Expert: Tomay - 9/20/2006

Question
i hav  e an 11 yaer-old cat and we just got a 2 month old kitten and i think the kitten has fleas ans now my older cat has them as well    we tried the spray(Sergeants   flea and tic spray) 3xs                and they are still scratching and the older cat has sores    can u help?  

Answer
Hello Leslie,
It would probably be a good idea to discontinue using the flea spray, as cats can become ill from toxic poisoning rather quickly.  Have you actually seen live fleas on them or just the scratching?  Just as when a mosquito bites us, and we swat it, the bite will continue to itch for a while.  It is possible that the cats are just itchy because of the flea bites, and not because there are live fleas still present.  When kitties, with very sharp nails, scratch themselves, they can scratch or puncture their own skin, causing little scabs and sores.  If you can bathe these cats with a natural shampoo, that would help, and then apply Frontline for cats, available at pet shops or veteranarians.  However, be sure the flea sprays that you have already used are thoroughly cleaned off the cats before applying anything else toxic.  Also, keep an eye out for tapeworms.  These are very common in animals that have had fleas, as the only way they can get tapeworms is through the injestion of fleas.  
Hope this has been helpful, and good luck with these kitties.  Thank you for your inquiry and your intrest in this site.
Tomay