I’m reaching out because I’m at my wits' end, let me explain.
My girlfriend and I took in an abandoned 4-month-old kitten.
We took her to the vet for a general check-up, mainly to see if she was infested with any parasites.
Everything was fine, so she came home and spent the next 8 months being treated like royalty.
The trouble started when I picked her up and found fleas on my arm...
And that’s when the battle began...
We started by treating her (tablets from the vet + shampoo), did a deep clean of the house, and used flea sprays.
Everything was quiet for a few days, but then my girlfriend woke up with flea bites again...
This time, we did a total clean, used a fogger, a flea collar, and Stronghold spot-on treatment.
Today we’ve done a massive house clean (we’ve been at it since 09:30 and still haven't finished!), put clothes and bedding in 'quarantine', and steam-cleaned the whole house.
Our cat just came back in (ten minutes ago), I picked her up, and of course... a flea on my arm!!!
So, the summary so far:
- Fogger
- Flea spray
- 3 deep cleans of the house
- Vet tablets
- Flea collar
There's no way I'm letting her in tonight; anyway, she spends three-quarters of her time outdoors and only comes in to eat.
I’m looking for some advice... you can imagine I’ve spent over £170 trying to get rid of these pests, but I really feel like it's beyond me and I'll never get on top of it.
What are my options? Stop letting her out even though she spends all her time outside? Or, on the contrary, just keep her as an outdoor cat and provide food and a shelter for her outside?
Thanks a million.
Translated from French
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I've got two outdoor cats myself – one of them is just like your girl, she spends her whole life outside – and two dogs...
I use Frontline Combo spot-on treatments for my cats and my puppy, and a Seresto collar for my other dog. I apply the spot-ons every 3 weeks during the warmer months, or every month at the absolute most.
I’ve never treated the inside of my house and I don't have any fleas at all, even though I live in the countryside. That’s why I can’t understand how you've got such a flea infestation when you’ve even treated your home...
Maybe a bazooka for fleas?? No, but seriously, I’m quite surprised you’re finding fleas on your arms... especially after treating the whole house... Plus, giving your cat tablets, spot-on treatments, flea shampoos, and a collar all in such a short space of time... you won't just kill the fleas, you'll kill your cat! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Treating your house is all well and good—vacuuming all the cushions, bedding, the sofa, etc. Using a flea bomb indoors... Once that’s done, you need to treat the cat (spot-on treatments that also kill fleas in your home, like a combo spot-on, for example). But flea/tick treatments last several weeks for spot-ons (at least 3 weeks), collars for several months, and as for tablets, I don't know, I've never used them... Also, stop freaking out every time you feel "something" on your arm or see a little bump... midges and gnats exist too... Finally, if you're planning on leaving that poor kitty outside all the time just for fear of catching fleas... that’s called animal abandonment and it’s inhumane.
Evening, thanks for the reply.
To pick up on what you said, I have a dog that I saved from a rescue; he was stuck in a 5-square-metre cage, and he was a Husky to boot. So, I think we can skip the lecture on animal abandonment.
However, you can clearly see the lengths I’ve gone to in order to fight these fleas, all to no avail. The last time I held her, I had four of them on my arm. Tonight, when she came back in, I found one on my arm again.
It’s not just the financial side—as I mentioned before, already over £170—but also the personal toll, with all this intensive cleaning for over two and a half weeks.
I realise the treatment is supposed to be effective on paper, but if I’d let her in as planned tonight without noticing, it would have been back to square one with eggs and fleas all over again.
I don’t know about you, but spending my life cleaning and throwing money down the drain for no result really isn't my thing.
Is there a bazooka for fleas??
No, but seriously, I’m quite surprised you’re still finding fleas on your arms... especially after treating the whole house...
Plus, if you’re giving your cat tablets, spot-ons, flea shampoos, and a collar all at once, you won't just be killing the fleas... you’ll be killing your cat! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Treating your house is all well and good—vacuuming all the cushions, bedding, the sofa, etc. Setting off a flea bomb indoors... Once that’s done, you need to treat the cat (using a spot-on that also kills fleas in the environment, like a 'combo' treatment). Most flea and tick spot-on treatments last for several weeks (at least 3 weeks), collars last for several months, and I’m not sure about tablets as I’ve never used them...
Also, stop panicking so much at every little "thing" on your arm or every little bump... midges and flies exist too, you know...
Finally, if you’re leaving this poor girl outside all the time just because you’re scared of catching fleas... that’s animal abandonment and it’s cruel.
