Good Morning to all!
My hubby and I are passing through a huge dilema with our cats.. You see we live in a apartment house and about a month ago the owner of the house started to take care of a cat that definitely has fleas (cause not only did I noticed that she/he had a flea collar but also when that cat would be outside she/he would scratch constantly). Anyway, my hubby decided to show my two other indoor "ALWAYS" cats that we have at our apartment-so he brought that flea cat inside just for a few seconds and then took her outside.. BAD IDEA!! Ever since that day I began to feel extreamly itchy and at nights was the worst -it was hard for me to sleep cause I felt constant tickleling and itchyness. Then I began to notice bite marks near my belly button, on the sides near my hips, and around my inner thighs. I knew then something was up so I check my cats and like I suspected they had fleas..
When we saw this we first took them both a bath and then the day after got Advantage and put it on them. Afterwards we began to vacuum and clean the whole apartment, beds, sheets, cloths etc.
Then we called exterminator he came twice (once for every 2 weeks) sprayed our apartment.
After a few days we finally started to feel some relief-i finally felt like I can sleep well at night :)
Until this morning... Started to feel that itchyness and tickles once again on the bed (not as bad as the beginning-still haven't seen no bite marks) but this is horrible..
On April 6 we have to put another dose of Advantage on our cats (this will be the second month) and I have been cleaning and vacuuming like crazy weekly.
Just a day ago I decided to brush one of my cats and noticed on the brush flea poop (black dots)
I honestly don't know what to do anymore.. we have been trying everything-we even used BOTAX (a detergent that I've heard that kills instantly the fleas on rugs, beds, sofas etc.)
*** help anyone :(

Just a day ago i decided to brush one of my cats and noticed on the brush flea poop (black dots)Hello M:

You had me going up until that point... That's the best laugh I've had all day.

excon

Is this some kind of joke, as indicated by "excon"? I don't want to waste time responding if this is not a serious request for advice.

Hubby here - just to correct a few things on the question - believe it or not the black dots actually look more like dirt - online most people call it flea dirt - when we went to the vet he said exactly in these words - its flea poop, ****, and crap... lol. It pretty much what the flea's release once there don't with the blood they suck in, but the terminology people use online is "flea dirt". Also another correction its BORAX powder(multi-purpose cleaner) not BOTAX. So far the two responses above didn't help - if these are the responses my wife and I are going to expect then we live in a sad country my friends - now I know why other places in the world don't take us seriously when we got idiots like the responders above who don't seem to show a bit of respect and understanding to other peoples problems. So if nobody knows what is going on then don't reply to this forum - if your smart enough and DO want to help give us a mature answer then knock yourself out. Thanks again America... we know we could count on you... :)

now i know why other places in the world dont take us seriously when we got idiots like the responders above who dont seem to show a bit of respectHello Hubby:

At least I know when I'm being shat upon.

excon

now I know why other places in the world don't take us seriously when we got idiots like the responders above who don't seem to show a bit of respect and understanding to other peoples problems. So if nobody knows what is going on then don't reply to this forum

Considering the fact that everyone here volunteers for free to help people like you, and you just called two members idiots, I'm going to pass.

You may want to think before you post, be a little more polite to the people taking time out of their lives to help. No one wants to be treated like dirt, which is what you just did. No one has to answer your question, so be grateful for any response you get, and choose the one that works for you.

You owe Excon and tleegreene an apology.

First of all.. Fleas are species specific. Your cats fleas cannot crawl onto you and start biting you.

I would suggest instead of spending the thousands of dollars on silly detergents that claim to kill fleas, get a powder or fogger that you can put in your house specifically for fleas.

Flea collar are worthless. They only prevent infestation around the neck. I would suggest Advantix or Frontline. Not only do they repel fleas, but also kill flea larvea and eggs.

Clean your cats with dawn dishsoap and cool water. It will help relieve them of the itchyness and get rid of the flea dirt. After they are dry, then apply the advantix or frontline.

The only thing I can think of is, that this is a mind over matter situation. That is the only time that a parasite from the animal world will effect humans. Unless your cats have Scabies (Sarcoptic mites) then there is no way that you are getting an infestation from your cats directly to your skin. You can get bit, but they do not live on your skin..

