Conference misery::feline_v1

    One problem with putting the animals outside.... the fleas that
    are left in the house now have nothing to feed on but the humans!!!
    
    If you have fleas in the house, I found that you usually need at
    least 2 treatments of flea spray (nomatter how much it claims to
    kill adults and eggs). I usually spray heavily, wait a few hours,
    vacuum (and throw the bag out right away), and about 5 days later,
    do it all over again. This seems to break the flea cycle.
    
    A good vacuuming at least once a week in the summer also seems to
    help keep the numbers down, but always beware of the fleas in the
    vacuum after you are finished.  
    
    the flea collars seem to be more than worthless and my cats don't
    like the bath, spray or powder - and boy do they seem to know when
    you have something like that on your mind - they high-tail it out
    of the way so fast it would be funny, if I wasn't trying to catch
    them!
    
    There are several topics on fleas - I don't remember the numbers
    but you could also try looking there.
    
    janet b.
    
    ps. GOOD LUCK!!!!

    A hint - vacuum OFTEN, very often and put a mothball or two or some
    moth flakes in your vacuum bag when you change it.  This will kill
    any flea nits that you pick up as well as any live creatures.  I
    was afraid my whole house would smell like moth balls, but it doen't
    seem to do that.  The mothball trick was a hint from my Vet - also
    kills any other insects if you should happen to pick any up.
    
    Ellen
    

    Also you can put a flea collar in the bag, and it will kill any
    fleas you vacuum up.
    
    Mary-Lynn

    	Status Report:  I tried the carpet spray. It didn't seem to
    be 100% effective (maybe 90 %). It helped, but I wanted to get to
    Zero flea count.  I stopped in at the Stow Animal Hospital. They
    are now stocking more retail stuff.  I bought a house 'bomb' that
    you turn on and leave the house for 2 hours as the vapor/mist settles
    into everything (cover food, dishes, clear plastic things, etc).
    It did it!  No more fleas.   They've got 2 versions: an $8 super
    kills-eggs-larva-adults and all (that I used), and a $4.5 version
    that kills fleas (adults and immatures?) that I'll use as a follow
    up if I have to.   Copy seems to be settling into outdoor life.
     - Chris   (ps. the bomb covers 750 sq. ft. or 6,000 cu. ft of house.)

Near as I can tell, flea collars are useless once the house gets infested.
So is powdering the cat--it just means that the hungry fleas attack the
humans.  I've tried powdering and spraying the carpets--the problem is that
you can't reach everywhere.  Bombing the house was the only thing that worked
for me.

Flea collars, sprays and frequent vacuuming are helpful preventive techniques,
though.  If you have an infestation, make sure you empty the vacuum bag after
each cleaning, and that you dispose of it outside the house.

--PSW

   Last year when we had this problem, we took the cats and 
    the dog to a 'grooming' place to be flea dipped.  While they
    were there, we bombed the house (it took 4 bombs to do the 
    whole house).
    
    we were totally flea-ridden for a couple months, until we
    started noticing them again. Then we used a commercial
    spray on the rugs, and sprayed and powdered the animals.
    Our probem disappeared.

    re:  Fleas
    I used the ZODIAC "mist bomb" and the ZODIAC dip on the cat. It
    worked until the next time  the cat came in (less than 24 hours).
    
    Generally I let the cat in in the morning, and as he brushes by
    my bare ankles the critters dive for the fresh flesh, so as Im
    doping my morning "rituals" I can occupy myself with "rolling" the
    little buggers off.
    
    I think "fleas" seem to  be like "Palmetto" bugs in Florida ..
    its not ONE solution, but a combination of tactics: Flea Dip the
    cat; bomb the house, spray the carpets, vacuum regularly, and dust
    the cat regularly. I can "DIP" him, but he doesn't like being sprayed:
    (it even say on the can that some cats don't like it; but that they'll
    have to get used to it).
    
    Bob

    
    I am having a horrible flea problem this year after two years
    of flea-free summers.  My two cats stayed away for 24 hours after
    being powdered, and were quite uppity for a few days after that.
    
