The little yellow kitten has decided the items on my back porch make a nice perch from which to view the world. Since it is a little wild, you know it has fleas. I have found two fleas on me and have gotten quite a few other flea bites. It is time to spray the back porch, all the things there and the door mat!
Fleas just love me. When I had a chair with a cushion on the back porch, the cats appropriated it and got fleas on the cushion so that I did not dare sit or even walk near it. I removed the cushion and sprayed the wooden chair with flea spray. About that time, I started trapping cats. Most of the cats that come here now belong to someone.
You may not remember, but a few months ago, I heard plaintive meowing. Finally, I opened the door and a gray and white cat sat there, wanting to come in. I put my foot in her way and declined her entrance. She sat, meowing for a long time. Anytime I was/am in the yard, he follows me, meowing every step. I finally saw that cat at my neighbor's house and we talked about it.
I thought all along it belonged to him. Well, it was hanging out at my house for several months and at his only a few weeks. He put a plate of food out for the gray and white cat they call Tic Tac. The cat goes with me when I feed Dominique and meows the whole way, so I suppose it smells the meat and hopes someday I will feed him, too. NOPE, won't happen. Actually, it meows anytime I am not in the house and walking to mailbox or car.
It seems I have less ground squirrels, so I tolerate the cats instead of chasing them away. I cannot tolerate fleas! The Benadryl cream keeps them from itching so I scratch until I draw blood.
Fleas are selective. I know a doctor who moved into a new house with a newborn baby. The baby was covered with fleas and flea bites. Not one of the other three children, he or his wife ever had a bite. They evacuated the house to have it treated.
That is my chore right now--spray for fleas. RAID Flea--Carpet and Room kills the eggs, too. If the eggs are not killed, there will shortly be a new infestation. No. I will not use bombs.
I had finished this post when I went out to feed Dominique. I heard rustling in the tree I pass near her pen. It was too late for squirrels and too early for raccoons. Dodging the rustling in the tree, I was surprised to see the little yellow kitty climbing down the tree and dropping from about 8 feet to the ground. She ran like the wind to hide in a weedy place. My heart rate did accelerate. I suppose she lives here. I wonder if she was trying to access the pen's cage from the top.
Your turn
Do fleas love you or a certain member of your family? Do stray or feral cats ever bring fleas to your porch? Have you ever had a cat adopt you?
We had an older yellow cat that lived under our front porch for two years. He would come to the door and memow. I would put some cat food out for him. He was a big cat. We never knew if he was a stray or someone had set him out. Our cats would just ignore him. Finally one day, he disappeared. I think that he died. We didnt have any fleas from him. We make sure our cats get treated for fleas once a month. Maybe that helped keep fleas off of the outside cat.
ReplyDeleteBarbara,
DeleteSo, your cats never became friends? I hate when animals disappear. That happened to three cats and my hen. We all had seen chicken hawks around. Maybe that IS the reason you got no fleas from the stray.
I itch just at reading this. I hope you de-flea soon.
ReplyDeleteUrspo,
DeleteI am itching from eating wheat, allergy on my hand, and flea bites on ankles. I did spray for fleas, but will probably have to spray again. Thanks.
I just love cats. I have four rescue cats, but I had to adopt all but one. One was a neighbor's, but was kicked outside for not using the litter, so she took up residence in our garage, and I asked to keep her. I don't let the cats outside, so fleas aren't really an issue. Every now and then, one particular cat will get a flea, we think brought in from the dog or one of us. When I see that, I treat them with the drops from the vet.
ReplyDeleteMeg,
DeleteI am so allergic to cats, so I cannot love them. I won't hurt one and have rescued a few and tried to save a freezing kitten. If there is one flea anywhere, it will take up with me. I went into a furniture store three times over the years. Each time, I came home with fleas on me! I walked through a crowd of people with dogs at a street party. I came into my friend's house with fleas on me. Neither of us was happy! I just collect fleas.
Fleas will hop on TheHub and use him as a springboard to get to me. Shelby the dog, is flea free, but there have been a couple of cats who don't seem to care that I have a fenced back yard. I am hoping they are well loved, flea free and just exploring.
ReplyDeleteAnne,
DeleteFunny. Yes, fleas come to me to by any means. Do the cats have collars? If you live in a neighborhood, they are probably flea free. Fingers crossed!
My oldest son is a flea and mosquito target. When he lived at home he would bring fleas indoors from who knows where. Since we don't use sprays our vet told us to put a shallow pan, like a pie pan, with water in it, add a couple of drops of liguid soap and set a bright lamp over it - be careful around it. Leave the light on over night. In the morning the pan would be loaded with dead fleas. You can also plastic bag cushions and put them in the freezer for 36-48 hours to kill the fleas, then wash in hot water. Flea bites are awful, hope you get rid of them.
ReplyDeleteBellen,
DeleteI am the person who brought fleas to this house years ago. They hatch periodically, still here. My friend said I should wear flea collars on my ankles. I have heard that about the water, soap and light. I may try that. I would probably step in it...lol. Thanks for the reminder.
A few years ago I found a tiny kitten on the road in the rain so i took her home. After a couple of days she was very weak and unwell and I rushed her to the vets just on closing time. They gave her a flea treatment and some fluids and told me she probably wouldn't make it through the night. As we drove home, so many fleas dropped off her, the fluids took effect and she perked right up. My mum and dad kept her and she grew into a very large and very fluffy cat. Last year something happened to her and her bladder suffered such trauma that it couldn't be found on scans, she had to be put down at just five years old but what a story!
ReplyDeleteI use a few drops of eucalyptus oil in a spray bottle of water and spray all the floors, it works well to get rid of fleas but you have to repeat it a couple of times to get the hatchlings
kylie,
DeletePoor kitty. I'm glad she lived. I never heard of not finding a bladder on scans. That is a shame to lose such a young cat. What happened? I will remember the eucalyptus oil.
We don't know what happened, a fall or a run in with a car maybe.
Deletekylie,
DeleteI forgot about cars.
Our cat Elizabeth showed up 11 years ago. She is an indoor / outdoor cat, I don't want a litterbox so we have trained her to spend most of her time outside
ReplyDeleteI too am allergic to cats (& dogs)but I am careful to wash my hands if I pet her. I never pick her up unless I need to clip her nails. Fleas and mosquitos LOVE ME!
Janet,
DeleteI just don't get near cats and dogs. My eyes start swelling, sinuses fill, and I itch. So, hands off for me. I hate litterboxes. They all smell. People who use a scent to overpower the litter smell just create another breathing problem for me.
I quit wearing shorts and sleeveless blouses because of mosquitoes!