Accessing the DU knowledge base: RE Cats/Fleas

[sendero]

I could use some practical advice.

Our beloved Kizmet has taken a fondness for going outside. And it seems she's brought fleas into the house.

So far, we're treating her with Frontline? (that drop of stuff you put on her neck) and we dipped her once we found ourselves getting bitten.

The wife sprinkled Borax on the carpets, we let it stay for a few days then vaccuumed it up.

But it doesn't seem like our efforts so far have eliminated the problem.

Hit me with your best advice!

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. Place some flea powder (2-3 teaspoons) on the carpet and

then vacuum it up. It will instantly kill fleas. Vacuum three times a day and then discard the bag. You may need to use a fogger.

[sendero]

3. What do we do ..

... about reinfestation? That drop-on-the-neck stuff is definitely not keeping the fleas off.

A regular flea collar? Brewers yeast?

Thanks for your response!

[catmandu57]

2. It takes a while for the treatment

to work, it sterilizes the eggs is the way I understand it and prevents them from hatching, so the current batch will be a problem until they croak off.
We use carpet fresh flea killer and that seems to work, we're fighting fleas here as well, waiting for the first frost to end the problem.

[AirmensMom]

4. Feed them brewer's yeast.

You can get it in tablets for cats at Petsmart. Works great and it's not a pesticide. It apparently makes the kitty taste bad to the fleas. Many cats will chew up a tablet, but you can crumble it over the food if your Kizmet won't eat it. (Love that name!) The fleas will be gone in a few weeks.

[radwriter0555]

5. zodiac makes the best flea eradicator on the planet. You should be able

to find it in larger pet stores.

A spray of the house, carpets and furnishings keeps the eggs from hatching for something like 160 days, and kills the live ones as well. If you repeat the spray once you see another flea, you stop the cycle for good.

Bombs don't work. Powders don't work. Zodiac works, costs about $18 for a bottle that will last you for years.

Of course continue the frontline, it really is the best defense once you've treated the entire problem

You can also use the zodiac outdoors.