Cleo

Question
I have a Siamese cat named Cleo, she is the sweetest thing you will ever meet. But she has fleas!!!! If you hold her you'll be covered in fleas! if she lays down somewhere then leaves it will be covered in fleas!!!! We keep giving her baths with special shampoo perscribed by our vet, but it dosent help at all, then we put special cat  medicine on her, it dosent help either, so please tell me what to do!

Answer
Hi, Deanna.  What is the medicine you're using on her?

I recommend Advantage for flea infestations.  It works more quickly than Frontline and Revolution (Revolution is available by prescription only).  It also stays on the skin's surface, so fleas die before they bite.  With Frontline, MOST fleas die before they bite (not all), but with Revolution, fleas usually must bite before they die.

However, if you are going to use Advantage, you must stop giving the cats baths.  It washes off with water.  If you're using Frontline, you should not bathe your pet for at least 48 hours.  You can bathe your cat if you use Revolution, as soon as the application site has dried.

Personally, I don't recommend baths at all.  They often cause dry skin or allergic reactions, and they aren't very effective.  They are good for treating fleas on the pet immediately, but as soon as the pet is dry, fleas will hop back on most times.

It's normal to see fleas when using any of these products.  That's because instead of hiding in the coat, the fleas are jumping off of your pet because they are being poisoned by the medication.  While there really aren't MORE fleas, you are SEEING more fleas.

None of these products will kill flea eggs that have already been laid in your cat's bedding and in your furniture and carpets.  If you apply Advantage, Frontline, or Revolution monthly as recommended, it will still take about 6 weeks for all of the existing flea eggs, larvae and pupae to develop into adult fleas, when they are killed.  So you will continue to see fleas in your house for the next month or two.  Cleo will be protected from them by the medication, but you won't!

So, to get rid of fleas in your carpet and other soft surfaces where flea eggs and immature fleas live, you should use something to kill fleas in the environment.  There are flea powders and sprays for that.  I personally recommend using Borax cleaner, instead.  This is used as a general cleaner and hand soap and can be found at most stores.  Borax is non-toxic, so it won't threaten your pet.  You sprinkle it on carpets and furniture, and then rub it in.  Allow it to sit for two hours.  Borax dehydrates and kills all life stages of fleas (eggs, larvae, pupae and adults).  You should keep Cleo off of these surfaces while the Borax works.  After two hours, vacuum the Borax up, and throw away the vacuum cleaner bag (if you have a bagless, bleach the canister and replace the filter).

If this still doesn't help, you might need to bomb your house for fleas using a flea fogger, available at pet stores and most lawn and garden shops.  Make sure it states it will kill eggs and larvae as well as adult fleas.  This will require you and Cleo to leave the house for a few hours.  Flea foggers can work more efficiently than Borax in some cases, because they reach surfaces you may miss with Borax (like curtains and underneath furntiure, etc.).

For the best results, keep Cleo indoors.  If she carries even one flea into the house, you could end up with another infestation.

Best wishes!