Stop touching the infested cat. Spray around your doorway.

Because you have problems with fleas,I would also suggest you get your cats treated for tapeworms. These two parasites walk hand in hand.

Good luck :)

Ok! Wow! Apparently I'm an idiot for not knowing what "excon" thought the joke was. Since, you apparently didn't get the joke either, I guess that puts us in the same boat. Whatever...

For the health of your cats... you are probably not using the Advantage in the most efficient manner. Mainly, you shouldn't wash your cats the day before. Advantage relies on body oils to distribute it over the cats entire body. Washing strips the skin of natural oils. Without the oils, the Advantage can not effectively treat the entire cat.
Also, you need to make sure you are using the correct dosage. The dose depends on your cat's weight. Often people don't realize their cat has gained a pound or two and needs to go up to the next dosage.
Next, don't waste money on "Borax" or any other detergent. Buy a product that is made to kill fleas and their eggs on furniture and carpet.
By the way, this is a common problem for many people. Just when you have finally gotten rid of all the fleas and have treated every bit of your house, the eggs start to hatch and the problem starts all over again. That is why it is very important to use a product that kills fleas and their eggs.
Another approach, is to use an oral medication along with the Advantage. While the Advantage kill the fleas, the oral medicine renders any remaining eggs unable to sexually mature. Thus breaking the cycle since any remaining fleas won't be able to reproduce.

Mainly, you shouldn't wash your cats the day before. Advantage relies on body oils to distribute it over the cats entire body. Washing strips the skin of natural oils. Without the oils, the Advantage can not effectively treat the entire cat.


Which is why you would use dawn dish soap. It doesn't strip the natural oils of the skin, or so it claims...

Hello again,
Wifey here :)
First of all I appreciate everyone who replied and gave their advice/answers. My intentions on writing this question were to find some answers not to joke around-I apologize if at anytime I made it seem that way.. Regarding the flea poop (lol) I admit that when I first read it in the internet I also did find it kind of funny but it kind of made sense cause though cause, from what I read,that's what fleas leave behind-like my hubby explained looks kind of like dirt. Anyway we are just both very frustrated at this situation with our cats- this is the first time we actually pass through this flea situation and we don't know that much about it.
Once again, I am thankful for those who replied and gave me straight answers. :) And for those who want to know, this is the updates on our cats (Blondie and Señora):

We took our 2 cats a bath on Friday with a flea shampoo and left the shampoo on for about 10 minutes before taking it off with water-believe it or not we actually saw some dead fleas.. yyayy.. die suckerz.. lol :)
Afterwards, we dried them up and put the ADVANTAGE on them.
-Please note that we did this before reading your answer lucky098 or else we would have done it differently.. hope the ADVANTAGE still works though-
They both still scratch even after everything done to them.. If I still see fleas on them we will eventually have to take them both to the vet and see what they tell us.
Sucks that our indoor cats have to pass through this..
Well lets see what happens next.
Thank you all once again and I will keep you update.. :)

Hello again, M:

Your post is the first time I've heard about flea poop. I didn't believe it. I still don't... Do you know how tiny their little a$$holes are?

excon

Excon:

There really IS flea poop! They are tiny black dots smaller than ground pepper that lie on the cat's skin and are pulled into the fur when the cat is brushed or as the flea crawls around and poops in the fur. (Fleas aren't fussy where they poop). If we ever had another infestation, I will tape some onto a 3x5 card and mail it to you.

http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/flea-pictures.html#flea-dirt

WG

There really IS flea poop!! Hello WG:

Oh, I don't doubt that fleas poop. What I doubt, is that you can see it. I refer you above to my mention of their teeny tiny little a$$holes...

excon

excon:

Did you look at the photos in that link I posted? What are those black dots if they are not flea poop?

Those black dots have been meticulously examined by highly trained poop scientists and have been magnified and tested in sterile, high-tech labs. Those black dots are not eggs or dirt from the environment. They are flea poop.

Would a photo showing the size of a flea's a$$hole convince you? Would you like to see a YouTube video of a flea pooping? (There probably is one. Everything else seems to be on YT.)

