Fleas EVERYWHERE!!

[SirThumpsey]

The blk. tort kitty that we brought in about a month ago apparently had fleas (she was born outside) The vet didn’t see any on her when we brought her in..and we didnt notice she was scratching (if she was it was pretty minimal) Well…she must have had some (eggs probably) because they are EVERYWHERE!  I gave her a dawn bath yesterday and today….and there were a ton on her yesterday….I vacummed everywhere I could think of….

This morning she had some on her again and there were flea eggs ALL OVER THE COUCH!! YUCK!  so I gave her another bath…and scrubbed her really good… and rinsed her and dried her off…. and I counted atleast 60 dead fleas….they either fell off of her onto the couch or i pulled them out of her fur as she was sitting on my chest.  She seems to feel a ton better…but a little bit later I found a couple more fleas on her and I’m still finding some jumping around….

Bud (our holland lop) hasn’t shown any signs of fleas on him (and since I can’t really give him a dawn bath if he did) We have kept him on the other side of the house away from the cat because she will play with and attack his ears and has lunged at her. (Can’t say I blame her on that one…There is a closed door blocking the cat off from going on to the other side of the house but she has gotten in there a couple of times…..

So the question is…We are thinking about doing a flea bomb…Is there one that is safe to use around kittens (over 12 weeks) a toddler (will be 2 in 3 months) and a 5 yr old house bun?

I’m desperate to try anything to get these fleas out of our apartment… 

[Deleted User]

I’m going to be honest. There really aren’t any flea bombs that are necessarily “safe”. I saw that you are giving the kitty flea baths. I would honestly get some Revolution and slap a tube on her. It’s better than giving her bath after bath. If you are intent on doing a flea bomb I would take all rabbit beds/condos and all cat beds/condos and drag them OUTSIDE and away from the fumes. It would be a really bad idea to get the chemicals in the material and bedding because there is never a guarantee that it will come out. I would suggest throwing all pet beds and blankets and stuffed animals in the washer machine and giving them a good clean. Also, wipe down the rabbit space with a white vinegar/water mix. I know fleas can get really frustrating but I’m not sure using a flea bomb is the way to go. I would see if you can just keep vacuuming and throwing anything and everything that you can into the wash. And slapping some flea medicine on the cat. In the mean time if you can figure out where the fleas are coming from you can always do the light and soapy water in a dish trick to see if that works.

[Malp_15]

I agree with Skipper’s Mama. Go to your vet and get a proper flea medication (like Revolution) and wash your house in a 5% bleach solution. Including all bedding and materials that you can, or at least in the hot cycle with normal laundry detergent and vaccume EVERYTHING you can’t wash. Couches, mattresses, etc. and repeat in 14 days. And take the bag out of the vaccume immediately and get it out of your house. This is the only way to truly get rid of fleas.

Flea bathes get rid of the fleas that are on your pets, but do not stop the life cycle. There will be eggs all over your house, waiting to hatch still.

Most “flea bombs” are very dangerous for animals and humans so you would need to get yourself and the animals out of the house for 12-24 hours, depending on which you use.

[Bunnies4ever]

I would have to agree with Skipper’s Mama. Flea bombs are not the way to go. Having gone through this, you have to approach it with a fierce vigilance. The trick is to break the flea cycle and that’s something that flea bombs don’t do. I would suggest getting some kitten Revolution and using it on your kitties and bunny. Revolution has an IGR in it (insect growth regulator) which breaks the flea cycle. The eggs will never hatch. Also, vacuum your floors and wash your kitty’s bedding in hot water and the dryer on high heat (if the fabric can stand it). Also flea eggs can remain dormant for months, then when it’s the correct temperature, they hatch. Using a flea bomb is just a waste of money and not to mention the toxic chemicals. Revolution lasts for 30 days. I used 2 doses and my flea problem is gone! If you have any additional questions, feel free to email me directly.

Good luck!

[SirThumpsey]

As far as I can tell the rabbit side of the house doesn’t have any fleas but I can never remember what flea treatment is safe for buns…

The problem I’m gonna run into is her littermate is downstairs in the same apt building and I have heard that they can crawl through outlets and all kinds of other stuff. I’m probably going to talk to them tomorrow.

So tons of vacuuming and wash everything in hot water….

Ugh, this is so stressful..

[Malp_15]

The only rabbit-safe flea treatments are sold by vets, so they will direct you to the right one.

[CocoVermont802]

My bun had fleas when i got her from the pet store (thanks petstore! lol), anyways she is a dark gray color so it was hard to see on her. I ended up bring her to the vet… they pretty much did absolutly nothing! except comb her a little and tell me she had fleas, like i didnt know (and it ended up costing me $300+ in the end!). I got revolution to put on her, between that and combing and squishing the fleas it worked good and now we have been flea free for a year!

 

I would go with revolution. 

[Sam and Lady's Human]

You might try baking soda, for things you cant wash, use a sifter and sprinkle baking soda liberally over the carpet, mattresses, couches etc. Let sit for a couple hours (the longer the better) then vacuum it all up. I know it kills mites, and all sorts of other creatures, I read it works for flea eggs as well.

[SirThumpsey]

Kills flea eggs? That will really help!

Thanks guys…

Hubby thinks I am a bit obsessive…and I said…that is how you get rid of them..

[Deleted User]

You’re doing the right thing SirThumpsey. When it comes to fleas you have to be really aggressive and get rid of them any way that you can without the use of harmful chemicals.

[SirThumpsey]

I vacuumed last night and I didn’t see any fleas in the bin…Although this morning I have pulled atleast three fleas off of myself and my daughter….and I have seen more on Toodles…

Boy, I’m getting tired of vacuuming…Wish I had one of those robotic ones…

It would never stop…lol Kids….

[SirThumpsey]

I found a dead flea in bud’s fur and some flea dirt…or what looked like it anyway….

So I got some gross questions about fleas…so if you have a sensitive stomach…Best not read any further..

I grew up in a place that was completly infested with cockroaches….They were so bad that there was very little even the exterminator could do…I actually still have a phobia of cockroaches and other bugs crawling on me while I sleep. Probably part of the reason I hate these damn fleas. I was told a story aboud a cockroach that got stuck to a glue trap (I think it was supposed to be for a mouse…disgusting little traps) and apparently was a girl and because she got trapped and she “knew she was going to die, she laid all of her eggs” Which I can only imagine was disgusting as they come…

Can fleas lay their eggs as they are dying? Can the eggs hatch out of a dead flea momma?

I realize these questions are kinda dumb. I just wanna know what I’m up against…and if either of those things were true…I’m even more freaked out than I was before….

[Author]

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