How can I rid my cat of fleas if I've already used Hartz?

Question

My cat is between 3 and 4 months old. I got her a few days ago from some strangers (found them on Craigslist), and they told me that they had just given her a flea bath. I guess it didn't occur to me that they wouldn't have done that if the cat didn't have fleas; the next day, we noticed her scratching herself, took a flea comb to her, and found a few fleas on her belly. We picked up a flea medication at the store (Hartz brand.. I know it's really bad, you don't have to tell me, I'll research medications next time I buy over-the-counter) and used it on her. It's been 2 days since then, and the fleas don't seem to have gotten any better (I've heard that Hartz is like spraying Raid on your cats, but about as effective as water).. I periodically take the flea comb to her belly and always find 3 or 4 fleas, but am never able to get more than one out, because they just go out of sight in her fur, even though she's a shorthair.

Today I took the cat to the vet, who scolded me for using Hartz, and who told me not to use any other medications on her for at least 3 weeks, since she is young and can't handle much pesticides. She also told me that cats should not get baths (including flea baths) more often than every 3 weeks or so, since it dries out their natural oils.. Much as I have my doubts about whether the cat's previous owners actually gave her a flea bath, I'm somewhat unwilling to risk overdoing it on my cat. My fiancee (with whom I live) tells me that she can't stand the fleas for 3 more weeks, and that basically the fleas go (along with the cat, if we can't cure her fast) or she does.

My question is: What do I do? My first instinct is to turn to natural remedies.. I'm pessimistic about these, but somewhat desperate. I've thoroughly vacuumed the house, and I am considering doing so every day until the cat is cured. Right now we are letting her roam the house whenever we're at home, and locking her in the bathroom when we're not home (along with everything she needs). This care might help the apartment but won't help the cat, so does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for your time.

Answer 1

Here's what I found from cat-world.com:  

"The best & safest method to manually remove fleas from your cat with a flea comb. Kittens can lose body heat very easily, so if you do bathe your kitten, make sure he is kept in a warm room & towel dried.

      Have a bowl of water with a couple of drops of Dawn detergent nearby. As you comb the fleas off the kitten, place the flea in the water & swish it around so that it drowns.

      Dilute 5 parts water to 1 part Avon's Skin So Soft bath oil & gently sponge or spray onto the kitten's coat. Once dampened, manually remove fleas with a flea comb. Once again, ensure the kitten is in a warm room so he doesn't become chilled, which can be life threatening in young kittens.

      Another method is to remove the fleas with a flea comb & then stick them to some tape.

Do not use flea medications (including topical/spot on products, flea collars, dips or shampoos) on young kittens unless you have been told to do so from your veterinarian.

Keep a very close eye for fleas on kittens, as a heavy infestation can kill. If in any doubt whatsoever, seek veterinary attention immediately.

Fleas can also transmit tapeworm, so once the kitten is an appropriate age, he will need to be wormed. Your veterinarian will be able to advise you which is the best product to use."  

Answer 2

You can use that frontline stuff or you can just give her another flea bath.

Answer 3

There is no frontline for kittens. If the kitten is over 12 weeks you can use frontline on her. Hartz is non water proof so you can wash it off her and then use something else 2 days after the bath(wait two days to allow some skin oils to go back up) I would get a cheap flea collar and throw it in your vacumm bag to kill the fleas that you vacumm up. There are some natural ways to help get rid of fleas, such as letting a lemon sit in boiling water for a few minutes, let the water cool and use a rag in the lemon water to wipe down the cat. If it were my cat, I would give her a bath, not a flea bath, put frontline cat on her two days later and then bomb your apartment.

Answer 4

Well it is definately dangerous to use flea medications and flea shampoo on kittens younger than 12 months.

I got my kitten at 10 months and he was ate up with fleas.

So i called the vet and they gave me a pill that killed fleas within 15 minutes of ingestion. {{And it was very cheap. like 3 dollars}} It was pretty awesome. But do not use a flea collar on a cat because it has chemicals that will hurt your kitten.