WG

Would a photo showing the size of a flea's a$$hole convince you?Hello again, Carol:

Yes, it would.

excon

Excon:

I will make that my Monday project.

WG

To the OP. Thank you for coming back and thank you for explaining things more.

If the treatment doesn't work I really do think that the vet is your best bet. Fleas can be really hard to get rid of, even if you do everything right, and follow instructions exactly. They're nasty little vermin.

Please keep us posted, let us know how it all goes, and if the treatment worked.

Good luck.

Thank you wondergirl for taking the time and explaining to some that their really is flea poop.. I was beginning to feel like no one was believing me.. Just wanted to give my thanks ;-)

Seeing is believing.. until you have fleas on your pet and check their fur then you'll see those black dots that wondergirl and I were writing about. I think wondergirl even added some pics so you can see. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame you for not believing, I couldn't believe it myself till I researched online and found out that it really is the feces from those tiny suckerz.

Not only do fleas poop digested blood on our cats, but they have sex too -- lots of sex (to make baby fleas)! Don't let your cat be a maternity hospital. That's why it's important to get rid of fleas as fast and as thoroughly as you can.

Frontline and scrupulous cleaning is what worked for me (with three cats serving as temporary no-tell motels and maternity hospitals).

UPDATE:
Hello to all :)
Its been 2 months since my husband and I have been using ADVANTAGE on our cats. I've noticed that when we use it, the first few days its great- I am able to sleep well without no itchyness or discomfort. But as the month ends, I start feeling all those itchyness once again. My cats also haven't stop scratching and in a way I don't want to check them for fleas cause I know if I do and I find those blood suckers Ill feel even more frustrated and itchy.
Honestly, Iam tired with this flea dilema and have tried everything.. I am exhausted with all the vacuuming and cleaning on not only sofas and pillows but as well as bedroom sheets etc.
Last night I felt a constant tickleness and itchyness on my bed (especially every time I tried to cover myself with sheets). I couldn't go to sleep till 4:00 or 5:00 am in the morning because of this.. :(
I thought the ADVANTAGE would kill them for good but now I am getting second thoughts and was thinking on starting to use FRONTLINE for next month to see if that works on them.
I don't know what to do anymore, I also have stray cats outside that I usually feed all the time and I believe those are the ones bringing the fleas in my apartment (even though they don't come inside)-but I cannot reject them..
Also, a week ago I began to notice on toilet paper in bathroom some tiny gray bugs (u can hardly see them)-they wouldn't move quick nor jump so I don't know if they were baby fleas or some other bugs. Well just thought you should all know what's been going and I could use any advice.. especially when its regarding sleeping with no itchyness-i need my rest.. :(
Help

Also, a week ago I began to notice on toilet paper in bathroom some tiny gray bugs (u can hardly see them)-they wouldnt move quick nor jump so I dont know if they were baby fleas or some other bugs. Well just thought you should all know whats been going and I could use any advice..especially when its regarding sleeping with no itchyness-i need my rest.. :(
Help

Fleas, even babies, jump and move fast. This sounds like another kind of animal.

Using Advantage and Frontline month after month on your cats isn't healthy for them. We feed outdoor strays and have five indoor cats. Only one dose of Frontline (and LOTS of cleaning and vacuuming) was necessary to eradicate "our" fleas, with no new outbreak.

I really think you have something else going on at your house. Can you consult with an area exterminator to identify these little rascals?

MimiGirl,

Take a breath... You're just one of a jillion folks who are learning how difficult it is to battle a flea invasion. But mostly it's because you aren't fully aware of what you're dealing with. I Looked, but I don't see anything to laugh about your situation.

First, while there are both cat and dog variety of fleas, the cat variety is the most prevalent on both pets. ALSO, there is NO host specificity... a flea will happily bite you, especially one just hatching out.

This sort of problem usually has it's beginnings (everything has to start sometime. This doesn't just move in on you) a few months ago. Florida is a favorite spot for people because the weather is nicer than up North. Most of the bugs know this too. There is no 'off season' for your fleas.

