. Do you remember what you used?
 
They will eat you alive and then use your nibbled body as a vehicle to spread their evil to the rest of the world.
So u are saying i can come over.

Have u tried bug bombing? That worked for us...get a hotel room bring ur cat to the vet and get the pll that kills them then bomb ur house two days in a row while vacuuming.

Edit: don't tell the apartment owners what u are doing...its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
 
During the summer years ago my old Lab was infested with ticks. I plucked so many of them off by hand and stuck them in a bottle with alcohol.
Fortunately after applying Frontline they all but vanished.
 
I have chemical-free alternatives for you to try, no guarantees of course, but based on previous experience I can honestly say these can be effective.

Step one: Cedar.
Sounds dumb, but sprinkle some cedar bedding around the perimeter of every carpeted wall, especially corners. Fleas seem to hate the smell, so they stay out of the areas where its put down. Plus it smells loads better than the chemicals you could be using.
images


Step two: Death by drowning.
Sounds even dumber, but fill a foil pie tin with hot water, place it in the middle of the room and place a desk lamp over it. Fleas are attracted to heat, they hop over to see what's so hot and end up in the pan to drown. The water will only stay warm so long, which is where the desk lamp comes in. Grow bulbs work really well, but they're expensive. Don't use a CFL or fluorescent bulb, tho, they're to cool.

images

+
images


Step three: knee socks, laundry & vacuuming.
Sounds like you've got this covered, but every time you kill a flea that's one less to reproduce... pick 'em off your socks mash 'em, disgusting but effective! Wash sheets and towels twice a week and vacuum 2-3 times a day.

Feel free to try any or all, sounds a bit (ok, a lot) redneck-ish, but I can assure you it worked for me!



my story (not that anyone cares): bought a house from owners who 'adopted' a stray cat just days before they moved out. house was uninhabited for a week while the move occurred, so the fleas... well, they had an empty house and took advantage of it.
 
For anyone with dogs there is a prescription chewable pill called Comfortis that will kill all fleas on the dog within days and any flea that bites them for a month. It starts working almost instantly too.

Stuffs hella expensive though. You need a prescription from a vet plus a 6 month dosage is at least $80. But I've never seen flea medicine work as fast as that did. Before we put the dog on it he was infested with fleas, which then hopped on over to the cats.
 
1-2 times a week? Man. All the industrial flea sprays I read about were one time applications that mentioned "year-round" protection, but had no great results in the end. Maybe I need to spray again? I worry for the cat, though. I could board her again, but the stuff is pretty toxic. I guess if you weren't told to go back then it worked out, though. Do you remember what you used?
well the reason i never went back was because i was only in the area for a week, so i just never found out what happened. as for the product we used, it was non-toxic (i know this from experience because when i first started out i often ended up drinking it when power spraying into the wind :P) and completely safe for pets (hence why we could spray the pets with the hand sprayer). the only thing i know is that it's some completely natural spray made out of a flower or something.

here's the link to the company i worked for: http://www.apluspestcontrol.com/flea-control-services-edmond-ok.html

they might have changed their policies, as i haven't worked for them in a couple years. but you might call them and ask for tips.
 
A while back, we had a flea infestation. The upstairs has hardwood floors so they all moved to the basement where they could hide in the carpet and bite the shit out of me.

We treated the cats and house using all sorts of methods. The only thing that worked was this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ANYHY6/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I bought a few cans of that, vacuumed, and then doused the entire basement and all furniture with it, waited for it to dry, and then vacuumed again. Thats what got them.
 
I'll aim for scalding water on the tiles. Did you mix the water with anything? I've heard the borax works for that, but if you know a better mixture, I'd love to hear it. I wish this week wasn't E3.

I used just plain borax or sometimes a floor cleaner.


http://www.virbacvet.com/Products/VirbacAnimalHealth-Anti-parasitic/EnvironmentalControl/House/VIRBACKnockout.aspx said:


Just thought I'd mention. My vet advised me AGAINST using anything with permethrin or pyrethroids ON my cat. But pyrethrins were ok.

