Dandelion has got fleas :(

Dandelion

No, not me. My cat - he's got the critters, despite being an indoor cat. He has had two adventures recently, one to the vets for an eye infection which is now better, and the other - he escaped into the eaves and went nosying around under the floorboards and my husband had to rescue him! I suspect it was one of these two incidents that gave him the critters, or either myself or my husband unknowingly brought these little buggers in from the outside world. Anyway, we have hoovered and sprayed EVERYWHERE with flea spray (the stuff that kills the eggs as well as adult fleas), underneath the bed, behind furniture and I've washed EVERYTHING - bedding, cushion covers, sofa throws etc. Dandelion has today also had Frontline Spot On applied to him, so it is too soon to know if it has worked. His little paws are crossed that it has because the poor sausage has lost fur from all his scratching. I am thinking about getting some pretty bags of lavender to place around the flat, (they are a natural flea deterrent) especially in places where critters like to hand out - warm and cosy places. My question is this, does anyone know if dried lavender is harmful to cats? I have so far gathered that essential oils are harmful, but the actual plant is not. It's neither an actual plant, or essential oils I will be using though. I don't know if dried lavender contains harmful properties to cats, does anyone know? Also, has anyone tried any other non chemical things to prevent/treat fleas that are safe for cats?

Dandelion, and Dandelion

ginab

Poor Dandelion! Just a little dot of Advantage topical solution will get rid of all fleas, no spraying/washing needed. I suspect Frontline works the same way. I don't think the fleas will be impressed by the lavender! Since Dandelion is an indoor cat, I think it's better to just use the Frontline for the occasional flea attack.

Floating_Abu

I hope Dandelion gets rid of the fleas soon, Dandelion !

I hate those flea things :hmph:

NomaDBuddha

@Dandelion

Had the same problem. I used Frontline on my cat, and Frontilne spray on me ( as fleas decided that my blood is also good to "eat" and jumped on me), but the thing that does most of the job is some kind of solution, that acts as an insect repellent that contains Fe ( iron/ferum) and Ca (calcium), as I remember. You have to spray all over the house in a short time ( the solution won't have any effect if you don't shake/mix it well and spray it quickly). You have to close all the windows and doors for half an hour, then open the windows and let air come in for about fifteen-twenty minutes.

Dandelion

@ginab hello, yes I'm not going to buy any dried lavender unless I know for certain Little D will be ok with it! I'm relieved to say the frontline has worked its magic; I stayed up till 4:30am taking all the dead fleas out of him... (not a nice job) as they all started to come to the surface of his furry coat, and he's no longer scratching himself like a wild beast!

@Floating_Abu thanks, yes, fleas are GROSS :eek:

@NomaDBuddha I will investigate that solution you have mentioned, hopefully the blasting of the flat will have done the trick. I've read some horrid horror stories on the net of ppl really struggling to get rid of them so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed....

From a Buddhist point of view, how does one negotiate a situation like this? Because, I have actually killed living creatures, albeit for the health of my cat, and mine and my husbands, as fleas can create worms in both humans and their pets. I am not sure if this is a silly question??

Telly03

@dandelion You can only take this living creature thing so far... to preserve your health, it may be unavoidable, such as eliminating parasites, so don't beat yourself up over it.

Dandelion

@dandelion You can only take this living creature thing so far... to preserve your health, it may be unavoidable, such as eliminating parasites, so don't beat yourself up over it.

Hi @Telly03 no, I'm not beating myself up over it, I was just wondering that's all, and I'd do the same thing again in a heart beat.

ginab

I just stumbled upon this webpage and thought you might be interested:
http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2010/11/natural-flea-control-for-cats/
:coffee:

Dandelion

I just stumbled upon this webpage and thought you might be interested:
http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2010/11/natural-flea-control-for-cats/
:coffee:

Very informative, many thanks @ginab I would rather give my cat something natural rather than something with chemicals.

Mountains

Frontline and similar products (NOT the poison sold by Hartz at Mal-Wart that's packaged to look like Frontline) are extremely safe. This is coming to you from a Licensed Veterinary Technician, RN, and someone who doesn't use anything with more than two syllables in the name if he can help it. Frontline is an extremely effective product, and it's been proven safe after many years of use. Fleas don't do anybody any good, and honestly (because I've tried them all), none of the "natural" remedies works worth beans if you're in a bad flea infestation area. We seem to have had them particularly bad this year in SW Virginia as well.

Dandelion

Hi @Mountains
Thanks for your input too. I have to say, Dandelion has tolerated the Frontline well, and it has worked (so far) without any side effects.

DaltheJigsaw

I am sorry! Hope he feels better!