One of our cats has fleas .

The other one and the dog dont, no flea dirt, no scratching and nothing on the flea comb but the other poor one has scabs, fleas and flea dirt on her.

So I tried a flea collar but Ive heard that they are next to useless anyway and we are trying to get them out by using the flea comb every day.

Is this likely to be a waste of time?

I also notice that the collar smells of garlic! i presume they have used this as a way to deter the fleas.

If one has them they all do as does your home, you need a proper systemic approach and your vet can supply everything you need. Not all animals react to the bites which is why they are not all itching.

My advice is not to bother with ineffective natural or home remedies but to do the ethically correct thing and buy a spot on treatment such as Effipro (cheap) or Frontline (more expensive) which actually works and alleviates the suffering of the animal. These days, many chemists seem to stock these products and they are readily available online.

Well theres no flea dirt on the other two.

There is this flea collar I spotted on Viovet. Only three reviews but they seem to like the product.
Biospotix also do flea treatment and spray

https://www.viovet.co.uk/Biospotix_F...collar&sct_r=1

I would suggest hoovering everywhere (including skirting boards, window sills and any other nooks/crannies) on a daily basis and washing your clothing at a high temperature to kill off any excess flea dirt.

You are doing the right thing by combing your cat to remove fleas but you are also best using a flea treatment as prescribed by the vet on your pet(s).

We had our flea infestation boom with the warm weather so we had to follow the steps above to try and control it!

Sod natural treatments, or even Frontline (the buggers are starting to show resistance now).

I use Stronghold, works every time.


For the record, bicarb of soda is an excellent 'natural' way of killing fleas but only in very limited circumstances as cats hate it if they get any on their paws and then lick it; they'll just start coughing and spluttering so you can't use it on them.

When we had an infestation I used to talc my legs with bicarb of soda at night

Not a natural treatment but 'Advantage' flea treatment is also very good. Just make sure you use the correct dose for their weight and don't get a dog's dose mixed up with the one for a cat as it can kill them.

I always apply it early in the day as I'm not sure if the fleas get agitated and have a last bite which is exactly what you don't want during the night as your cat will have an unpleasant disturbed sleep.

Some of the cheaper treatments are totally ineffective and a waste of money.

The bloody fleas get me as well, quite a few bites on my legs. You get an itch and carefully roll up your trousers to see a flea sitting there, I try to put my finger over them quickly and then drown them in some water. The last 2 jumped away as I wasn't quick enough.

Makes no difference unless your cats never share the same space they will all come into contact with the fleas. You need to treat all your animals and your home as they will be in your home too.

I agree with you. Frontline simply doesnt work anymore, most of the VETS are not selling it either lol.

I use Stronghold on my dog as it covers worms as well, and Broadline on my cats which is so easy to use, and it kills worms too.

I know loads of people who use Frontline and their homes are infested now.....as they rely on the stuff to kill the fleas.

I agree with the other posters. If one cat has fleas your house has fleas sadly.

Its not enough just to treat the cats. You need to blitz the everywhere they go. We had a a very stubborn flea problem which was only fixed by a combination of flea bombs in every room, spraying flea spray where they slept and flea treatments on the cats from the vet.

Once you have got rid of them, then just keep up the treatment on the cats and they wont come back.

I certainly wouldn't waste money on Frontline. The regular one is next to useless. I've been for the past couple of years using the Frontline Combi from the vets and that's becoming a struggle now to nip the blighters in the bud.

I'll have to look in to the Broadline. Not heard of that before.

But yes ... I agree with what the other posters say. If by some small chance the other pets don't have the flea's yet, they soon will have. Best to treat them all regularly and at the same time. Hoover thoroughly every day, along with all beds, furniture they occupy. And keep on top of washing bedding, blankets etc ... every few days.

I agree Frontline is a waste of time.

When we notice the Beast has yet again got fleas, we do a good vacuum around the house.

We then put a Flea Bomb, from the local pet emporium, in the Bedroom, where the Beast mostly resides.

Whilst the bomb is doing it's do, Beast gets a bath, oh what a fun time that is We use a brand 'Four Paws' labelled Magic Coat. Then he is under lockdown until he is totally dry.

The Flea Bomb is a bit of a nuclear option; you have to leave the room closed and not enter for a couple of hours, then ventilate for the same.

But the above does the trick, after the Beast has licked himself silly, and glared at us whilst doing so, we seem to be flea free.

Im a bit worried about the flea bombs, are they safe for you sit on furnishings and things afterwards?

I wouldn't use bombs, they're 'safe' but I've heard their effect is naturally limited by the fact they don't disperse very well.

I used http://www.ripfleas.co.uk/ - it was about £18 for a spray can big enough to do a three bedroom house.

You and the cats have to be out for about 2-4 hours afterward though IIRC.

RIP Fleas contains a small dose of Permethrin. Most flea products with Permethrin in are unsafe for use with cats but my vets confirmed that the dose is low enough in RIP that it's safe. Always seek your own independent advice though and follow the instructions very carefully.

Frontline always did the trick on our Holly. When we had a mild outbreak a few years ago we used Frontline and Indoorex spray. Within a few months, no more fleas.

Sillypad rarely goes out so she's never had fleas.

We treat our cats with front line, but as I was treating one one of them she made a leap for it. We now have fleas so I am not sure if that's because I didn't get the stuff on properly or if its just not working. Either way we have to wait a couple of weeks before treating again and I may try a different product this time too.

I have some spray for the house so hopefully that will sort things out, but my question is this. My little boy has a tonne of cuddly toys - I have read that fleas die after a few days without feeding so am I right in thinking that if I seal them up in a vacuum storage bag and leave for a couple of weeks then that will kill off anything that may be on them?

(There are also a load of old towels and sheets that we use for messy jobs and decorating that probably wouldn't be a good idea to wash and old duvets too that can't be washed.)

I already have a mammoth task washing clothes and bedding ahead of me, so I could do with having fewer loads!

We moved into a seemingly clean house once it had been empty for 4 months and we were eaten to death first few days, They had been waiting for flesh all that time so I doubt what you suggest would work.

Wash all clothes and bedding. Even duvets and pillows.

Spray Indorex about.

Advocate gets rid of fleas and other harmful things.

Natural things don't tend to work.