Since you wouldn't be using it ON a cat, maybe it'd be alright... Maybe as long as the treated area dries first it'd be OK for cats. I honestly don't know.

http://suite101.com/article/pyrethrin-and-permethrin-are-not-the-same-thing-a146310 said:
 
I had a nasty flea infestation once. The only thing that worked was religious vacuuming 4 or so times a day for a week or two.

This also means you probably have mice somewhere, BTW.
 
Aaaaaand an update:

I've been MIA because working E3 took up all my waking and meager sleeping hours. It's been 4 days since I did a good clean or combed the cat. Not too many fleas jumped on me in the living room when I returned, but the bedroom netted 13 when I first walked over the carpet. Schmootz herself was liberated from 19 tonight when I combed her. That's less than the last time (good-ish), but still quite a few considering the Frontline and Advantage. Super cleaning to commence tomorrow and hopefully bombs soon. She also yakked all over the carpet by way of greeting. May her orange bile drown the insatiable hordes.


zGv99l.jpg

Schmootz on her flea apron



I have chemical-free alternatives for you to try, no guarantees of course, but based on previous experience I can honestly say these can be effective.

Step one: Cedar.
Sounds dumb, but sprinkle some cedar bedding around the perimeter of every carpeted wall, especially corners. Fleas seem to hate the smell, so they stay out of the areas where its put down. Plus it smells loads better than the chemicals you could be using.
images



Feel free to try any or all, sounds a bit (ok, a lot) redneck-ish, but I can assure you it worked for me!


my story (not that anyone cares): bought a house from owners who 'adopted' a stray cat just days before they moved out. house was uninhabited for a week while the move occurred, so the fleas... well, they had an empty house and took advantage of it.

Cheers for the suggestions. Like I said in the OP I have light traps set up (bugger all they do, though), but I'll check out the cedar stuff. Less toxic would be great for the cat. I'm already scared that there's too much powder everywhere...

And your story is most welcome. I really appreciate all the suggestions I've been getting, but it's the tales of victory that are extra heartening.

Make sure to add a little soap to the water to breakup the surface tension of the water to ensure that the fleas sink and drown.

Yup. I have that in my bedroom and carry one around with me to drown all the fleas I pick off of me and the cat when I comb her. It is a yellow bowl of death.

For anyone with dogs there is a prescription chewable pill called Comfortis that will kill all fleas on the dog within days and any flea that bites them for a month. It starts working almost instantly too.

Stuffs hella expensive though. You need a prescription from a vet plus a 6 month dosage is at least $80. But I've never seen flea medicine work as fast as that did. Before we put the dog on it he was infested with fleas, which then hopped on over to the cats.

That's been suggested, but it's not for cats?

well the reason i never went back was because i was only in the area for a week, so i just never found out what happened. as for the product we used, it was non-toxic (i know this from experience because when i first started out i often ended up drinking it when power spraying into the wind :P) and completely safe for pets (hence why we could spray the pets with the hand sprayer). the only thing i know is that it's some completely natural spray made out of a flower or something.

here's the link to the company i worked for: http://www.apluspestcontrol.com/flea-control-services-edmond-ok.html

they might have changed their policies, as i haven't worked for them in a couple years. but you might call them and ask for tips.

Thanks, balddemon. I'd seen ads for that, but the reviews were always really poor. Natural stuff seems to be weaker against fleas. For shame.

A while back, we had a flea infestation. The upstairs has hardwood floors so they all moved to the basement where they could hide in the carpet and bite the shit out of me.

We treated the cats and house using all sorts of methods. The only thing that worked was this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ANYHY6/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I bought a few cans of that, vacuumed, and then doused the entire basement and all furniture with it, waited for it to dry, and then vacuumed again. Thats what got them.

I looked for that stuff in three different pet stores, the vet and two home depots. I settled for other well reviewed stuff that was immediately available, but in the end didn't have great results. :( I'll see how the bombing talk goes with the manager tomorrow and if it doesn't work out I might as well order the stuff. Thanks for the link and great to hear that it's effective.

I used just plain borax or sometimes a floor cleaner.


