I have this one cat..

the long awaited pics...

Your cat is a tortie, not a calico. Calicos always have white on them, usually in big patches, but not always. She is so cute and looks a little like my tortishell, Dora the Explorer.

Fleas are a fact of life when you have cats. I do monthly frontline from April to the first frost. I also use diatomaceous earth (food grade) year round as I am allergic to most flea sprays and chemicals. It dehydrates the fleas and also causes hundreds of little cuts in their carapace which opens them to flea diseases and parasites which kill them off. I even use diatomaceous earth outside on the porches and patios to control the outside fleas even though my cats do not go outside. Up until last year I did have dogs.

When we here in the North have mild and wet winters and springs, it gives the fleas a head start on breeding and they can get really endemic by May or June. Most years after a good freeze or with a drought, you won't see flea infestations until after July. There are some all natural homeopathic flea treatments out there (my vet is a holistic vet) but they often have oils in them like peppermint and the like and I have asthma so it really does not do well with my lungs.

:dis Where do I start.... rcat

skarabrae said:

hardwood floors? I'm so glad that I only have laminate in our house... fleas are NOT FUN! I would steam clean the rugs every couple weeks and be really persistent with vacuuming every surface they could lay their eggs in (upholstery, bedding, etc.) Even if your cat doesn't come in contact with it, YOU can carry the eggs around to different parts of the house without knowing about it. Bleck! *heebie jeebies* lol!

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Steam clean would be a bit excessive and I don't think its reached an infestation level. I plan to vacuum using carpet powders once a week. I don't think the eggs can jump on me unless I roll around like my cat. :grin:

shan841 said:

You thought fleas were a myth? They are obviously very real. The capstar and frontline will take care of the fleas. Many people on here recomend diotomacious earth to rid of fleas without such harsh chemicals. I beleive you can just sprinkle it into your carpet and then vacuum it up, but someone else on here should be able to tell you more about that. Watch her poop for worms that look like peices of rice, as cats often get tapeworms from fleas. Is that a recent pic? She looks like a tiny little thing. Sorry to hear she is declawed

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So far so good on the frontline. I'm learning Vectra works better than frontline because it kills fleas at every stage of their ugly lives. I sure hope it hasn't reached that level of looking at her feces. Not recent pic; I'll post up more later. Anyone have experience with Vectra(3D)?

LaurulFeatherCat said:

Your cat is a tortie, not a calico. Calicos always have white on them, usually in big patches, but not always. She is so cute and looks a little like my tortishell, Dora the Explorer.

Fleas are a fact of life when you have cats. I do monthly frontline from April to the first frost. I also use diatomaceous earth (food grade) year round as I am allergic to most flea sprays and chemicals. It dehydrates the fleas and also causes hundreds of little cuts in their carapace which opens them to flea diseases and parasites which kill them off. I even use diatomaceous earth outside on the porches and patios to control the outside fleas even though my cats do not go outside. Up until last year I did have dogs.

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Way to burst my bubble thinking I know what kind of cat I have Guess that means I'll have to rename her :2kitties Help!!
Are there different types of the diatomaceous earth? Where can the food grade type be found? I need to try it.

MowMow said:

Both of these.
She's an adorable little thing. Poor little mite missing her toes, I can't wait until the US bans that like most other civilized countries.

I'm sure she'll bring you years of joy and love. We look forward to hearing stories of how she grows up.

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She's quite a good looking kitty; big part of the reason I couldn't resist when I saw her :worship But feel free to take your views on declawing elsewhere. It's something that had to be done regardless. I like her a lot and hope she stays healthy. :thumb

sinthesis said:

My cat had a couple of fleas on him when I got him from the shelter, and I used Revolution and they were gone immediately. They are indoor cats and Revolution's pretty expensive so I don't treat them monthly except in the summer but I do recommend it as it kills a lot of parasites, not just fleas.

As for getting them out of the house--my first apartment had fleas when I moved in. It had carpet. Since there were no pets, they ate me instead. Such a nightmare, but the key I think is vacuuming constantly. Vacuum the floors, the furniture, anything they might be on or in. The heat draws them out. Do it a few times a day if you can. I also used stuff you sprinkle in the carpet and vacuum up.

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:thumb Been planning the same.

Here she is just a few weeks old. Enjoy!!



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