Feeling frustrated...

[yomo]

I have been dealing with fleas on my poor kitty for months and I am so ready to break down and give up. I have tried to vacuum frequently during the school semester and flea comb my cat almost every day and all that and I'm still finding some on her.

And now that winter break is here I can't vacuum every day or maybe even at all for a little while because I just had eye surgery on both of my eyes. I can see decently at this point, but I'm still supposed to relax and heal.

We also have two dogs who seem to be fine but kitty got fleas from them going outside near our neighbor's house in the first place (they have dogs that I am pretty sure they do not treat very well concerning fleas)...I just don't know what to do. I couldn't really afford those chemical treatments even if I wanted to use them.

I guess I'm just going to have to vacuum the whole house slowly every day and try and flea comb all of them every day as well...I just feel so hopeless.


EDIT: I should mention that I don't really find many fleas on kitty, but the fact that I do still find one or two still irritates me. She doesn't even really scratch, but I still find them.

[Morpheus]

Honestly, i dont think you will get rid of them in that way alone. When my kitty had fleas i gave him chemical treatment for three months and vacuumed constantly as well as brushing and brushing and even after that he still had them. Then needed to give him 6 minths of it even when they seemed to be gone cause they could still be in furniture and carpets etc. My vet said that the mistake people often made was stopping treatment when it seemed there were no more fleas on the animal.

Here i got treatment for six months for no more than £30. What I dont really understand though is why you have so many pets if you cant afford something as simple as flea treatment. What if one gets sick then and needs life saving treatments or simply just check ups and vaccinations? That costs far more than flea trearment. But yeah.. Thats just a concern of mine when people say things like this or buy animals. When you get a pet, it is your responsibility to get treatment for it and if you cant afford even the most simple of them and routine things (everyone can struggle with major surgeries, long term illnesses and so on understably) getting one or more animals is not a good idea. You know those expenses will come often several times a year, especially with thst many pets. The cost of buying the animal is the lowest. Its vet treatment, food etc. Thats the expensive part.

Personally i put aside money each month, not a lot, but some for the routine treatments and checkups and even some of the bigger things so that when for example, my tortoise was very ill this summer and needed a lot of trearment, medicines, check ups, x rays etc. At least some of the money was there. Of course i could feel it financially as it was 3 months of severe illness and weekly vet visits but i could manage by cutting down on other stuff due to having put money aside in spite of the fact that i was struggling financially already because of unexpected major expenses on medication and treatment for my own physical health that i had not accounted for and being alone with every bill, rent etc after having broken up with my ex and having moved into my own flat.
In the future i would recomnend similar for you. It also takes some worries away as when you are in the situation, you wont have to worry as much about the financial issues of it. And you know the expences will come several times a year with that many pets so it will be worth it. Its easier putting aside £10-20 a month for it than having to pay it all at once in emergencies.

Also, my cat is an indoor cat and has no contact with other animals and still got fleas. They can sit in the clothes of people who visit etc. So unless you are sure the dog has fleas and even if it does, i wouldnt be as quick to blame. It could just as easily be you or a friend who brought them in after being in contact with other animals. If your dogs dont have fleas, its not really likely they brought them in as the fleas dogs have are usually cat fleas.

I guess i fail to see why who to blame is important though. They are there regardless and needs to be dealt with.

[Morpheus]

Also wanted to add, how do you know they dont give the dogs proper treatment for fleas? By now, you know yourself that they are a pain to get rid of. They could be giving the best treatment but still struggle to get rid of them. How would you feel if people said what you said about them, just because your kitty has fleas and continues to have them even after tou have been trying to deal with it?

I dont think you should be so quick to judge and blame. I dont see how you have any way of knowing what treatment they give their dogs unless they have specifically said that they dont do anything about it. And even so, you dont know if it comes from them at all. You probably wouldnt like if people blamed you for their pets fleas or accused you of not giving proper treatment. And you could just as easily have passed the fleas from your cat to anorher persons pet unpurposely.

This happens, no ones doing it on purpose. Why cast blame or even think in thar way? Its not very constructive and statements like the one you made, could be seen as hurtful and judgmental.

[not_so_insig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morpheus

Honestly, i dont think you will get rid of them in that way alone. When my kitty had fleas i gave him chemical treatment for three months and vacuumed constantly as well as brushing and brushing and even after that he still had them. Then needed to give him 6 minths of it even when they seemed to be gone cause they could still be in furniture and carpets etc. My vet said that the mistake people often made was stopping treatment when it seemed there were no more fleas on the animal.

Unfortunately you arent able to effectively get rid of them without using effective treatment. The best thing is to take to a vet, who can prescribe the correct and appropriate product, both for your home and your cat.

I dont know where you live, but in the UK products bought at pet stores arent very good and tbh you wont get rid of the fleas by using them. They are just a waste of money. The best bet is to go to a vet as the situation is probably the same in your country - there is a good reason why the decent flea products are veterinary only - simply because they work.

I agree with Morpheus that indoor only cats can get fleas. My oldest cat had sore scabby skin when I first got her due to a flea allergy - in her previous home she wasnt allowed out. Her previous owner thought that because she was indoors only she didnt need treating - which is a false belief. Fortunately in the nearly 7 years I have had her, her flea allergy is never come back - I treat her twice a year with a decent product (my vet advised me that she can get away with being done that often because she dont go outside. Outdoor going cats need doing as often as the product you use dictates).