Conference misery::feline_v1

    Um, get rid of the fleas, and you get rid of the flea dirt.
    

    We are going to dip/bath her this weekend.  We can't do it at the
    vet because they usually tranquilize her and because she is so old,
    they feel that she might not come out of the tranquilizer.  I was
    really just wondering if anyone else has had this problem along
    with the fleas.  The other strange thing is, I haven't seen any fleas
    on her or in the house (maybe 2 or 3 at the most).  It just seems
    like there is an over abundence of their s*%t around!
    
    AM

    From what my Vet says, the flea dirt is actually dried up blood
    after the flea bites the cat.  Take a little bit of it and add
    a small drop of water - if it turns red you know it's flea dirt
    and not just dust!  Brushing & combing will remove some of it.
    
    
    E.T.

    Gee, if the cat has that much flea dirt, which is NOT s*&)t, she
    may be anemic, which may be causing other problems.  From what 
    I've been told fleas & tapeworms seem to go together.  Sounds
    like a good bath is in order.  You may want to have her stool
    checked - also, maybe bombing your house may help.

    Actually, "flea dirt" is how I usually first notice that fleas are
    around again.  One flea seems to produce an amazing amount of dirt.
    I noticed some dirt where Sweetie was sleeping a couple of weeks
    ago, so I combed him with a fine tooth comb.  Quite a lot of flea
    dirt came out of one particular area of his fur plus _one_ flea.
    Neither he nor Holly has shown any signs of dirt or fleas since
    then (cross my fingers).
    

    My understanding is that fleas don't live on the annimal so it's
    not unusual not to see many at any one time. They have their meal
    and return to the carpet, furnature or dust balls.

    I just recently had my "new" cat defleaed "BEFORE" I brought him
    into the house - this past Tuesday - Anyway, my Vet informed me
    (being a new cat "mother") that fleas only remain on the animal
    long enough to get blood, then jump off to lay eggs.  Eggs can remain
    for MONTHS in a cocoon like state depending on temperature, environment
    etc.  Flea feces is black, but blood particles left from sucking
    also remain so this is probably a combination of both.  
    
    I was told the only way to eliminate all of this "mess" is to do
    the following:  Cat "DIP" not bath is most effective in flea
    elimination - followed by a powder dusting 3 days after the Dip,
    along with a flea collar to help reduce future re-infestation.
    (Indoor cats have a far better nonreinfestation rate!!)  You can
    purchase a non-aerosol spray from a locat pet store (around 4.99)
    that you MUST spray in areas where your cat sleeps and where you
    find flea feces located...then either wash or replace bedding and
    eating areas - lAST but not least either flea bomb or have a
    professional exterminator do the rest of the house.  Then all those
    little sleeping eggs won't have a prayer of hatching - then vac
    your house including furniture and immediately throw out the vac
    disposal bag.
    
    Sounds like a lot of work but will be worth it to be able to rid
    your home of dirty little pests once and for all.
    
    Good luck...Wendy
    

     I think this weekend I will be spending my time getting rid of
    all the little creatures (living, waiting to hatch, dead, etc.).
    
    Thanks for all your input
    
    re:894.8
       The last time I had trouble with this flea dirt, my room was
    so infested that I would purposely wear white socks and walk around
    my room so they would all jump on my feet.  Then I would furiously
    spray my feet and walk the little fellas into the bathroom and flush
    them down the toilet.  I can remember one night doing this for about
    an hour and I think I stopped counting at 100!
    
    AM

    Regarding .8.
    
    You laugh about vaccumming the cat.  Sy loves to be sucked by the
    little hand held cleaner (name escapes me-its been a long week).
    He actual will follow me around the house waiting for his turn,
    but bring out the big cleaner and he escapes into the ozone layer.
    
    la
    

    I think bathing and bombing is most effective BUT I can't do either 	
    one. I have a leukemic cat who would be certain to catch a cold and
    that would be the end of him, and to bomb would mean removing
    5 cats, a couple finch, a dog and a guinea pig from the house. 
    That would never do.
    
    Sooooo --- what I have found most effective is to powder the
    cat with Vet-Kem flea powder from the vet, then vacuuming, next-
    spraying Siphotrol on carpets, furniture fabric, bedding (human
    and cat/dog beds), vacuuming,  and doing this all over again
    within a week. Siphotrol is manufactured by Vet-Kem and purchased
    at the vet's.                      
                     
    Siphotrol smells like the bomb so I keep all animals out of the
    rooms, spray  (I do a couple rooms at a time), let the smell
    dissipate for a 1/2 hr., and then do the next two or three rooms.
    
    It doesn't stain fabrics or rugs, and altho it recommends not to
    use it on wood, I use it on my hardwood floors without any problems. 
    
    Also, be sure there is flea powder in the vacuum bag so the fleas
    which are sucked up into it will be killed rather than just
    "reside" there for a while.
    
    Good luck. We've all shared that problem to one degree or
    another.
    
    Pat                 
       

     re .11
    
    Don't you know that cats and vacumns are natural enemies in the
    wild?
    
    (Of course, I've had aby kittens who would attack the vacumn, even
    a shop-vac, while it was running.  Then there was the one who attacked
    the floor sander while it was running. (Personally, I was a little
    nervous around that sander)).
    
    dave

    My old lady kitty went totally deaf when she was 16 (we then
    communicated by hand signals - no, I'm not kidding).  Before then,
    she was terrified of the vaccum.  After she lost her hearing, however,
    she just *loved* being vacuumed.  It was a good thing, too.  Old
    kitties shed like crazy, and fleas take advantage of the fact that
    they pose a "slow moveing" target.
    
    Marion  (who_still_misses_Missy)