I've been noticing black specks in places where my cat sleeps; read on the internet that this is often flea feces/dried blood and to check with a wet paper towel (if it turns red/brown, it's fleas, otherwise it's just dirt). Low and behold, the red/brown appeared.
I then decided to check my cat's fur, and my cat does NOT approve of this. Every time I go to check her she gets mad and bats me away -- she's very temperamental and doesn't like to be messed with unless it's on her terms. I don't know how to go about taking care of the problem simply because my cat won't let me! How do y'all deal with temperamental animals?
Also do you know how to get veterinary care for a lower cost? I really need and should take my cat to the vet, but I'm just scared of how much it's going to cost and that I won't be able to afford care for her. She's been my baby for 13 years; and she's always been perfectly fine, but she's getting up in age and she needs to get checked out. My parents have always said that if I wanted to take her then I was going to have to pay for it (even when I was little and definitely couldn't afford it; they never wanted to take her to the vet cause they didn't want to pay for it, but yet they didn't mind paying for her to get de-clawed. *eyeroll*) and I surely which I am all for, but I just really worry that I can't afford it and I'd hate to abandon my cat over something as silly as a flea problem.
Please don't lecture me about not taking my cat to the vet. I know she needs to go; I want to take her, I just want to know the most economical way to get her the health care she needs.
If it is fleas, maybe a grooming place (cheaper than vet usually) could help you with a special shampoo or something like that? Plus they are trained to take care of animals with a temper
I just had this problem a couple of months ago. Do you have a Petsmart in your area or something like that or even Walmart? Get the advantrix (sp?) it will cost about 50-60 bucks but you get 2 to 4 applications, I forget. It's easy to use while you're petting your cat put the med (it's liquid) between the shoulder blades part the hair so it's on the skin. That's it. It will kill the live ones and the eggs for 6mths. If you have carpet you use borax laundry powder let it sit on carpetfor about an hour vacum and throw bag in garbage outside.
Like rn5192008 said, OTC flea treatments and vacuuming will probably help you with fleas. I would recommend using Frontline, since it seemed the most effective of the OTC treatments I tried on my parents' cats.
Do you take your cat to Pet-Vacc (the traveling vet)? It's relatively inexpensive and is a good way to make sure she's up on her shots. If you want a regular vet, just call around and ask your local vet offices about their prices for check-ups and standard treatment.
Like some of the other posters have mentioned, an OTC flea med like Frontline is usually best. Just make sure you stay away from flea collars as some can be highly toxic to cats (even some of the ones in pet stores). Be sure to vacuum your home thoroughly and give your cat a good brushing to remove as many fleas as possible.
Handling a cat that only likes things on her terms is tricky. I might trying bringing her into the bathroom (door closed so she can't escape!) and give her a bunch of treats. Once she's a little relaxed you can try to brush her. If treats don't work you could try some plain tuna.
If money is a big issue you could try to reach out to a local cat rescue group. Email them and explain the situation. They would likely know of some low cost vet options in your area. Most rescues are always willing to give advice if it means keeping a cat in its home! Good luck!
And don't forget fleas don't stay on the cat, not only will they get in the carpet but they will get on you and when that happens you will gladly pay to get rid of them.
Let me start by saying that I am a vet tech (for about 8 yrs now). I would recommend trying to get in touch with a traveling vet to do the exam for your feline friend. They usually offer lower cost services.
An exam at this age (13) is probably more important than most of the vaccines (except a Rabies vaccine, as this is usually required by law), provided your kitty is an indoor cat with absolutely no exposure to any other cat EVER, not even through a screened in porch. Not to say the vaccines are not important, but at this age there are several things to consider. A physical exam can tell things about the animal that most owners cannot pick up on. Body condition score, heart/lung sounds, abdominal organ palpation, etc..
