hxe (04/04/83)
My cat has an extremely allergic reaction to fleas, which
causes chronic dermatitus. If he gets one flea bite he breaks
out everywhere and literally goes mad with itching. Because of
this, I have tried just about every cure in the books (my vet
vetoes the use of collars and I agree with him). The following
are my favorites:
1. Feed, if possible, one teaspoon of brewers yeast at least
every other day. I say "if possible" because the stuff
tastes NASTY! I hate to make my cat eat something that I
wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole but, then again, I
don't get fleas. The yeast literally causes the skin to
take on an odor that is offensive to fleas (and, contrary
to whatever research has been quoted here, it DOES
work!).
2. FLEA BATHS!!! Once a week during flea season bathe your
cat with a flea shampoo that does not contain carbaryl
(sp?). Mother Jones magazine has uncovered research that
may link carbaryl to cancer, so try to steer clear. The
sulphur-tar products do well and help to ease the itching
from flea bites that are already there. Then rinse the
cat in pure apple cider vinegar. This not only is good
for the skin but also causes an odor that fleas don't
like.
3. Bomb your house once at the beginning of the season with
IGR flea bomb for both baby and adult fleas. This is
expensive but you only have to do it once, theoretically,
every 75 days. I usually wait two weeks, then bomb again
with D-Con Four-Gone bomb for adult fleas that may have
hatched in the interim. D-Con is not as expensive as IGR,
but does not kill eggs or baby fleas. The stuff has pro-
ven to be safe so far (we have even left fish tanks run-
ning with no adverse effects).
4. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum! Fleas leave eggs EVERYWHERE!
And powder your cat's sleeping area if he/she has one (my
cat's area is my head, so I don't bother).
5. Then, if you feel like it and feel up to a good fight,
powder your cat with a non-toxic powder (your vet can
recommend one). I can get away with doing it once a
week.
Although this sounds like a lot of work, it really doesn't
take up much time and it's certainly worth it in terms of your
cat's comfort.
I must say that I am fairly alarmed at the casual recommen-
dations of the use of sevin. Here in New England we have fought
to *ban* the use of it due to its long-term effects and the fact
that, like dinosaur bones, it will show up in the ground long
after we're gone.
Heather Emanuel, Raytheon SSD, Portsmouth, RI ...!decvax!brunix!rayssd!hxewilly (04/05/83)
The current discussion about getting rid of fleas has brought a question to my mind, and I was hoping y'all could help. Some background: My cat is your basic American short-haired tabby, male, fixed, declawed, deranged, and strictly an indoor pet. Heather Emanuel (...!rayssd!hxe) mentioned bathing as an effective means of dealing with fleas on a cat. My cat has only had fleas twice, and I found bathing eliminated them, although my cat almost eliminated me during the bath. Also, bathing gets rid of a lot of loose hair. However, there does seem to be a commonly held belief that one should NEVER bathe a cat. I do it because it does get rid of his fleas, and it's fun to get him back for all his lunatic antics, but just how dangerous is it? Does anyone have any facts, or reasoning as to why a bath is hazardous to a cat? As usual, any help is appreciated. Siegfried's housekeeper Bill Banze (...!bunker!willy)
bch (04/06/83)
So long as the cat is kept warm and dried well afterward there is no health hazard in bathing a cat. If you do it frequently enough you might want to increase the amount of oil in Sigfried's diet to repace that washed out of his skin by bathing. Byron
guest (04/13/83)
References: bunker.225
Being nearly eliminated by your cat during a bath is a
pretty common problem. I speak from experience. But the
only danger to your cat is baldness. Too many baths removes
the oil from their skin and causes hair loss. When it comes
to cleanliness, cats are fastidious enough not to need baths.
When it comes to fleas, bathing works for my dog. ( I usually
give up with her and get into the shower with her, but I
*definitely* wouldn`t suggest this for your cat!) As long as
you don`t doit too often and don`t use a harsh detergent,
there really shouldn`t be any problem (as long as you can
survive the experience).
Sharon Y. Parker
Pre-Vet at NCSU
Reply to: decvax!mcnc!ncsu!jcz