Cameron asked 7 years ago
Hi,
So my cat got fleas and i have shampoo’d him, given him a flea treatment (a generic version of frontline/advantage), and i have bombed the apartment. i have thoroughly cleaned everything but am still getting some fleas here and there. Is there anything more that i can do or do i need to just wait out the problem now? do i need to worry about my cat getting re infested if i have treated him and have a flea collar on him?
Adam Retzer Staff answered 7 years ago
Cameron,
Check out our page on How to get rid of fleas for a comprehensive guide. I will go over some key points here though.
The monthly flea drops, environmental spray, and regularly vacuuming should be sufficient in ending the infestation. Ensure you continue the flea drops for the labeled duration (usually 3 months) without a lapse in treatment. Ensure the flea spray/bomb you used contains an insect growth regulator (IGR), either pyriproxyfen (Nylar) or methoprene (Precor).
If all of these procedures are in place, then it will just require some patience. You will continue to see fleas here or there for around 8 weeks (sometimes longer). This is because 95-99% of the infestation are immature stages living in the environment. They are usually protected deep within carpets, preventing insecticides and vacuuming from killing them all. So time is required for these young fleas to mature, emerge as adults, and then die.
As long as your cat is treated with monthly flea drops, you shouldn’t have to worry about re-infestation. However, you may see fleas on your cat that have just emerged as adults and haven’t succumbed to the insecticide yet. It can take a few hours before they die.
Warm regards,
Adam