As pets age, the health concerns change a bit. Hyperthyroidism, kidney disease and diabetes are on the top of the list of diseases that older cats get. These are screened for by doing a panel of blood and urine tests. We (our practice) will assess a patient's risk level for problems related to vaccination status and/or age, and at that point, make a decision with the client as to what the best way to appropriate funds may be. With an older kitty, it may be better to spend money on a blood screen and exam, plus or minus x-rays if indicated, than to vaccinate. This is a decision that is best made with the help of your vet.
As far as the flea control issue goes, here comes the speech:
Fleas have a multi-stage life cycle. It will take about 2-3 months to get an infestation under control. By the time you see flea dirt (which is actually your kitty friend's digested blood now in the form of flea poop), you indeed have a flea problem. Every adult flea that you see represents 5 percent of the population, meaning there are about 95 more fleas in the works for every little hopper that is present. The adults, larvae and eggs can be removed by various products and with relative ease. The problem comes from the pupae. This is the form that is reminiscent of a cocoon. It is pretty damned resistant to most forms of killing that you may try to inflict, including pesticides. It can remain dormant for many months, developing at the most perfect time. This is where vacuuming comes into play. Physical removal of the little buggers is about all you can do. Aplying a product to the inside of your home should help reduce the load as far as the adults, eggs and larvae goes as well. When using a product yourself such as a fogger or a spray, READ THE LABEL! I have seen pesticide poisoning occur in our clients and pets due to not reading and understanding the product you are using. This is also the part where I tell you it is usually better to consult a pest control service! If you must continue on with your self prescribed treatment, be careful. You and your cat should not remain in the area to be treated until it is safe. Air out everything. Wash everything afterwards, especially countertops, cat bowls, hard surfaces, soft surfaces, EVERYTHING! Do not take a risk with your (or your cat's) health. Cats are extremely sensitive to pesticides, and I have seen many die from exposure over the years.
This brings me to my next point- the actual product you will use on your cat. A poster above mentioned something like advantrix, but was not sure how to spell it. This is a common problem encountered in the veterinary world. There are many products, and nobody can remember what they bought last time, what it was called, and so on. The product called Advantix is a canine specific product and it will KILL YOUR CAT. Advantage, however, is perfectly safe for cats and both are sold over the counter. See the problem? Flea collars are often not effective, and can be toxic as well. Please do not waste your money. If you need something over the counter, I can say that regular Advantage and Frontline are safe and come in cat sizes and doses. If you can save up and get to your vet, spend your money on a product like feline Revolution, Advantage Multi, or Assurity. These are products sold under a vet license, and they are expensive (about 15 dollars for a dose- which lasts about a month, not 6 months, as someone suggested above), but they actually work. The first 2 I mentioned are combination products, offering protection against fleas, heartworms, intestinal parasites and ear mites (yes- cats get heartworms, too!). Regular Advantage and Frontline are falling by the wayside as there is some speculation about resistance to the growth regulators in them. Our clinic did a blinded clinical trial involving Frontline, and let's just say it did not perform as well as the other product. But if you cannot get the good stuff, for God's sake use them because they will help. But these products have to be used every month, even after the problem is cleared up, or it will happen again. As far as the application goes, your kitty may be grumpy due to a problem known as hyperesthesia, which can be caused by allergy to the flea saliva. You may get more reaction when you touch down by the tail head area, and this may improve when you get her fleas under control. But you may have to have someone help you put the stuff on. It may involve scruffing her, which will not hurt her. It simply immobilizes her a little bit, and makes it less likely you will get bitten in the process. The best place to apply is right at the back of the head, as this is the place least likely to be immediately groomed by the cat. Follow the package directions.
Overall, please get her treated right away. Cats can become anemic if parasitized heavily, which can require a blood transfusion. I have seen many cats die as a result of fleas. Fleas also carry a blood parasite that can make her very sick, as well as tapeworms called Dipylidium Caninum. These look like sesame seeds around the cat's anus, fur and even on your pillow! If you would like more info, and likely not as I have written a novel, feel free to PM me.
We use a lot of garlic in our cooking and our cat always has some of the veggies we eat at dinner time. She has never had fleas. I spoke to the vet about it last time to see if she needed any other measures and he said garlic is a good natural anti flea measure if the cat will eat it.
might be something to think about after she's had her fleas treatment.
