Help - I might have fleas

[CJ2008]

So I noticed a few red round marks on my lower legs that appear to be flea bites (based on images I looked up.)

Not sure if this could have come from my recent experience feeding strays/ferals and getting fairly close to them (and shooing away racoons).

Or if this is from before. Although...what a coincidence...plus I had the feral in the garage overnight.

But I think I recall DH not too long ago saying that "something bit him". I didn't pay too much mind at the time but maybe it was starting then. I just texted him to see if he did indeed said that a few weeks back.

I see my cats scratching but not a lot - but they've never had fleas so I don't know if I'm expecting a lot of scratching where that's not how it usually manifests itself. I know whatever bit me, I itch for a few seconds here and there. It's not constant.

Both cats but mostly my girl spend a lot of time in the enclosed patio. So it could have come from the grass too.

I washed my sheets and comforter cover in hot water.
I vacuumed the whole house and threw away the bag
I had one dose of Revolution from another time and I gave it to my boy who has longer hair than the girl. I'm thinking I'll pick up another dose (or a few) but hoping to do it without a prescription.
I'm going to wash all their bedding (although last time I washed it I hated that the inside of these beds got all lumpy and it was hard to get the actual shape back.)

Should I vacuum again today. Confession: I am resisting because I'd have to throw out a perfectly good almost empty bag right after. Please talk some sense into me and tell me how idiotic it is to think this way.

They tell you to walk around wearing long white socks but I don't have any. :/

Should I do the soapy water test? Have you found that effective in figuring out if it is fleas, and where they are.

I know they say flea bites look very similar to bed bugs but I'm thinking it's much more likely it's fleas.

Unless it's something completely different. Regardless, .

I can't sleep and I really don't need this right now. But I know if I try to ignore it it will only get worse so I am forcing myself to.

 

[Ally T]

Poor you! It's such a horrible thing!

Our kitties caught them about 18 months ago when they were very young. Well, one of them caught them & passed to the other. They are always out hunting in the fields, so must have picked them up from a bird or rabbit. We noticed the itchy bites at first, always on our ankles & shins. My youngest daughter however, was covered even up to her tummy. We do treat them once a month with a dropper that goes onto the scruff of their neck, but obviously that time it didn't work. It was a case of treating the cats with a stronger prescription from the vets, hoovering the house daily, and spraying the rugs with a strong spray the vet also provided. The fleas were basically living in one particular rug, it transpires, which was very deep. It was also the one most of us sat on to play cards etc & the girls with their dolls!

It didn't take long to get rid of them, but it was a pita because the children had to avoid going on the rugs whilst they had active spray on them. And also, yes, hoovering very often is a must. Good luck!

 

[missy]

CJ call an exterminator and get your house evaluated and comb your kitties hair with a flea brush and you will see if they have fleas. It might just be coincidence but better to be on the safe side. We had fleas a while ago and it was surprisingly easy to get rid of them. We had my sister treat our kitties with a flea powder and we continued that treatment for 3 months and we also had our homes exterminated for fleas and the problem resolved without any complications.

Your cats could have picked it up without anything doing with the feral kitty fyi if you allow them outside on the patio even if enclosed. Have they had flea treatments as outdoor kitties should? Even if they aren't outdoors generally if you ever allow them outdoors they should have the preventative treatment IMO.

And buy a pair of inexpensive white socks to see if you have a problem just for future issues. I never did any of the homemade flea tests however because my sister confirmed there was a dead flea on 2 of our cats and 2 dead fleas on another one of our cats and our 4th cat had none. We sprayed both homes (professional exterminator) treated all the kitties for 3 months I believe if I am remembering correctly and we never had another issue up to now fingers crossed that will continue.

Good luck and I hope you don't have fleas but if you do that it gets resolved easily and quickly. (((Hugs))).

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Sorry you are having to deal with this, good news is that fleas are pretty easy to get rid of from my experience.

Just wanted to mention to make sure you wash and vacuum any spots the cats like to sleep or hang out on. My cat likes to sleep in the closet so I would make sure to vacuum and treat that area too.