So, what i did was cut up the pieces of flea collar into the vacuum cleaner and vacuumed the floor twice a day for about a week and they were completely gone and i've never had anymore problems.

But make sure your cat is able to take the pill. talk it over with the vet about the age of the kitten!!

I hope I helped!!!

Answer 5

My sentiments are with the Charlie who answered you first. check with a new vet he or she can give you Advantage Flea Treatment and you also have to treat your house and if your girlfriend is that callous let her go!!!

Answer 6

For now..use a flea comb, until you are able to put some Advantage or Frontline on her.  If your girlfriend cannot handle fleas...you probably should not be a cat owner.  There comes lots of responsibility with owning a cat..and fleas are just the tip of the iceberg.  

Answer 7

Everything the vet told you is absolutely correct. Never use collars, Hartz products and shampoos. Cats (especially kittens) are extremely sensitive to toxins. Vacuuming, washing and combing are the primary methods of getting rid of fleas. Of course, the cat should be kept indoors.

Don't worry about the fiancee, if an issue like this is a problem, you will likely experience more serious confrontations in the future and the person gets in the habit of issuing ultimatums, be forewarned.

Answer 8

Flea collars may be useful but only when used along with other flea killing substances. Also, keeping the area around your place clean can reduce the chances of fleas surviving outside your pet’s fur coat. Keep your carpets and mattresses clean and spray some of the flea powder, as that will definitely kill majority of the fleas. Also, spray in your garden to keep the flea population in check.

http://www.petskare.com/category/Cat-Fle...

Answer 9

- Vets universally recommend a thorough bath with Dawn liquid dishwashing soap as a way to eliminate any residual Hartz c**p. Do this right away.

- Don't apply Frontline or Advantage until the vet says it's okay to do so.  Also, if/when you do, keep a close eye on your cat.  Don't, for example, apply the drops and then leave the house for a few hours.

- There are lots of effective chemical-free flea and tick preventatives and treatments.  HartzKills.org has a "Flea-Free" section which links to three highly recommended readings:

http://hartzkills.wordpress.com/flea-fre...

- If you don't have any luck with the non-chemical approaches, ask your vet about oral flea and tick preventatives. I don't know much about them, but I've heard positive things about them from pet owners!

- If you ever get another cat (and for those reading this who have more than one cat) and if you must use Frontline or Advantage, be sure to separate the cats for a while after the application.  Because cats groom each other, they are liable to ingest the pesticide orally, and this is extremely dangerous.

- If this cat is going to be an indoor cat, then once you get the flea problem under control, a recurrence is very unlikely.  This is good news!

- Definitely vacuum every day!

- Beware of ultimatums!

- Good luck and keep us posted!

Answer 10

Quite a dilemma...here is what I would do...

Wash the kitten with a mild soap (J&J Baby Shampoo). This is mainly to rid the kitty of any residual Hartz. Put some mint leaves and rosemary in her bedding to help keep the fleas off the cat, you may try teatree oil to help soothe her skin and remoisturize it. That is about as far as I'd go until you can use Advantage on her...which I'd do in 2 weeks, not 3. Then you bomb the apt (after removing kitty). 2 weeks is better than 3...

The alternative would be to board her at the vet until then, but this is pricey. Maybe you have a friend who wouldn't mind keeping her in the garage until your waiting period is over? Beware of garage chemicals!

Answer 11

the vet is right on a kitten it isnt good to give them too many pestides but after the three weeks are up try using frontline it is collar and you can get it at petsmart, sometimes the vets, and the groomers. if your cat doesn't like collars then try looking for sprays. i use frontline on my pets and their fine with it we had no problems but we haven't gotten it in a while so we have been using a spray called adams. my two dogs and cat have never had fleas. also tell your fiancee that when you take on a pet you have to be prepared for whatever it comes with and dont get rid of the cat it good use your help.  

Answer 12

The Frontline for Kittens flea drops you put on the back of the neck every 2 to 3 months are the best.  Call the vet back and talk to him about this...or get another opinion from another vet...surely there is something else you can do.  the Frontline works wonderfully.