We used Advantage on Agatha when she had an outbreak of fleas. We moved into an apartment that actually had fleas left behind by the previous tenants....joy. It cleared it up. Yes, we had to de-flea the whole apartment before she came home from the vet. Cause fleas will eat on humans too, if they get a chance. Fleas can also cause other health issues in animals... :-(
Check with your local vets, mobile vets, or even your local shelter...they can give you leads for help for you furry baby. Some may offer payment programs. Best of luck! I know how special our animals can be to us.
My Agatha is not the "best behaved" either. She only wants love on HER terms, NOT to be held, but any vet worth their salt knows how to work with them.
You also might try natural cat calming treats or water additive. I found it online, and in pet stores. It has the same ingredient that is found in turkey...you know how that makes you relaxed & sleepy. Miss Aggie loves the treats! You only need a couple to see a change. They are awesome! She's happier, we're happier.
We have had a few flea issues here and there and Advantage was the only thing that worked for us. We'd tried them all and all the others did not work as well. One application of Advantage and within 24 hours, our kitties were happy again.
I haven't ordered from this place (usually do Drs. Foster and Smith)but this is the best deal I have seen for Advantage for cats online, not too bad on cost.
My best advice as an owner of five cats...go to the vet. Don't waste your money on over the counter flea products. You will end up at the vet getting the good stuff eventually. Besides, some cats get sores/scabs from an allergic reaction to the fleas and some additional medication may be needed. Two of my cats are allergic and get very scabby when we have fleas. I've wasted way too much on flea stuff from petco...and always end up at the vet for the good stuff. In fact, just came home with Frontline Plus and Siphotrol for the carpet. I have to vacuum first, then spray, then vacuum again. The first vacuum helps to hatch the eggs from the existing fleas. I hate fleas. I've considered burning my house down (kidding of course) one time when I was having my morning coffee and a flea jumped in my cup. The only thing that kept me from actually burning my house down was knowing the fleas would probably survive and then I'd be homeless. I have scars still over a year later on my legs from the fleas that year. Since then, all five get their monthly Frontline and the carpets and mattresses get sprayed. I hate them.
I highly recommend the Revolution brand flea drops. I have no idea how it works with cats but I have 2 dogs, both were heavily infested with fleas about a year ago. We tore our home apart to get rid of them and have our dogs on Revolution (plus we bought the pill that kills fleas on your pet in 1 hour and we flea comb once every 2 weeks). Revolution is extremely expensive but I budget for it as a pet owner (in CDN I spend about $70 for both my dogs for 3 months). As your kitty is getting older, perhaps it's time to put aside a couple bucks every pay cheque for the "just in case" moments? Just a suggestion as I don't know your financial situation.
Revolution purportedly (last I heard) rid the animal of fleas but also made any shedded fur/hair was toxic to them as well...meaning it killed the bugs when they were crawling through our carpet, etc.
Revolution, also from what I've read, is one of the only pet flea treatments that is regulated by a governing drug board. Most other flea treatments aren't. Talk to a vet in your area, get some price quotes before you agree to anything. I know that I personally have a hard time seeing someone face to face, asking the price of something, and then saying no...social anxiety and all that...so I call or remind myself I never have to see this person again and find another vet.
I get my frontline and profender (best dewormer ever) off petbucket, ebay, or amazon. It's a lot cheaper than taking them to the vet (only if it has to do with fleas or worms, though. I wouldn't recommend not going if it was a real emergency).
I'm actually thinking of switching from frontline to revolution since I found it so affordable on petbucket (around $25 for 3 doses) the next time I need a flea medication.
Last edited by 3FCer344892; 11-06-2012 at 05:04 AM.
I use this stuff called Adams. It comes in a blue spray bottle. Kills the fleas and their eggs. Sadly, we are having to use the stuff a lot lately. My cat got fixed and the clinic sent him back full of fleas.
I think my cat may have fleas..
