Foster kittens gifted me a few fleas...

[SallyWho]

Thanks guys! I didn't have much say in the topical flea stuff- the Humane Society put it on themselves at the last checkup. One of the perks of fostering kittens with them is that they provide everything except litter and toys- all the meds, the food, even the pet carrier so I can transport them! My dog is already on Simparica monthly; I'll ask the vet if there's anything I can safely supplement with for the time being.

Also, I am more than willing to vacuum everything daily (or after two days with Borax/DE/salt), except I have an older vacuum that uses bags. So that I don't have to buy 50 vacuum bags, what do you think about getting a flea collar, cutting it up a bit, and sticking it on the bag before I install it in the vacuum? Or dust the inside with Borax/DE? I'd hate to have to toss each bag after each vacuuming.

 

[cmcoker]

Most flea collars, with the exceptions of Seresto, are worthless. DE will probably end up clogging you bag quickly. Even if you dont dump the bag daily, the vacuuming will help get the fleas to hatch and shorten the time you deal with them.
The pupae stage is where they can hang out for a few months before hatching. This stage is protected from pesticides, bombing, sprays, etc. wont effect them. The vibration and warmth from the vaccum will encourage them to hatch. Movement, warmth, and CO2 are what triggers them to emerge cause a host may be nearby.

So long as all the animals in the house are treated, vaccum away and just change the bag every couple weeks.

Oh, and I wouldnt worry about doubling up for the dog. Simparica is a good product and will work fine on its own

 

[Peace River]

@SallyWho - thank you so much for the foster work that you are doing! I realize it is a real pain especially when you have to deal with fleas and other unpleasantries. Any chance we could see pictures of the kittens? ;Snaphappy

 

[SallyWho]

@SallyWho - thank you so much for the foster work that you are doing! I realize it is a real pain especially when you have to deal with fleas and other unpleasantries. Any chance we could see pictures of the kittens? ;Snaphappy

Oh, be careful what you ask for!! The Humane Society named them after Greek gods/goddesses, so there's Athena, Apollo, Diana, Hera, and Neptune.

 

[Peace River]

Oh, be careful what you ask for!! The Humane Society named them after Greek gods/goddesses, so there's Athena, Apollo, Diana, Hera, and Neptune.

Oh - my - goodness! They are adorable!!! Seriously, how do you not keep them all!??

 

[SallyWho]

Oh - my - goodness! They are adorable!!! Seriously, how do you not keep them all!??

Ironically, I'm not a cat person. I've never owned a cat in my life, so I don't know what possessed me to walk into the HS and say "hey. I can foster kittens." :P I have grown fond of them, though. When it's time to give them up, I'll probably get choked up but I will wish them the best of luck and say my goodbyes. Then I can really tackle the flea problem, do something about the carpet (probably permanently stained), and reclaim that bedroom for a while! I may foster again, but not immediately.

 

[Peace River]

...and somewhere along the way they have expanded your boundaries and probably have made you a little bit better of a person. Kittens can be sneaky that way and we don’t even know it is happening at the time because we are trying to keep them alive, trying not to react to their needle claws, and trying to figure out how to deal with all of their many, many messes. Love on them while you can and know that you made a difference to them!

 

[SallyWho]

So if I'm very very careful in my application of diatomaceous earth, can I use it in my fish room? The last two kittens are headed back to the Humane Society for adoption next week, and I want to jump (lol) on the flea problem pronto. I want to make sure DE isn't going to nuke my quarantine tanks. I still have a fish and a handful of frags in there.