Just thought I'd mention. My vet advised me AGAINST using anything with permethrin or pyrethroids ON my cat. But pyrethrins were ok.

Since you wouldn't be using it ON a cat, maybe it'd be alright... Maybe as long as the treated area dries first it'd be OK for cats. I honestly don't know.

Yeah. I've been avoiding that stuff too, but the vet did say it was fine if it had the proper time to dry. Most heavy duty flea killer has permethrin, so it's hard to avoid. It also seems quite a bit stronger than pyrethrins, unfortunately. Will do the borax mopping tomorrow.

No Schmootz pic today? I go to bed disappointed. :(

There ya go. ;)

I had a nasty flea infestation once. The only thing that worked was religious vacuuming 4 or so times a day for a week or two.

This also means you probably have mice somewhere, BTW.

Mice...? :/ Haven't seen any signs, thank goodness, but I'll look deep into the cabinets. Ugh...
 
You've done everything and more that I did when my cat had a bad infestation. The constant vacuuming, the napalm on carpets, the goat sacrifices. I hope a book comes out of this.

Also your cat reminds me of mine.
MSM70l.jpg

edit: bonus
iYeTCl.jpg
 
Update:

Manager nixed the bombs because apparently there was a disaster two years ago when someone used them poorly, and it's complex policy that we can't now. But(!) she gave me a bit of a break on my rent and told me they're having an exterminator come in mid-summer to do general spraying for termites and that they'd do the flea spray for free if they weren't gone by then. Not what I wanted to hear, but with the rent break I was able to get a new vacuum cleaner (my old one died this weekend from all the vacuuming) that is so damned powerful that the first time I used it it blew the fuse box. :D And after two days of vacuuming with this sucker there has been a marked decline in the fleas.

So was the key a heavy duty vacuum cleaner the whole time? Seems to be cutting some serious swathes through their ranks.

I also ordered Knockout online, got more advantage, taped up any holes in the cabinets to prevent vermin from bringing in any fleas (if they had been in there) and bought some cedar chips... Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. Surely now the tide will go in my favor.


And for levity (as was posted on my FB):

DjXyil.jpg




Dat apron...

Shaddup, you. :P

You've done everything and more that I did when my cat had a bad infestation. The constant vacuuming, the napalm on carpets, the goat sacrifices. I hope a book comes out of this.

Also your cat reminds me of mine.
http://i.imgur.com/MSM70l.jpg[IMG]
edit: bonus
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/iYeTCl.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]


I've really been trying my best and an end in sight would be wonderful. Hopefully the new vacuum combined with the might of animal sacrifice will end my curse once and for all! The day I reclaim my living room shall be a sweet day, indeed. And, awww... I love your kitty, Acrid! It does look like my little idiot. Name?

Schmootz says hi:

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/mT6WIl.jpg

Just look at those freaky paw tufts...
 
I've really been trying my best and an end in sight would be wonderful. Hopefully the new vacuum combined with the might of animal sacrifice will end my curse once and for all! The day I reclaim my living room shall be a sweet day, indeed. And, awww... I love your kitty, Acrid! It does look like my little idiot. Name?

Getting rid of them will be one the greatest feelings ever. I remember being soooo damn relived when I could wake up in the morning and not be all bitten up and my cats werent all itchy.
Still, to this day, anytime I see a black speck on me or my cats, I have this brief moment of horror as I reach down to see what it is. It hasnt been a flea yet but my brain constantly tells me it is. Theyre so horrible.

Schmootz says hi:

mT6WIl.jpg


Just look at those freaky paw tufts...

Lol, I love when cats lay on their side but smush their head down and sideways like that. It looks so uncomfortable.

Heres mine:
yKWIi.jpg

Ashes

TOZy7.jpg

Cali




I love the eyes. Looks kinda murderous. Id watch your back.
 
You could solve this with one trip to the vet.

