this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2023
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Cat has fleas. House is probably infested.
I'm a law clerk. It's suits every day. My suits are dry-clean only, and there's a very real risk that they could be infested too.
What the fuck do I do here? They're new suits. I can't afford new clothes right now, and we need to start flea treating everything, and apparently it can take a year to deal with the problem.
Very stuck. Thoughts guys?
I believe the trick is to interrupt breeding for each generation of fleas - that is, kill everything that's currently active so they can't continue to lay eggs, then kill the next generation before it's old enough to lay more eggs.
The exact timing depends on the species of flea/tick/mange mite. There are several different kinds, all with different timings. And a few days makes a huge difference.
Maybe consult a vet for the latest information on what to do, when to do it, and what to use.
This field is constantly evolving, as pest resistance evolves, so what worked 5 years ago may not be effective now. For example, back in my youth you could just wash everything with gamma wash. That's almost wholly ineffective now.
Thanks mate, that actually makes a lot of sense. Is there any workable means of identifying the species and timing?
This is what the vet is for. Sticky tape can gather flea eggs (check pet bedding), and comb out pet fur on pet and put combings with fleas in a screw top glass bottle and take to vet for an expert opinion. The flea combs sold in pet shops and colesworth are good for this.
I'm a bit out of touch with what's current, but I would plan on a fortnight campaign. That is, identify the problem species, then do a blitzkrieg on the currently living, then follow up with another blitzkrieg 2 weeks later to catch the newly hatched. But the vet can probably offer much better advice.
A zillion times this on the comb. They used to cost cents, somebody has probably branded one these days. A human nit comb works too.
Generation interruption is the key. Send everything vital to the laundry. Pill bomb or neck drop cat. Cat to a friend or board for the day. Fume bomb house. Vac like a lunatic.
Fleas aren’t as bad as bedbugs. You can kill them.
Do NOT give a cat flea kill pills for dogs, you will have no cat.
wash cat bedding
On HOT. Bomb probably fixed but you need to delete flea poop!
You’ll be okay. At least it isn’t bedbugs.
Give the cat a monthly spot on like Advocate or Advantage and wash all the pet bedding and your casual clothes on the hottest cycle they can stand. Tumble dry if possible. (Ikea sell space saver bags cheap if you want to use them for storage.)
Sometimes you can put delicate clothes in the dryer to kill eggs without damaging the clothes as long as the items are clean and dry. Long gentle toast. Otherwise vacuum or dry clean the suits and hang them up in suit bags.
Vacuum daily and thoroughly, focusing especially on crevices, furniture and anywhere the cat has been. Empty the vacuum right after each time into a bag, tie it and discard in the outside bin.
Putting an encasement on your mattress is a good move.
If it turns out to be a stubborn infestation there are absolutely more options.