 

[kgizo]

Fleas are easy to get rid of as others have said, but because of the adult, larvae and egg stages you should be vigilant for the next 3 months. Fleas love carpeting so I would vacuum regularly. There are powders/sprays you can buy, or use a homemade remedy of baking powder and salt (eggs need moisture to survive and this "drys" out the carpet). If it were me I would vacuum every day for the next 3-5 days and then switch back to vacuuming regularly. If they have soft toys dont forget to treat those too.

 

[missy]

Fleas are easy to get rid of as others have said, but because of the adult, larvae and egg stages you should be vigilant for the next 3 months. Fleas love carpeting so I would vacuum regularly. There are powders/sprays you can buy, or use a homemade remedy of baking powder and salt (eggs need moisture to survive and this "drys" out the carpet). If it were me I would vacuum every day for the next 3-5 days and then switch back to vacuuming regularly. If they have soft toys dont forget to treat those too.

Just to add something I forgot to mention. We threw every toy and cat bed out just to be safe. We kept our huge cat tree though and just vacuumed the heck out of it to make sure we got everything. The less expensive items got tossed. And CJ don't give the vacuum bags a second thought. Just get rid of them after you vacuum. Just not worth it IMO.

 

[ecf8503]

Fleas are easy to get, unfortunately. It is possible for them to get into your house on your shoes or pants if you've been in the grass, they don't have to come in on animals. Vacuum, treat all the furbabies, including the new one if you plan to keep her, and wash what you can. Keep in mind that eggs will continue to hatch for several weeks, so keeping on top of the cleaning is important. But once they develop into adults, they need a blood meal to reproduce. Advantage 2, Frontline Plus, and Revolution are all good.

 

[House Cat]

It has been my experience that when I try to deal with fleas myself, they multiply...exponentially. I also end up exhausted and stressed. I have learned to skip that mess and now I treat my animals for fleas and call the exterminator.

 

[FeFeV]

Fleas are THE WORST! My Cockapoo brought home fleas last year from a visit to my DH's childhood friend's house (he has 4 outdoor-indoor Pit Bulls). It was a grueling experience, a year later I am still fading scars from the bites on my feet and calves (I itched a lot) . I laundered everything that was fabric in hot water. Sprayed down tight areas excessively with Raid flea spray. Be SUPER diligent about vacuuming (even in the couch and between your box spring and mattress) frequently throughout the week at least for eight weeks. We purchased a bagless Hoover wind tunnel Pro that works very well. Mix up white vinegar, H2O and lemon juice to spray twice daily on your furniture, carpet and human/pet bed. We left for an entire day while I set off three flea bombs that I got from Target... It was such a pain in the ass getting rid of those pesky parasites . I also rented a heavy duty carpet cleaner (twice) to go over the floor multiple times. As far as my pet, I gave him a hair cut and washed him twice a week (for 2-3 wks) with flea shampoo... I also would lightly spray him down with the vinegar-lemon concoction (cover the eyes!) every few days. Everything returned back to normal except I still like to vacuum frequently now

I may have OD'd but I was REALLY haunted by the itching and couldn't stop until it was gone

 

[VRBeauty]

If it's a light infection it won't necessarily be that difficult to get rid of. Topical treatment for the kitties (I think the last one I used was a super strength Revolution), spot spray for areas your kitties frequent, vacuuming, and laundry. I didn't throw anything out last time I had an infection. Do keep a good flea comb on hand so you can check your cats for fleas regularly though (the little plastic ones are useless, in my experience - look for a comb with rounded metal teeth). If your cats go outside, even in a screened patio, I'd consider keeping up the topical treatment.

Oh - and if you had a feral cat in your garage, you might need to treat the garage too.

 

[Austina]

I won't use chemicals on my girl, so for tick/flea and worm treatment, I use human grade Diatomaceous earth, and I've never found any fleas or worms.

It has lots of uses, so you might find this useful.

https://www.diatomaceousearth.com/

 

[Arcadian]

Oh yes...fleas.

My dog had them once and once they came in the house with her it was a pain in the rear to get rid of them. She was on Advantix II and it failed, which is why we got them in the first place. Down here the topicals just don't work.

