Long haired and fleas
Will Coppola
(Its not a good combination!) Although they're probably more trouble to the
cats than me, I wonder if there is anything better I can do.
I've tried, powder, impregnated collars, and nasty organo-phosphorous sprays
(Nuvantop is probably the best), but the results have been nothing better than
fair. I try and groom both of the cats (although the longhaired one doesn't
like it much), and have now become pretty skilled at catching and popping the
little beggars - the fleas that is :)
Any bright ideas (other than shaving the cats!)
Thanks
Will
Will Coppola
Dept. Public Health, Royal Free School of Medicine
Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF
Tel 071-794-0500 Ex 4753 Fax 071-794-1224
Will Coppola
Misa Lin
I took my cat in for a bath and that seem to get rid of the fleas.( bath at
the vets not groomer.)
I heard from the vet a thing called "flea pills" I never use it
because my cat is indoor and we are very careful about not tracking
fleas in. That helps.
I didn't ask my vet about the flea pill but it sounds like a potential.
From the vert flyer, it seems like the cat takes a pill every
month (I am not sure). I don't even know if it works.
But..anywas.
Kravim Dihn
wrote:
> Does anyone have any bright ideas about dealing with fleas and
longhaired cats
> (Its not a good combination!) Although they're probably more trouble to the
> cats than me, I wonder if there is anything better I can do.
>
> I've tried, powder, impregnated collars, and nasty organo-phosphorous sprays
> (Nuvantop is probably the best), but the results have been nothing
better than
> fair. I try and groom both of the cats...
I can fully relate. My black Persian has fleas (as does our shorthaired
black cat) and she doesn't like being combed much. I think a flea bath
might be the most effective treament. Vera (my Persian) absolutely hates
it; she kicks and screams for about 10 minutes and then seems to accept
her fate (with a frown). It helps to talk to the cat and try to be
reassuring. The bath did seem to kill a bunch of fleas. I comb both
cats, for as long as they'll take it, every night and the flea population
seems to be rapidly falling. It's kind of hard to be thorough with Vera,
since she has such long fur.
It's also important to vaccum (and throw away the bag!) and carefully
clean up/wash the cat's bedding and other places it likes to hang out.
When I first noticed the fleas on Vera, I examined her bed and found
(yech!) flea larva there. Needless to say, this got me on a thorough
cleaning spree.
Keep cleaning and grooming the cat, because it's easy to miss a few fleas
or eggs and they can just come right back. Here in Seattle, they seem to
appear at random anyway.
Good luck!
--David
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Jeff Swim
: Does anyone have any bright ideas about dealing with fleas and longhaired cats
: cats than me, I wonder if there is anything better I can do.
: I've tried, powder, impregnated collars, and nasty organo-phosphorous sprays
: (Nuvantop is probably the best), but the results have been nothing better than
: fair. I try and groom both of the cats (although the longhaired one doesn't
: like it much), and have now become pretty skilled at catching and popping the
: little beggars - the fleas that is :)
: Any bright ideas (other than shaving the cats!)
Either shampoo or dip the cat... only other way. When you do, make sure
the cat's coat is wet (down to the skin) for at least 5-10 minutes to
give the flea killing ingredient time to do more than just stun the
fleas. While you're waiting, take a finger that's wet with the
shampoo/dip and rub the fur around the forehead/nose/cheeks to scare out
any fleas that might take refuge there.
And make sure you FLEA BOMB! Otherwise fleas will just hop right back on
after the cat is dried off. What I do with my cats is bomb one room, and
after it is cleared of the bug gas, shampoo the cats and put them in
there, then bomb the rest of the house. With 5 cats it's quite a chore
to do 2 or 3 times a year, but worth it for their comfort.
Also, if you have a yard, spray it with an outdoor flea-killer solution,
available at any good hardware store.
the D00DLER...
Dawn James
> Does anyone have any bright ideas about dealing with fleas and
Comb them daily and alternate the chemicals you use when you dip and treat
the environment. It takes about a month to get a flea problem under
control. There is now a beneficial nematode out there on the market that
you put in your yard. They eat flea larva. If they are getting good at
catching them, they probably have tape worms as well. Look for little
pieces of rice around the tail, anus and britches. Good Luck Dawn
Adrian Perkins
wrote:
> Does anyone have any bright ideas about dealing with fleas and longhaired cats
> (Its not a good combination!) Although they're probably more trouble to the
> cats than me, I wonder if there is anything better I can do.
>
> I've tried, powder, impregnated collars, and nasty organo-phosphorous sprays
> (Nuvantop is probably the best), but the results have been nothing better than
> fair. I try and groom both of the cats (although the longhaired one doesn't
> like it much), and have now become pretty skilled at catching and popping the
> little beggars - the fleas that is :)
>
> Any bright ideas (other than shaving the cats!)
>
> Thanks
>
> Will
>
> Will Coppola
> Dept. Public Health, Royal Free School of Medicine
> Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF
> Tel 071-794-0500 Ex 4753 Fax 071-794-1224
If the problem won't go away, then there is a chance they've brought them
into the house and infected the carpets, etc. Yuk. This may be why they
keep
getting reinfected.
I also use Nuvan Top, but on its own I found it wasn't enough. What I do
now is wash the carpets about every four months, and then spray the
whole house (carpets, uphostery, everything) with flea killer spray.
I can't remember the name, but Boots have it - costs about seven quid
a go.
Hope this helps!
Adrian.
--
All opinions expressed are those of the author and not of Logica
Adrian Perkins, Logica UK Ltd, London, UK
Perk...@logica.com +44 171 637 9111
Misa Lin
The flea pill is to be taken once a month. (from my previous post.)
I don't know how effecitive it'll be because my cat is a indoor
cat and she doesen't have many fleas.
Maybe you can give your vet a call and ask about the flea pill program.
It sounds like a good idea if it can actually work. Because my
dog has a major flea problem
good luck
cper...@kean.ucs.mun.ca
Well, my vet doesn't support flea collars, & says they are ineffective and
some cats are allergic to the chemicals. I guess, from your post, you have
already figured this out.
My major flea infestation was successfully handled by a very expensive set
of chemicals bought from the vet clinic. One bottle contained a sort of
mousse to be rubbed into the cats' fur, the other a spray for the carpets and
everywhere else my cats slept - which basically means I had to treat the
whole place.
Now I limit my cats' access to the outside world (more because of its
dangers than because of fleas) and comb out and squish any fleas I find.
Cheryl
Carolann4
"Fleabusters" in your area, I heartily recommend them.
We have three mostly indoor cats, two of whom are long-haired. Out flea
problem was an absolute disaster until we discovered these people. They
will give you an estimate, they come to your home, they use a borax
combination that is non-toxic (you don't have to cover plates or
furniture, the cats to do not have to be kept out of the house during the
application), and they guarantee their service for a year, as long as the
carpets are not shampooed. (Spot cleaning is fine).
It has been TWO years since our application was done...and we still do not
have a flea problem!
Good luck...