How does an indoor kitten get fleas?

choyryu: How does an indoor kitten get fleas?
We have a flea infestation in our house, which really sucks. But here’s the thing, we know it came from the kitten. Things were fine at first but now it’s a problem. So how the hell does a kitten get fleas when she never ventures outside? We didn’t have this problem before and I believe the Animal Shelter put flea medicine on them before you adopting them right?
We’ve had him for about a month. And the problem manifested about 2.5 weeks ago.

Answers and Views:

Answer by B R
They came inside on you. I had the same thing happen once.

Answer by tracker 9000
he either had some on him when you brought him home from the vet (like eggs), or you already had some on your carpet and it got worse.

either way you lose

Answer by Professor Campos
You may have a mouse problem.

Are there carpets in the home? Perhaps a flea hitched a ride on a sock or in between your shoelaces from the outdoors or someone else’s house.

Answer by Chucky
Not all flea medication works. The fleas can be carried in by you. On the cuffs of your pants or shoes. They lay eggs in your carpets and then hatch, but they need blood to live on. Is your family or kitten itching. Call a exterminator.

Answer by lizard girl
If someone you know has fleas in their house the eggs can get on your clothing and be transported home.

Also they can live in a carpet for a while, I think.

I had this same problem, only with 2 litters of indoor kittens.

Answer by Andy G
Fleas can get into the house riding on your clothes or shoes, and then hang out in the carpet or furniture and if they find a good host (your kitten, in this case), they can multiply.

Get some flea medication (www.1800petmeds.com has the best prices for Advantage when I shopped around last year), and once they have nowhere to go, it’ll end.

There’s just not much you can do about it. Luckily the meds are a once-a-month thing and easy to administer.

Answer by Thin Kaboudit
Kitty may have had some surviving flea eggs after treatment at the Shelter, and now she’s in a warm house they LIKE it and came out to play. Get her a flea collar (one suitable for a kitten), and then catch & squish the fleas, or leave for a few hours and flea-bomb the house if they are really bad.

Sorry about all this!

But thanks for taking a kitten…

Answer by old cat lady
Are you sure they put the medication on him? Advantage and Frontline work very well and should have eliminated any fleas he came with.

Fleas, however, can come in even through screens. And boy they take off and reproduce like, like fleas.

You may have to treat the house with flea bombs. Everyone needs to leave the house for six to eight hours if you do this. Of course the kitten must go too. Very toxic stuff!

After that, keep the Advantage on the kitten for several months. That should do the trick.

Answer by Derek
::sigh::

I got mine the same way you did. However, I have a “screen door” which they got thru, from the outdoor cats. I don’t know how, but somehow one slipped thru and wow, what a mess it grew into. Had to have the cats sheltered for a month while the cleaner’s came in and did the carpets 2x for flea’s in a month with special flea egg killer and flea killer and all that junk. The cats could not be around, so I had their vet harbor them in her Kennel and de-flea them during this time. It was bad.

By the time I felt “clean again” in the house, the vet called saying they were “de-fleaed” and so I brought them back home. Been good since. However, I do NOT leave just the screen door open, but close the front door too, now.

Answer by NIK74
No offense but do you have mice/rats in your house?Do you live in an apartment complex where your neighbors may have flea issues or rodent issues Other pets that go outside? Bottom line just get some advantage for the kitty and get some good flea spray for your house-try this kind:https://www.vetdepot.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=731

Vaccum eveything in your house like crazy and then get rid of the bag. Please don’t use any over the counter products on your cat such as Hartz-they are ineffective and worst of all DANGEROUS and can seriously harm or even kill your cat.
Consult your vet for further advice.

ps old cat lady is right about everyone leaving the house when you are bombing/spraying-it really is yucky stuff

Answer by jvsconsulting
The kitten didn’t necessarily bring the fleas. They’re small enough to “ride in” on your clothing, or in a piece of furniture. It only takes a few to start a big infestation (they’re bugs, after all). Also, depending on the climate/time of year, flea eggs can lay dormant (in carpets, for example) for months. They hatch when the temperature is favorable, usually in Summer. So, they could have been there even before the kitten arrived. And whether or not your local Animal Shelter gave the kitten a flea bath before you adopted her…they don’t last forever. A week or so, tops.

You should remove the kitten (and any other pets) from the house/area for about two days, and set off some “flea bombs” (how many you’ll need depends on the amount of space involved). After a few hours, it’s safe enough for humans to re-occupy the house, but leave any pets (and young kids) at a friend’s house for a day or two.

Answer by Venom
Man, I can’t stand fleas. When I got a kitten from someone, I notice she kept scratching. My home never had fleas because this was the first pet I ever had.

Try to rid the house of fleas and bathe your kitten. (you will see all the fleas come out)

Answer by Kelly s
If the cat went outside even one time it is possible. Also, sometimes fleas can live through flea treatments. If you even have one flea on an animal it poses a threat for infestation. (Just as roaches.)Treat your carpets and take you kitten to the vet. They will give you medicine that will help.

Answer by lulucakes32
he could’ve had fleas to begin with or another pet could’ve brought them in. you need to fumigate the house and clean the cat. it’s a real pain to do

Answer by BECKBY
Bathe the kitten in Ivory liquid dish soap and warm water and rinse well. You may need to wash him twice to get rid of all of the fleas. Use flea bombs or getting an exterminator is best and get a guarentee or ask if they come back to spray the new hatched eggs in a couple of weeks. Have him spray the yard well where your family walks and plays.It will also get rid of tics and they are bad this year.Shampoo all of your carpets,uphostered funiture (at least vac it) and wash all bedding, pillows, accent pillows, etc. Bathe the kitty again adnd dry him and love him. You are bonding and the kitten is learning that you are master. Hold her by the scruff if she squirms or trys to scratch or bite. Say no in a firm voice when she trys anything and talk in a soothing voice the rest of the time when she is being good. Best wishes and I hope the fleas are gone soon.I went to a feed store to buy something to kill fleas once and the manager told me that if the chemicals I bought didn’t work to use Ivory. I told him I thought I would forgo the expensive stuff that might not work and use the Ivory liquid that I had at home and thanked him for his advice! Ivory kills fleas very well, I think it suffocates them, and I have used it on my carpet when I had fleas once. You have to rinse well to get the soap out or it will be sticky and hold dirt.Dishsoap also helps get rid of wasps, etc. you fix about a qt of water and 1/3 c. dishsoap and mix well. Throw it upward at the nest and then back up. The dishsoap is heavy on their wings and they fall and you can step on them or use a stick to squish them. And it is chemical free and very inexpensive. You may have a few atraglers but they will leave when they can’t find their nest that you tore down. Have a great flealess future!

Answer by terrieann43
Fleas can be in your yard, left there by other animals. One jumps on your pant leg, gets in the door and sets up housekeeping on your cat. You’ll probably have to deflea the cat and your house.

Answer by Andrea
There might be like flys in your house and it might of saw your cat and the flee’s when in your cat because like my indoor cat might of gotten flees when we went to live in a hotel some where.