Get a flea comb and look on your cats for any flea dirt.

It took me 4-6 weeks to get rid of any sign of fleas but I had to be very diligent.
My dog is now on Bravecto. If you have an outdoor cat the best protection is to have them on something. Ask the vet whats recommended for your particular pet, but if you allow them to roam without protection, you're going to be where you started.

Depending on the state you're in you may not be able to get this stuff, but here's what I used:

Suspend SC
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Y57MGE
Precor
https://www.amazon.com/Precor-IGR-Insect-Regulator-Control/dp/B003Y69KBW/
1 gallon sprayer
https://www.amazon.com/Chapin-20000-Fertilizer-Herbicides-Pesticides/dp/B000E28UQU/

Precor is not odorless( by a long shot) but suspend is.
You're going to need to mix both in a sprayer, and spray everywhere. Of course remove the cats, and make sure you spray baseboard and all cat areas, (and your bed(s) sans the covers), and lightly spray any carpeting.

Open windows to allow the place to really dry. After spraying your house is pet safe in about 2-3 hours.

Wash everything you can get in the washer, and I mean everything including toys and beds/bed covers. Go room by room.

You can either have them flea dipped or use Capstar https://www.amazon.com/Capstar-Flea-Tablets-Dogs-Count/dp/B005Z6UL1M/ in the short term for infestations on the pet. Where I am its available at target but that may not be the case in every state. Capstar is only for immediate treatment, affects wear off after a day.

Vacuum daily. You can get a cheap flea collar and throw it in the vacuum bag that keeps you from having to throw it out too soon.

Make sure you spray outside with suspend and precor if you have a covered porch. spray your yard with suspend only (precor degrades in sunlight)

If they have beds that have removable covers, wash weekly. For my dogs bed I washed the covers weekly after treatment. I did 2 treatments of the beds innards as they were memory foam; sprayed the beds and let them dry very well before use.

It takes a lot of time and effort to get rid of fleas. Going the natural route won't work well down here. Can't put DE on the grass, it rains too much. DE has to be dry to work. It could work inside the house, but again, you need to already be on top of things and not have an active infestation going on.

I use what a lot of the pros use (the stuff is pro grade not the stuff at a big box store) if you follow the directions you'll be fine. but you will need to be sure the cats aren't there when you spray at least until the stuff dries.

 

[whitewave]

Diatomaceous earth. Google it for fleas.
I keep a bag and use it for all sorts of things Animal related.

 

[CJ2008]

I could not let one more day go without responding to you guys

Thank you all for the tips and advice.

I *definitely* had some bites on my legs. But I have not had any more.

I vacuumed 3 times and then got lazy and didn't do it again. I also left out containers with soapy water and didn't see any fleas.

I think whatever it was might not have bit me here at home. I wonder if it couldn't have been from one of the days when I was feeding the ferals/strays. I did get pretty close to the bushes and to some of the cats.

Poor you! It's such a horrible thing!

Our kitties caught them about 18 months ago when they were very young. Well, one of them caught them & passed to the other. They are always out hunting in the fields, so must have picked them up from a bird or rabbit. We noticed the itchy bites at first, always on our ankles & shins. My youngest daughter however, was covered even up to her tummy. We do treat them once a month with a dropper that goes onto the scruff of their neck, but obviously that time it didn't work. It was a case of treating the cats with a stronger prescription from the vets, hoovering the house daily, and spraying the rugs with a strong spray the vet also provided. The fleas were basically living in one particular rug, it transpires, which was very deep. It was also the one most of us sat on to play cards etc & the girls with their dolls!

It didn't take long to get rid of them, but it was a pita because the children had to avoid going on the rugs whilst they had active spray on them. And also, yes, hoovering very often is a must. Good luck!

Hoovering sounds even worse than vacuuming I hate them both

eek on the rug being the one where your little girls played.

Glad you were finally able to get rid of them.

