# Flea Advice (for my cat, not me)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 5, 2013, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063 "2013-09-05T11:12:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/1 "2013-09-05T11:12:14Z")
Hey all,
A quick post before I gotta take off for my internship. My sweet, simpleminded Snuggleslut (pic [here](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1071582_623815392200_385186311_o.jpg)from her fun day at the vet when she failed at hopping a fence) has fleas. About a week ago I put some liquid medication between her shoulder blades but she licked up what she could instantaneously and drooled it out. Needless to say, the flea problem didn’t go away. She’s scratching herself to the point of having a lot of scabs and I still see fleas. ☹ Should I try to apply the medication again so soon? Has anyone tried other methods of getting rid of fleas that were successful?
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### Author:  [@StJoan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StJoan)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/2 "2013-09-05T11:49:30Z")
I’ve written this before on the dope, but if your cat enjoys being combed, try a nit/lice comb. One of those fine toothed combs they sell to remove lice from human heads. You’ll also need a cup of white vinegar, and a lot of patience. Pick up kitty and comb her fur from nose to tail, pausing every little while to remove the trapped hair and fleas (drop them in the cuppa vinegar, and dip the comb in as well, to clean it up). You will have to do this regularly (say, once a day), as fleas are clever little buggers and can find all sorts of places to hide in kitty’s warm, furry coat. Over time, if your pet enjoys this exercise, it also serves as a nice bonding experience between cat and human.
Or you can buy the electrfied combs, which electrocute a flea when they come into contact with it. IME, most cats do not like the tingling sensation of this, but cats are weird and YMMV.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/3 "2013-09-05T12:11:06Z")
Advantage or Frontline placed not between the shoulders, but rather further forward where the head and neck join.
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/4 "2013-09-05T12:36:12Z")
Flea advice is worth what you paid for it 😛
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### Author:  [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/5 "2013-09-05T13:00:41Z")
Yup, treat again with Frontline, Advantage, or Revolution and put it up high on the neck and right down next to the skin as much as possible. The grocery store brands really don’t work as well, and anything pyrethrin is very bad for cats.
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### Author:  [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/6 "2013-09-05T13:01:41Z")
And **Ludovic** , that was baaaaaaad 😃
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### Author:  [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/7 "2013-09-05T17:37:31Z")
If it’s really bad, you may need to give her a flea bath. This is not a fun activity, but neither is having the nasty buggies infesting your home as well as your cat.
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### Author:  [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/8 "2013-09-05T18:31:41Z")
If the cat comes indoors, get some flea spray that says it’s safe for cats and spray all the soft and hard surfaces where the cat goes. Wait a day, then vacuum. Dispose of the bag (if any) and repeat weekly for a few weeks.
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### Author:  [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/9 "2013-09-05T18:31:57Z")
When my kittys get fleas we give them a bath. Firm, very firm grip on the scruff of the neck. Warm water, and a cup to pour water over the cat. Flea shampoo bottle open and at the ready. Having an assistant helps too.
We recently switched from Frontline to Advantage because the Frontline wasn’t working.
The topical meds should go almost between their ears, so kitty can’t lick it up. Also - call your vet. there may be some oral meds that will work better.
Good luck!
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### Author:  [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/10 "2013-09-05T20:41:15Z")
Yea, there are some newer oral meds that may be easier for your cat to take. Also, topical meds in cats go higher up than in dogs, to prevent cats from licking at them.
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### Author:  [@LovesBeagles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LovesBeagles)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/11 "2013-09-07T02:52:36Z")
I posted about Diatomaceous Earth on this thread:
> **[Fleas - even after Frontline what do you do?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=620452)**
>
> I applied the Frontline as usual. I put drops between the shoulders, middle of back and base of tail. Used the entire monthly dispenser. two weeks later I see fleas on the dog. Which means fleas are being introduced in the house. 🙁 🙁 I even...
DE is the only thing I will use on my fur babies.
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/12 "2013-09-07T14:45:07Z")
I’ve been getting my cat [Program](http://www.program.novartis.us/cats/inject-qa.htm) shots, it appears to work well for her.
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### Author:  [@Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obnoxious_Hood_Ornament)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/13 "2013-09-07T16:22:44Z")
Another vote for Advantage.
Follow the instructions; if you place it properly, the cat can’t lick it off because they can’t get at it 😛
Many times you can get it online cheaper than you can picking it up from your local vet.
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### Author:  [@Why\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_Child)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flea-advice-for-my-cat-not-me/668063/14 "2013-09-07T16:59:18Z")
Just yesterday I went and picked up 4 doses of **Comfortis** from the vet. Crush the pill and mix it with a little canned cat food. (Not more than the cat will eat at once.) The fleas start falling off, dead, within 20 minutes. Wonderful stuff. It’s about $15, lasts for 30 days.
I normally go with the flea bath method, but the fleas seem particularly bad this year. When I realized I had picked 100 fleas off of one cat, I decided that was enough. :eek:
If you choose to give her a bath, remember that you can’t use flea shampoo for dogs on a cat. (I called the 1-800# _after_ I bought the shampoo. ☹ ) Their customer service told me to just use Dawn dish detergent.