You need Program injections

It basically sits in the cat's bloodstream for six months, and every time a flea bites the cat, it cannot reproduce. If a flea cannot reproduce, eventually the flea problem is gone. We had massive flea issues and solved it with program injections. It took about 6 weeks to be fully effective, but the beauty of it is that it takes care of the fleas in your apartment too - as soon as they bite the cat they won't be laying any more eggs!
 
I'm sorry to op, but this thread is my guilty pleasure. The way you talk of slaughtering the hordes and their family, its just too good.
 
Recently just got rid of my flea infestation.

Basically all I did was:

-Picked tons of the fuckers off of them
-Borax all over the carpet
-Vacuumed every day (dump it out immediately)
-Special flea shampoo
-Vectra 3D for cats (like Frontline but sterilizes the eggs too)

Basically just did that for a month and now they're gone. I was getting between 20-30 fleas off each cat for days, now I don't get any.
 
This is going to be the plotline for a new Xseed game.

I am convinced this thread is just clever viral marketing.

Lol. Adol Christin and Dogi, together with their new friend Schmootz, embark on their greatest adventure yet...to destroy the evil flea menace in H.Protagonists apartment.

Id buy it.
 
Getting rid of them will be one the greatest feelings ever. I remember being soooo damn relived when I could wake up in the morning and not be all bitten up and my cats werent all itchy.
Still, to this day, anytime I see a black speck on me or my cats, I have this brief moment of horror as I reach down to see what it is. It hasnt been a flea yet but my brain constantly tells me it is. Theyre so horrible.



Lol, I love when cats lay on their side but smush their head down and sideways like that. It looks so uncomfortable.

Heres mine:
http://i.imgur.com/yKWIi.jpg[img]
Ashes

[img]http://i.imgur.com/TOZy7.jpg[img]
Cali


I love the eyes. Looks kinda murderous. Id watch your back.[/QUOTE]

Every time I walk across the carpet and don't find a flea hitchhiking on my socks I feel elated. I can't even imagine the relief that a flea-free house will bring. Soon, soon. One more hard push this weekend, then persistence in the vacuuming/laundry.

Your cats are so cool-looking! I love the markings on Cali. Having two cats is best (so that they have constant company), but my apartment is too small for another fluff monster. When I get a bigger place I'll adopt another one. :) And since you like the face smash...

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/tiCw8.jpg

Wall squish!

You could solve this with one trip to the vet.

You need Program injections

It basically sits in the cat's bloodstream for six months, and every time a flea bites the cat, it cannot reproduce. If a flea cannot reproduce, eventually the flea problem is gone. We had massive flea issues and solved it with program injections. It took about 6 weeks to be fully effective, but the beauty of it is that it takes care of the fleas in your apartment too - as soon as they bite the cat they won't be laying any more eggs!

Other posters had recommended Program, but she's been exposed to so many chemicals/powders during this, that I'm loathe to start her on that in the middle of the Advantage/Frontline that she's already on. As soon as my 3 month supply runs out I will DEFINITELY be considering that as my major preventative measure, though. Good to hear that it's so thorough. It breaks the cycle on its own, and that is when the magic happens. :)


Cover your apartment in double sided tape, that way when they try to move they get stuck on the tape.

Oh, to come home one day and find the cat stuck upside-down on the living room wall. I would treasure that sight 'til I die.

I'm sorry to op, but this thread is my guilty pleasure. The way you talk of slaughtering the hordes and their family, its just too good.

On the eve of the great battle of the bedroom, mini-trebuchets were constructed of the most blessed of toothpicks and those miniature plastic swords you find in terrifically overpriced drinks. The bodies of the slain were laden onto slings made of rubber hair ties, and their chitinous carcasses were piled high. The signal was given and the unholy rain of bloodsuckers showered down upon the survivors of great vacuum...

Recently just got rid of my flea infestation.

Basically all I did was:

-Picked tons of the fuckers off of them
-Borax all over the carpet
-Vacuumed every day (dump it out immediately)
-Special flea shampoo
-Vectra 3D for cats (like Frontline but sterilizes the eggs too)

Basically just did that for a month and now they're gone. I was getting between 20-30 fleas off each cat for days, now I don't get any.

