bethanyhoward95 asked 6 years ago
My cat has had fleas for 9 months now. No matter what we do they just won’t go away. We comb his fur and vaccum every day or every other day. We give him his flea treatment every month (advantage ii) and have given him a capstar every time we start finding them again. It seems like every 2 or 3 months we start seeing less fleas (flea cycle?) until we go days without finding them or hardly any flea dirt and then we start seeing a few more and they are full fledged again. Most of the ones we are finding are small and dead or dying. We’ve tried diatomaceous earth, salt, spray, dawn dish soap baths, homemade traps, carpet steaming, and pretty much everything else but flea bombs (last resort). What are we doing wrong? Why won’t they go away? We think the previous resident at our apartment could have had them or they could be coming through the cracks around our a/c unit which is under the living room window. Otherwise, we are at our wits end and we cannot move out because we still have another 10 months until our lease is up.
Adam Retzer Staff answered 6 years ago
Bethany,
Your situation sounds perplexing. It’s hard to know what is going on from behind a computer screen. In your case, I think an in-person evaluation would be helpful. It may be a good idea to hire an exterminator and/or consult a veterinarian.
The infestation shouldn’t be able to continue if pets are continually treated with Advantage II every month, without a lapse in treatment. And vacuuming is one of the best ways to speed up the eradication process.
Did the spray you used contain an insect growth regulator (IGR) ingredient? Either pyriproxyfen (Nylar) or methoprene (Precor)? See our page on flea sprays for more information about these compounds and how they work.
I am sorry I can’t offer more help. Your case is uncommon. I hope a professional exterminator will be able to assess and solve the particulars of your situation during an in-person evaluation.
Warm regards,
Adam
