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Strange Question About Fleas

binkygirl2013

Young Bun
Bit of a strange question but I'm going to ask it anyway....
My neighbour has asked me to feed her cat while she's away for the next 5 days. They are lovely neighbours and I couldn't say no to them but I'm a bit concerned as, without wanting to sound nasty, their house isn't the cleanest. I'm really paranoid in case their cat has fleas and I take them home to my bunnies :shock:
Is it possible that humans can catch fleas from animals and pass them onto other animals and if so is there a way to prevent It?
I know animals can catch fleas from anywhere and even the cleanest places can have them but I've never had a problem with my rabbits having fleas and I'm really paranoid about it :oops:
 
Yea, the fleas like to jump on clothes and shoes so then you could come home with them on your clothes.

Although, rabbits don't tend to get fleas unless there's a bad infestation. E.g. lots of people have outdoor buns and have neighbor's cats visiting their garden, or their own cats who may pick up fleas, and their buns don't get fleas. But it may be different if your bun is indoors and the fleas have no other food source.

Maybe just change your clothes? I dunno. I wouldn't make any drastic changes like putting flea treatment on your bun (I don't agree with that stuff as a preventative for buns because they aren't real prone to fleas and I doubt the chemicals do them any good). But maybe flea comb him to make sure he doesnt get fleas and keep up with vacuuming.
 
There shouldn't really be an issue unless the place is heaving with fleas. If you can stroke the cat, you will be able to feel gritty bits down its back which may indicate that there are fleas. Otherwise, wear shoes in the house (rather than just socks) so you are less likely to pick them up, and there's no reason why you can't vacuum round a couple of times while they are away. I find that just going in and feeding a cat means that you are treading bits into the house anyway, and if it uses a litter tray there may be some bits on the floor. The owners usually notice that I have vacuumed (just in the areas I have walked through) and they have a tidy house to come back to - and it's a good way of keeping flea numbers down (assuming there really are any) - so it's a win-win.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, I'm probably just being super paranoid but I've decided I will keep some old clothes in my utility room and change into them in there when I'm leaving and returning from my cat feeding duties then I wont be walking through the house with them on.
Having been in their house before I'm not even sure that they possess a vacuum :shock::shock:
 
Yea, the fleas like to jump on clothes and shoes so then you could come home with them on your clothes.

Although, rabbits don't tend to get fleas unless there's a bad infestation. E.g. lots of people have outdoor buns and have neighbor's cats visiting their garden, or their own cats who may pick up fleas, and their buns don't get fleas. But it may be different if your bun is indoors and the fleas have no other food source.

Maybe just change your clothes? I dunno. I wouldn't make any drastic changes like putting flea treatment on your bun (I don't agree with that stuff as a preventative for buns because they aren't real prone to fleas and I doubt the chemicals do them any good). But maybe flea comb him to make sure he doesnt get fleas and keep up with vacuuming.

In my experience, or if they are unwell. I found a few fleas on Mini once, my other bunnies were clear, we sprayed the house and only ever saw two more, she was suffering from kidney failure so it's my belief she wasn't able to deal with them herself due to illness.

I would maybe do a precautionary spray round with some Indorex just to kill any that may come in on clothes. I do it every year now, nothing major, I just spray round (obviously not near the bunnies, I shut them in a different room for a few hours) and haven't had any other issues.
 
Yes they definitely can, it happened to us. I think I might have had a thread on here when it happened. Once I finally figured out how Lola got them (after costly vet visits investigating a bald patch!) I started changing all my clothes including socks incase I was walking in eggs too every time I came in from their house. It was so much work! I also went to their house in the palest clothes I had and one time as I was locking up their house I saw a flea hitching a ride on my shoulder :shock:

I never did tell them. I chickened out! I was at their house for a cup of tea a while ago and she said the cats were due their treatment again so I slipped into conversation about vets saying that Frontline is no good anymore and to try Advantage as I know their vet prescribes them Frontline. They do treat their house but I think they had a bad infestation when we brought them home. The elderly cat left flea dirt on the windowsill where she sat and my kids especially were bitten on their ankles and wrists when in their house, which my daughter scratched and now has terrible scars on her legs :( She refuses to even go over now, the amount she was bitten was crazy!
 