    Here's a hint for making powdering easier (it takes two people)
    Take a laundry bag or an old pillowcase and generously sprinkle
    the flea powder in it. Then put the cat in, the second person
    holding the top of the bag around the neck of the cat.  Person
    #1 fluffs up the bag and pushes the powder all over the cat,
    who of course squirms, but is immobilized by person #2, who has
    the back of the neck.  The squirming also helps work the powder
    in. After you feel that the cat has been powdered effectively,
    release the open end, and ....let the cat out of the bag..(sorry)
    This prevents injury two ways, first to cats, by keeping their eyes,
    nose, and mouth away from dangerous powder clouds, and second, to
    humans, by keeping lethal claws and teeth out of your arms, legs,
    and other essential body areas.
    
    Worked for me,
    Ann
    
    P.S. Don't expect much affection after doing this
    
    

    
    Has anybody heard of using cedar chips as flea (and other nasty
    insect) repellent ??? Somebody here in my group suggested using
    cedar chips to rid my two cats of the varmints. The cedar chips
    apparently give off an odor the fleas do not like and therefore
    high-tail it out of the area. I know cedar gives off an odor but
    was un-aware of this effect on fleas. No methods were suggested
    on how to use the cedar chips, but I have thought of the following:
    First, buy cedar chips from your local nursery and place the chips
    around the house. Secondly, buy a plain cat collar (ie. no flea
    killer stuff embedded into it) and buy some cedar wood oil. Put
    some of the cedar oil on the cat collar and then of course the cat
    collar on the cat. I have a catalog of herbs which is where the
    cedar oil can be purchased from. Can cedar oil be toxic to cats?

        
    
    I purchased a flea collar from the local vet and placed these on the
    cats in the morning. When I went to sleep that evening Christine
    was very very jittery and nervous like. Her heart beat was very
    fast. I do not know whether the insectide in the collar had adverse
    effects on my cats body or whether she was just nervous from having
    a collar around her neck. I waited for 5 or 10 minutes to see if
    the high heartbeat was due to her running around and then checked
    it again. The heartbeat was still high. I immediately snipped off
    the collars off of both kitties and threw the collars out. Dovebar
    was doing fine. But I removed her collar anyways. I went to sleep
    wondering whether Christine would be alive in the morning. Do cats
    normally get nervous about having something like a collar around
    their neck and did I get overly concerned about the possible effects
    of the insectide on my cats ???
    
    Anyways whether the cause of the high heartbeat was the insectide
    in the flea collar or just the nervousness of my cat I want to rid
    my cats of these fleas with a natural method. (or is the word "organic"
    the appropiate term in this phrase ?).
    
    Ed Swartz
    
    PS. Will write about the results of using the cedar chips and give the
    address of the herb company if the cedar wood oil stuff works.

    I've seen advertisements for pet beds that are stuffed with cedar
    chips, with claims of being flea repellant.  However, I've never
    heard of using cedar by itself to rid a house of fleas.  I suggest
    you do a DIR/KEYWORD=FLEAS to find all the notes in this file (many)
    that discuss flea treatments.  You may be particularly interested
    in the brewer's yeast and garlic method, and the article on D-Limonol
    somewhere in this file.
    
    I seem to recall reading that pine oil, as in Pine-Sol, is toxic
    to cats.  While I'd have no qualms about using cedar chips, cedar
    blocks, etc. (some scratching posts are made of cedar), I would
    be real sure to check with an expert before using straight cedar
    wood oil, which I presume is much more concentrated.  It may indeed
    be harmless, but better safe than sorry.
    
    If you live in an area about to enter winter, then any experiments
    you try with fleas now are likely to be meaningless.  Flea eggs
    can stay dormant for quite a while, waiting for the right combination
    of warmth and humidity (called springtime) before they hatch.  On
    the other hand, now is a great time to do a thorough vacuuming of
    your house.
    
       Gary

re .9

I heard earlier this week that the herbal flea collars sold in Concord
MA at Spice and Grain shop were being recalled because of the toxins...
something like eucalyptus oil being harmful to cats.

My cats react adversely to *any* collars... nervousness, and watery runny
eyes....

Penny