Fleas and spot on....

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

Another thread where someone has asked for advice and then disagrees with everything they are told
  

[Fire Fox]

I use the borax upstairs on the carpet and the cats have been locked up down stairs where its wooden floor through out. Its the bedrooms that are the problem and not the cats themselves. Because they can not feed on the cats now, the fleas are going for us. lol.

If you would answer the questions it will make it easier for the regulars to help you. I genuinely don't understand - in your first post you say the Borax was effective but there were still fleas in the bedrooms, now you say you have only Boraxed upstairs? Why were you asking abut spot-on if the cats are completely isolated from where you think there are fleas? If you are being bitten then there must be fleas downstairs where you have not Boraxed, in which case there must be fleas on the cats?

I learned the hard way that fleas can live in wooden floors -  many years ago I moved into an infested house with only two carpeted areas and caught fleas (saucer of water) on areas well away from the carpets.  Believe me vacuuming and hot washing bedding made no difference at all - we had the professionals in three times. You will be transporting flea eggs and borax around the house on your feet and clothing, I just had to Stronghold my indoor cat Noah after I brought something into the flat.

[Stezzle]

Who suggested the borax powder and the Johnson shampoo? What tablets have the other cats had? Are you sure mum reminded the vet there were other cats in the house and he refused to prescribe Stronghold? My understanding is that the eggs are far more resistant to treatment than the fleas themselves, perhaps the borax has been effective on the live fleas only? How do you know the house is clear if you are still being bitten?

According to this, borax is toxic to cats
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5875697_toxic-borax-cats_.html

I use the borax upstairs on the carpet and the cats have been locked up down stairs where its wooden floor through out. Its the bedrooms that are the problem and not the cats themselves. Because they can not feed on the cats now, the fleas are going for us. lol.

[Fire Fox]

Who suggested the borax powder and the Johnson shampoo? What tablets have the other cats had? Are you sure mum reminded the vet there were other cats in the house and he refused to prescribe Stronghold? My understanding is that the eggs are far more resistant to treatment than the fleas themselves, perhaps the borax has been effective on the live fleas only? How do you know the house is clear if you are still being bitten?

According to this, borax is toxic to cats
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5875697_toxic-borax-cats_.html

[Stezzle]

I have been using Borax powder which was suggested to me and seems to have worked well. Also Its only Katie who has been prescriped Stronghold (which i think is rather mean of the vet, considering he knows we have three cats, as he has seem them all at some point) I have also been suggested Johnson repellent shampoo but i am a little unsure if that actually works and if i am more likely to come off worse off. The house seems fine and i will continue doing the same thing for a few weeks to make sure if it completely flea free.

I have asked and they have had tablets but she said she isnt giving them any more. So i am going to get Frontline and use til we are free. I do not see the point in overly giving them flea medciene when they dont have fleas. I also have a flea comb but it only works with one...Licky - he enjoys being touched and tickled so as long as he doesnt see the comb he isnt fussed. Where as Candy hates fuss unless she wants it.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

I've done the house but like i said his mum does the vet thing and is more up to date with where and what they are up to. Can i not go the vets and buy some from there or is it prescription only.

What did you use on the house ? You said you used a powder, I don't know of any powders that actually work so that might be your problem.

You can buy FRONTLINE without a prescription, Stronghold is a POM (prescription only medicine).
The cheapest place to buy frontline is www.vetuk.co.uk
You can buy it from chemists, some petshops and your vet but it will be alot more expensive

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

You need to find out whether they have all been done and what with, but if the other 2 have not been done you can buy frontline from lots of places without a prescription - Supermarkets such as Asda sell it now and I saw it in Boots too.  It will be cheaper online.  What did you use on the carpets?  It needs to be something strong like Acclaim or Staykill to destroy the eggs otherwise the cats will just get re-infested even if they've been treated. 

[Fire Fox]

Can't you or your partner simply ask the mum when they were last de-flead explaining you are still getting bitten? If she gets defensive simply explain that you have been told the fleas are getting resistant now so it may be what she bought was not effective.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Michelle is right and yes you need to find out if anything has been used on them and what, before applying stronghold. If in any doubt speak to your vet,

[Stezzle]

I've done the house but like i said his mum does the vet thing and is more up to date with where and what they are up to. Can i not go the vets and buy some from there or is it prescription only.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

Hi,

All cat need to be treated with Stronghold (or anything else from your vet) monthly. Don't use Bob Martin or anything from a supermarket as they don't work and can actually be very dangerous.
You need to use a GOOD household flea spray too, something like Aclaim

[Stezzle]

Right well we have fleas....arhhh! haha

I have do everything to get rid of them, hoovered all the carpets with powder, changed and washed bedding. I have even got new bedding for the cats. These cats are not mine they are my boyfriends and therefore his mum took Katie to the vets where she got Stronghold for Katie, leaving the other two cats to defend for themselves - looks that way. I went out and got spot on stuff but i am unsure if his mum has used on them or not. Would i be ok to use it on them if she has or is that other dosing and harmful?

I ask because the other two are still scratching and i want help them. The fleas had started to bite me so i know what its like for them and wanted to sort us all out.