You see only a small portion of the fleas that are actually in your environment. A female flea will lay 2000 eggs in her lifetime. These are on the dog or cat she happened to be enjoying at the time. These eggs are small oval things, about the size of a period ->.<- there.. maybe a little smaller. It isn't sticky, so it falls off the pet pretty quickly. In a few days, it hatches into a larva, which spins a cocoon, in which it morphs into a juvenile flea. In the larval stage, it feasts on that 'flea dirt' as has been described earlier. (it, too, falls off the pet into the same environment as the eggs) In a couple weeks, the changes have occurred in the cocoon, and the juvie flea cracks open the cocoon, but remains relatively dormant. It may stay this way for 6 months, waiting for something to eat to come close enough to jump onto. Vibrations, from footsteps for example, signal it to emerge from the cocoon within a matter of a minute or less, and attempt to hop on board you, or the pet. The life cycle starts over when the flea takes it's first blood meal (bite). Probably half of these juveniles are females, so X 2000, and you see the explosion heading your way?

Up north the season starts about late April, or early May. By August, this multiplication process has grown into a real host of fleas. As the last 'litter' comes active, the homeowner feels as if he was suddenly invaded... even though his pets have been scratching "normally" for a month or more.

Most approaches at fighting this invasion are either half hearted (as far as the fleas are concerned), poorly timed, or less than completely effective. A successful battle involves attacking on all fronts simultaneously. Kill the existing fleas, pick up as many of the undeveloped eggs,larvae, and juveniles as possible, and make provisions to kill any you missed. This involves treating the pets... Advantage, or other topical treatments, EXCEPT the less expensive OTC stuff (Hartz and the like) which has the nasty habit of occasionally killing the pet, especially cats and puppies. Flea baths are not really effective, or worth the effort. Residual killing is usually well rinsed off, and the insecticide is less effective than other stuff.

Importantly (enough so to start a new paragraph!) the pet's environment must be cleaned. This doesn't mean scrubbed down, were dealing with bugs, not germs. But an extra effort needs to be made wherever the pet spends time, sleeping, for example. You know the places... a closet, a chair(or more), sofa, basement (be a little more specific, just where down there?) Oh, that's right... no basements in FL. OK, outside, under a porch? Remember, the flea eggs fall off the pet, and wherever the pet spends more time, more eggs will fall off. Logical process. Vacuum the furniture, getting down along the cushions (eggs are small and not sticky, remember?) Vacuum the carpets AND wood floors. Cracks between the boards can harbor eggs, as well. In fact, cracks about anywhere are candidate spots.

Don't rely entirely on the exterminator to do the job, unless you have it on GOOD advice that he can, and has for someone you know. Even then, be a little skeptical.

Repeat the follow-up cleaning often, maybe not every day, but every other? Remember, it is likely that your pet will reinfect itself somewhere after treatment, and nothing is perfect. One or two females will drop a few (dozen?) eggs in a couple days before dying off. And you may have missed some eggs or larvae before.

Treatments... most people are against 'poisons', like insecticides. Well, that's OK, there are some non toxic things that will kill flea stages in carpets. Borax is toxic to them, as is diatomaceous earth... DE for those with pools. DE is very dusty, so brush/sweep it gently into the carpet so it reaches down where the flea is developing. It is this fineness that plugs up the air holes in fleas, and many other insects, so they smother. May not be an easy death, but it's satisfying and quiet.

For the vacuum. All those adult and lesser so fleas that get caught up, they won't die unless you help them along, and will be a great reserve to restock your place if they get out. Raid is probably a household word in FL, so before turning the vacuum off, a little burst of Raid into the hose will do a number on those in the bag. Don't put it away without treating it. Changing the bag every time? Be careful to not let any out, and it may be a little expensive, doing it every other day. Your choice..

If you're not averse to using Raid, or similar products, you can spray that around the carpets, etc, as well. Fleas are not hard to kill, it's just there are so many that you usually miss each time.
There isn't anything magical about this, just a logical approach. Know your enemy to know how to battle him. This makes you the aggressor, not the victim.

I wish you success.

Didn't mention the test for flea poop. (Dirt, for those more easily offended... same stuff). Wet a tissue, just damp is fine. Put a little of the black stuff on it and fold the tissue over on top of it. Press between fingers for a mo, or two, then open. Orange smudges are characteristic for 'it', the smudges being dissolved blood, the main ingredient in the dirt.