This is close to what I've been doing, but the vacuum may be the deciding factor (and perhaps another sterilizing spray of flea killer?). It's a relief to hear that you were victorious using these methods since that's been part of my system. I'll keep at it and hopefully get the same result as you.

This is going to be the plotline for a new Xseed game.

I am convinced this thread is just clever viral marketing.

<_< >_>
 
And, awww... I love your kitty, Acrid! It does look like my little idiot. Name?

Schmootz says hi:

mT6WIl.jpg


Just look at those freaky paw tufts...
DR6PPl.jpg

BUzm8l.jpg

His name is Lucky, but not for being a black cat.
When we adopted him he only had a couple days left at the shelter.
The relief will come soon, and it will be glorious. Seriously, when they stopped, my goodness. I'm agnostic, but the song of the heavens started playing. The sun beamed down, the cat was dancing, I was weeping. A mural was painted by an up and coming artist.

That feeling will soon be yours.
 
Every time I walk across the carpet and don't find a flea hitchhiking on my socks I feel elated. I can't even imagine the relief that a flea-free house will bring. Soon, soon. One more hard push this weekend, then persistence in the vacuuming/laundry.

Your cats are so cool-looking! I love the markings on Cali. Having two cats is best (so that they have constant company), but my apartment is too small for another fluff monster. When I get a bigger place I'll adopt another one. :) And since you like the face smash...

tiCw8.jpg


Wall squish!

LOL

They lay down wherever the hell they want. How is that comfortable? Theres no way it can be.
 
H.Protagonist sadly I'm dealing with the same thing you are. My cat butters got some fleas and now the little fucks have took over the house. At this point I should start charging them rent. We have mostly hardwood floors save for the bedroom, where they have taken to turning me into a 5 star restaurant. Everyone else in the house gets away with no bites, me I look like a plague victim at this point.

Butters my cat is taking the worst if it, they seem to just love hanging out on his face the poor guy. I bath him every two days and puck them off when I can but they keep coming back. I think they run to his head when I bath him like when the Titanic sunk. This thread has gave me some good idea's, one bring the lion cut for him. He's already gold so he should totally look like a lion. Anyway I'll report back on the battle soon. Now pics of butters. :-D

 
DR6PPl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BUzm8l.jpg[IMG]
His name is Lucky, but not for being a black cat. [spoiler]When we adopted him he only had a couple days left at the shelter.[/spoiler]
The relief will come soon, and it will be glorious. Seriously, when they stopped, my goodness. I'm agnostic, but the song of the heavens started playing. The sun beamed down, the cat was dancing, I was weeping. A mural was painted by an up and coming artist.

That feeling will soon be yours.[/QUOTE]

Lucky looks like a kitty-bear. So fluffy!

;_; Near misses like that are upsetting. How many awesome animals are put down just because their shelter time was 'up'? Everyone should really be adopting if they're not after a particular breed.

And the day those fleas are gone I'm sure the heavens will open up and butterballs with wings will descend to serenade us with heavenly music. And then the cat will attack them (as is proper). I cannot wait for this semi-religious and bloody scenario. :)

[quote="Salaadin, post: 38871036"]LOL

They lay down wherever the hell they want. How is that comfortable? Theres no way it can be.[/QUOTE]

They do sort of prop themselves in the most absurd of positions. It's part of their overall 'entertainment' package. :D

[quote="DarkFlow83, post: 38872126"]H.Protagonist sadly I'm dealing with the same thing you are. My cat butters got some fleas and now the little fucks have took over the house. At this point I should start charging them rent. We have mostly hardwood floors save for the bedroom, where they have taken to turning me into a 5 star restaurant. Everyone else in the house gets away with no bites, me I look like a plague victim at this point.