CJ call an exterminator and get your house evaluated and comb your kitties hair with a flea brush and you will see if they have fleas. It might just be coincidence but better to be on the safe side. We had fleas a while ago and it was surprisingly easy to get rid of them. We had my sister treat our kitties with a flea powder and we continued that treatment for 3 months and we also had our homes exterminated for fleas and the problem resolved without any complications.

Your cats could have picked it up without anything doing with the feral kitty fyi if you allow them outside on the patio even if enclosed. Have they had flea treatments as outdoor kitties should? Even if they aren't outdoors generally if you ever allow them outdoors they should have the preventative treatment IMO.

And buy a pair of inexpensive white socks to see if you have a problem just for future issues. I never did any of the homemade flea tests however because my sister confirmed there was a dead flea on 2 of our cats and 2 dead fleas on another one of our cats and our 4th cat had none. We sprayed both homes (professional exterminator) treated all the kitties for 3 months I believe if I am remembering correctly and we never had another issue up to now fingers crossed that will continue.

Good luck and I hope you don't have fleas but if you do that it gets resolved easily and quickly. (((Hugs))).

Thanks missy.

I did order Revolution and it's on its way.

I don't know for some reason I'm lax with the Revolution and don't want to give it to them unless there's reason to. Maybe I'm relying too much on the fact that I never had an issue. And I don't want them to get medication every day for something that seems to me that even if they do catch it is a fairly easy fix. I'm very stubborn about this even though my vet tells me every time that I should have them on it. :/

Sorry you are having to deal with this, good news is that fleas are pretty easy to get rid of from my experience.

Just wanted to mention to make sure you wash and vacuum any spots the cats like to sleep or hang out on. My cat likes to sleep in the closet so I would make sure to vacuum and treat that area too.

Thank you. Yes, I did all that, including spots they don't go to that much. Crossing my fingers that it's done.

Fleas are easy to get rid of as others have said, but because of the adult, larvae and egg stages you should be vigilant for the next 3 months. Fleas love carpeting so I would vacuum regularly. There are powders/sprays you can buy, or use a homemade remedy of baking powder and salt (eggs need moisture to survive and this "drys" out the carpet). If it were me I would vacuum every day for the next 3-5 days and then switch back to vacuuming regularly. If they have soft toys dont forget to treat those too.

I did it for 3 days and then didn't notice any more bites so I got lazy and stopped. I hope the baby fleas are not just waiting to spring up.

Just in case I'm going to pick up the baking power.

No soft toys I can't have anything like that my boy cat will eat it right through. :/

Just to add something I forgot to mention. We threw every toy and cat bed out just to be safe. We kept our huge cat tree though and just vacuumed the heck out of it to make sure we got everything. The less expensive items got tossed. And CJ don't give the vacuum bags a second thought. Just get rid of them after you vacuum. Just not worth it IMO.

Thank you missy I already told you in another thread that I threw out the bag with a lot less guilt because of you.

Fleas are easy to get, unfortunately. It is possible for them to get into your house on your shoes or pants if you've been in the grass, they don't have to come in on animals. Vacuum, treat all the furbabies, including the new one if you plan to keep her, and wash what you can. Keep in mind that eggs will continue to hatch for several weeks, so keeping on top of the cleaning is important. But once they develop into adults, they need a blood meal to reproduce. Advantage 2, Frontline Plus, and Revolution are all good.

I have a feeling I got bit when feeding the ferals. There were several racoons nearby too, and I was close to the grass.

I did order some Revolution and it's on its way (from a VIPPS - i think that's what it is - approved online pharmacy).

I stopped vacuuming after 3 days. I know that's a mistake. I'll do it tomorrow again.

I hate vacuuming!

It has been my experience that when I try to deal with fleas myself, they multiply...exponentially. I also end up exhausted and stressed. I have learned to skip that mess and now I treat my animals for fleas and call the exterminator.

See the thing is, I always heard that exterminators don't have effective flea control. I know I heard/read that somewhere. I think even the exterminator company themselves told me that. That's it's like a feel good thing but doesn't really work with fleas.

Maybe I'm way off on this but I think that's what I remember.

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OK - I'll stop here for now, I'll be back for the rest later!