I think once you suffer an infestation, you need to throw everything at it and then remain vigilant. The techniques are treat the cat, spray the floors, vacuum and vacuum, cat combing. Once you see fleas around you are going to be having to deal with them for some while.
For ten years I did not have a problem. I used Frontline spot-on and similar products on a moderately regular basis. I didn't see any fleas and I decided the stuff must be very effective. Then one day that changed. Gradually I worked out what I needed to do and I thought I had got rid of them - they came back and I got rid of them and they came back again.
I think, and it is very easy to come up with all sorts of theories when dealing with these ghastly little parasites, is that fleas had probably not been prevalent in the local area. What changed is that the woman with multiple cats in the flats up the road lost her job. Some months after that I actually had her knocking on my door and begging, saying she could not even buy food for her cats. I suspect that she may have economised on flea treatment, but that is guess work. There are several cats in the area, so I think as soon as one has fleas, they all have fleas. It needs everyone to be vigilant.
First off, I think chemical spraying with insecticide. A large can of Bob Martin fleas spray from the supermarket was enough to do the house.
Secondly frequent vacuuming. Suck up the newly emerged fleas and the eggs that will be falling off the cats fur all the while (once you check, there are a lot).
Thirdly use Frontline or similar spot-on if you haven't already done so in the last 3 or 4 weeks.
Fourthly, combing with a fine tooth comb intended for the job (they can slide through the gaps in an ordinary comb). In an outbreak that might mean a daily session of ten to twenty minutes. Dump the ones you capture into a bowl of water with a drop of washing-up liquid, without the later they don't sink. Alternatively have some strips of sticky tape and use that to imobilise the ones you catch. Otherwise they will be back on the cat within seconds. The ones you comb out need to be killed.
I think the spray on the floors will have the biggest effect overall. Spot-on is is good to help keep them at bay, but it doesn't act quickly enough to deal with all visitors that find the cat. The strength is limited - it's poisonous to the cat too in sufficient quantity. Fipronil used in many spot-ons only claims to kill fleas with 24 hours. Even after using it you will be able to comb out new fleas each day until the problem is resolved.
The combing does give relief to the cat. They are very unhappy when they are under attack. When it appreciates that you are removing fleas it may well keep still for 20 minutes of combing, but once they are gone the cat will be impatient after 60 seconds.
Once you have cleared the present problem, the spray on the floor couple with the spot-on on the cat will keep things under control for several months perhaps, but if they are in the environment, they will be back. It there are other cats sharing the range, the parasites will get passed on. Also the pupae, the third stage fleas between the larvae and the adults, can survive for up to a year. If using a can of shop bought spray you may well not get to everywhere, all the little cracks and under everything you have in a house. You may not be quite as free of them as you think. The pupae are fairly immune to the spray untill they emerge.
So for that last reason you need to keep up regular vacuuming and using the crevive tool into the corners.
The first time you get an infestation, it is a total shock. Without getting in a specialist it may well take several weeks to get clear and even then they can still reappear. Keep dosing the cat regularly and keep a can of spray in reserve. I am still trying to figure out a long term strategy that doesn't involve getting rid of the cat.
How do you do all this without crashing? Simple answer - I don't know. Adapt your pacing, let other tasks go. Dealing with fleas is demanding. I stopped vacuuming daily when it became impossible.
I do recommend getting a lightweight vacuum cleaner. I got a lightweight handheld vacuum. I chose one that would be good to manoeuvre into corners and gaps. It is significantly less effort than my old standard cylinder model, but it needs emptying frequently.
For ten years I did not have a problem. I used Frontline spot-on and similar products on a moderately regular basis. I didn't see any fleas and I decided the stuff must be very effective. Then one day that changed. Gradually I worked out what I needed to do and I thought I had got rid of them - they came back and I got rid of them and they came back again.
I think, and it is very easy to come up with all sorts of theories when dealing with these ghastly little parasites, is that fleas had probably not been prevalent in the local area. What changed is that the woman with multiple cats in the flats up the road lost her job. Some months after that I actually had her knocking on my door and begging, saying she could not even buy food for her cats. I suspect that she may have economised on flea treatment, but that is guess work. There are several cats in the area, so I think as soon as one has fleas, they all have fleas. It needs everyone to be vigilant.
First off, I think chemical spraying with insecticide. A large can of Bob Martin fleas spray from the supermarket was enough to do the house.
Secondly frequent vacuuming. Suck up the newly emerged fleas and the eggs that will be falling off the cats fur all the while (once you check, there are a lot).
Thirdly use Frontline or similar spot-on if you haven't already done so in the last 3 or 4 weeks.
Fourthly, combing with a fine tooth comb intended for the job (they can slide through the gaps in an ordinary comb). In an outbreak that might mean a daily session of ten to twenty minutes. Dump the ones you capture into a bowl of water with a drop of washing-up liquid, without the later they don't sink. Alternatively have some strips of sticky tape and use that to imobilise the ones you catch. Otherwise they will be back on the cat within seconds. The ones you comb out need to be killed.
I think the spray on the floors will have the biggest effect overall. Spot-on is is good to help keep them at bay, but it doesn't act quickly enough to deal with all visitors that find the cat. The strength is limited - it's poisonous to the cat too in sufficient quantity. Fipronil used in many spot-ons only claims to kill fleas with 24 hours. Even after using it you will be able to comb out new fleas each day until the problem is resolved.
The combing does give relief to the cat. They are very unhappy when they are under attack. When it appreciates that you are removing fleas it may well keep still for 20 minutes of combing, but once they are gone the cat will be impatient after 60 seconds.
Once you have cleared the present problem, the spray on the floor couple with the spot-on on the cat will keep things under control for several months perhaps, but if they are in the environment, they will be back. It there are other cats sharing the range, the parasites will get passed on. Also the pupae, the third stage fleas between the larvae and the adults, can survive for up to a year. If using a can of shop bought spray you may well not get to everywhere, all the little cracks and under everything you have in a house. You may not be quite as free of them as you think. The pupae are fairly immune to the spray untill they emerge.
So for that last reason you need to keep up regular vacuuming and using the crevive tool into the corners.
The first time you get an infestation, it is a total shock. Without getting in a specialist it may well take several weeks to get clear and even then they can still reappear. Keep dosing the cat regularly and keep a can of spray in reserve. I am still trying to figure out a long term strategy that doesn't involve getting rid of the cat.
How do you do all this without crashing? Simple answer - I don't know. Adapt your pacing, let other tasks go. Dealing with fleas is demanding. I stopped vacuuming daily when it became impossible.
I do recommend getting a lightweight vacuum cleaner. I got a lightweight handheld vacuum. I chose one that would be good to manoeuvre into corners and gaps. It is significantly less effort than my old standard cylinder model, but it needs emptying frequently.