Butters my cat is taking the worst if it, they seem to just love hanging out on his face the poor guy. I bath him every two days and puck them off when I can but they keep coming back. I think they run to his head when I bath him like when the Titanic sunk. This thread has gave me some good idea's, one bring the lion cut for him. He's already gold so he should totally look like a lion. Anyway I'll report back on the battle soon. Now pics of butters. :-D

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/TXz2e.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/GH5hK.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/EEKHI.jpg

Sorry to hear that you've entered this fiery, relentless hell. It's going to be very frustrating, but everyone has had a lot of great advice, and my trial and error process should help you decide what works best. For Butters (cute name and cat!) you'll need to hit the vet ASAP. Get him a dip, a shave and a monthly treatment. If you haven't already started him on something like Advantage or Frontline, the "Program" has been highly recommended here. Just be super careful not to over-medicate him and watch out for any flea sprays/powders you use. Permethrin is bad bad bad. Just check with your vet about everything. Even with "cat safe" flea spray my cat had a bad reaction, so be uber careful.

And definitely feel free to post here about how it goes! More Butters pictures are also welcome, especially when you get the lion cut. :) (But resize them! They're HUGE.)
 
Lucky looks like a kitty-bear. So fluffy!

;_; Near misses like that are upsetting. How many awesome animals are put down just because their shelter time was 'up'? Everyone should really be adopting if they're not after a particular breed.

And the day those fleas are gone I'm sure the heavens will open up and butterballs with wings will descend to serenade us with heavenly music. And then the cat will attack them (as is proper). I cannot wait for this semi-religious and bloody scenario. :)



They do sort of prop themselves in the most absurd of positions. It's part of their overall 'entertainment' package. :D



Sorry to hear that you've entered this fiery, relentless hell. It's going to be very frustrating, but everyone has had a lot of great advice, and my trial and error process should help you decide what works best. For Butters (cute name and cat!) you'll need to hit the vet ASAP. Get him a dip, a shave and a monthly treatment. If you haven't already started him on something like Advantage or Frontline, the "Program" has been highly recommended here. Just be super careful not to over-medicate him and watch out for any flea sprays/powders you use. Permethrin is bad bad bad. Just check with your vet about everything. Even with "cat safe" flea spray my cat had a bad reaction, so be uber careful.

And definitely feel free to post here about how it goes! More Butters pictures are also welcome, especially when you get the lion cut. :) (But resize them! They're HUGE.)
Lol sorry I posted them from my phone so I had no idea how big they were. Anyway I'm going to take him to the vet on Monday for a cut, dip and I'll see about program.
 
Update: vet called today and said they can take him tomorrow. So the great flea war is about to go shock and awe. I'm going to salt the earth next so the fleas days are numbered.
 
Nah, three is best ;)

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Oh! Is the mom and kitties from when you first adopted her? O_O Freakin' adorable! Does this mean you ended up keeping them all? :D

I've been following your epic with great interest, HP...well, as much as I can endure. It makes me itchy :P

Oh! Is this the mom and kitties from when you first adopted her? Freakin' adorable! Does this mean you ended up keeping them all? :D

And, pray you never undergo these trials. It's been an absolute nightmare. -_-

Update: vet called today and said they can take him tomorrow. So the great flea war is about to go shock and awe. I'm going to salt the earth next so the fleas days are numbered.

Great! Are you prepared to bomb/spray the house while he's out? Are you armed to the teeth with Borax and a tupperware full of dish soap? Have bought yourself a case of beer to help you deal with the trauma?! ;) This is a great chance to hit them with the nukes while the cat's out. I highly recommend boarding him there or at a friends for the night so that all the heavy duty stuff can settle in/dry (it was super cheap to board at my vet, $13). I can't wait to see the lion cut and I love this picture of Butters:

 
what a fucking nightmare. i kind of want a pet when we move into our new apartment (won't be for another 2 years) but stories like this make me not want to get one.

also, i don't understand how an indoor cat can get fleas
 
also, i don't understand how an indoor cat can get fleas

Contamination from another apartment or animal that wanders by.

I've never seen fleas migrate to my apartment though, and almost everyone else in this building has at least one dog.
 
Also, plenty of people buy pet food/supplies at pet stores, which can house flea populations.

It's not that hard to imagine, really. I just feel terrible for the trials the cats and their owners have to go through when it happens.
 
Oh! Is this the mom and kitties from when you first adopted her? Freakin' adorable! Does this mean you ended up keeping them all? :D

And, pray you never undergo these trials. It's been an absolute nightmare. -_-

Oh, I've done the flea thing, but it doesn't come anywhere close to your seemingly endless horror. I would bug out
hyuk yuk yuk

Anyway, yeah, we kept mama cat and two of four kittens...five would have been crazy ha ha. They are fun though, I'm convinced nothing goes better together than five y/o's and kittens ;)

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Madison (mama cat) and Pandora

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All four kittens shortly before two of them left the nest a couple weeks ago, Hobbes sitting upright and the two who left curled around the outside. The longhair in particular is dearly missed, but I don't think we could do a longhair for a variety of reasons. We're happy with the ones we have, though! They are all pretty swell, even the mama cat is starting to act like a normal cat again (for the first time since we adopted her pretty much). She went into heat just as her milk was going down, which was awwwwwful.
 
Monthly application time! Schmootz, unfortunately, has a tongue like a lizard and always gets uncomfortably close to licking off the application, so... the sock. Her embarrassment was so complete that when it went on that she just lay there and let me doodle a Gaf mark on her. Her shame is never-ending.

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what a fucking nightmare. i kind of want a pet when we move into our new apartment (won't be for another 2 years) but stories like this make me not want to get one.

also, i don't understand how an indoor cat can get fleas

It has been... special, but don't let it deter you from ever getting a pet. She'd never had problems before, and as an indoor cat I never anticipated even needing to take preventative measures like the Advantage. As long as you keep on top of that I'm sure you'd be fine. I was just unprepared and very unlucky. I moved to a first floor apartment in a woodsy area (for LA anyway) that's chock full of dogs, so I should have known better. In the end, one month of extreme annoyance doesn't compare to the years of companionship and goofiness I've had from her, so believe me, it's worth it.

Contamination from another apartment or animal that wanders by.

I've never seen fleas migrate to my apartment though, and almost everyone else in this building has at least one dog.

Yeah. Lots of bugs here and many, many dogs that walk past my door. Hope I'll be able to keep them at bay after this. I've already started finding spiders creeping in now that it's summer...

Also, plenty of people buy pet food/supplies at pet stores, which can house flea populations.

It's not that hard to imagine, really. I just feel terrible for the trials the cats and their owners have to go through when it happens.

My number was up. I'm just grateful that it was fleas and not some kind of cat malady that could kill her. Lucky in many ways.

Oh, I've done the flea thing, but it doesn't come anywhere close to your seemingly endless horror. I would bug out
hyuk yuk yuk

Anyway, yeah, we kept mama cat and two of four kittens...five would have been crazy ha ha. They are fun though, I'm convinced nothing goes better together than five y/o's and kittens ;)

XVdp3l.jpg

Madison (mama cat) and Pandora

u1ZAcl.jpg


All four kittens shortly before two of them left the nest a couple weeks ago, Hobbes sitting upright and the two who left curled around the outside. The longhair in particular is dearly missed, but I don't think we could do a longhair for a variety of reasons. We're happy with the ones we have, though! They are all pretty swell, even the mama cat is starting to act like a normal cat again (for the first time since we adopted her pretty much). She went into heat just as her milk was going down, which was awwwwwful.

Unbelievably cute! I'm glad you guys were able to work that out. I know it was completely unexpected (the liars!), but they look like a sweet group and you did a really generous thing by adopting her and caring for her through this. Hopefully my flea battle will end soon. I feel hopeful now, at least. Sooooooooon...
 
Well here's butters the mighty lion king now. I'm going to be moving soon, so the fleas have won the battle but not the war. He has a program shot so I'm just going to wait them out then move in two weeks lol.

Ahahahahahaha! Butters looks amazing! That lion cut suits him so much more than it does Schmootz. Is he super soft now? :) Besides being cute, of course, is the benefit of giving the fleas less places to hide. Since your cat is lighter in color than mine it must be way easier now. Good work on the Program thing, too. Hopefully you'll be able to move without the fleas tagging along. Just be sure to wash everything in super high heat to make sure, though.
 
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