Well after being in their house this morning I can confirm they definately have something :evil:
I have picked an old pair of black leggings to wear in their house and when I came out this morning noticed there was small red bugs round the bottom near the ankles. I am now going to change my clothes in my back garden (there is a part of my garden that no one can see into thankfully!) and leave them on the washing line so I'm not going into my house wearing the clothes I wear in theirs but I am still worried. I am so angry too that knowing I have rabbits they have asked me to go into their awful house so i will be making it clear when they get back that I don't be doing it again! Does anyone else have any ideas of what I can do to prevent my rabbits catching anything?
 
Could you wear wellies when you go into the house to feed the cat? They would be less likely to attach to you, although they can still jump quite high! One of mine had fleas when I got him, and I got some stuff from the vets (can't remember what it was) which kills the adults but if there are eggs and larvae in the carpet they will hatch out and not be affected by the treatment, so you need to treat again after a period of time. How awful that your neighbours live in a house with fleas running riot! I hate them (the fleas, not the neighbours!) and could never let them take over my home. As Elena has said you can get some spray to put on the carpet, so that might be an option. I am as paranoid as you about them!
 
Could you wear wellies when you go into the house to feed the cat? They would be less likely to attach to you, although they can still jump quite high! One of mine had fleas when I got him, and I got some stuff from the vets (can't remember what it was) which kills the adults but if there are eggs and larvae in the carpet they will hatch out and not be affected by the treatment, so you need to treat again after a period of time. How awful that your neighbours live in a house with fleas running riot! I hate them (the fleas, not the neighbours!) and could never let them take over my home. As Elena has said you can get some spray to put on the carpet, so that might be an option. I am as paranoid as you about them!

That's a good idea, thanks :D I have got a pair of old l9ng boots that I could wear and just leave them in my back garden so i'm not trailing them in the house and throw them away when they're back. I'm devastated at the thought if having them in my house so hoping by changing in the back garden will keep them out :?
 
I would go in a clean pair of wellies as well.
The house needs treating as well as the animals, if there are definitely fleas. Sprays are readily available - but it is up to the neighbours to do that, not you, unless they give their permission. You could eg text them and ask if you can spray while they are away as you have noticed a flea outbreak and it would be cleared by the time they get home.
 
They won't jump on you if you spray yourself with jungle formula maximum, it leaves a coating on the skin which they hate and they jump right off (if they even attempt to land on you) its horrible dealing with fleas :( I bought a house which was completely infested - I found it so horrible and traumatic if I'm honest, they need to treat their house and cats... If they aren't prepared to, I wouldn't help out anymore because you don't want that in your house!

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Thanks I'm off to Superdrug at lunchtime to purchase some! I don't even have a contact number for them, that's how blase they are. I'm a maniac when I'm away texting home everyday to see if my rabbits are ok! I am going to tell them when they're back on Sunday not to ask me again. :oops:
 
If you do decide to get some Indorex get it from Amazon rather than via vets, it’s a lot cheaper!!

I sympathise, it's horrible. I was like a maniac spraying the house when Mini had them, vet said one can would be enough, I think I used four!
 
If you do decide to get some Indorex get it from Amazon rather than via vets, it’s a lot cheaper!!

I sympathise, it's horrible. I was like a maniac spraying the house when Mini had them, vet said one can would be enough, I think I used four!
Is that stuff poisonous to cats?

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Is that stuff poisonous to cats?

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I’m not sure, I've never had cats, but looking at Amazon questions and reviews it doesn’t look like it. I shut the bunnies out when I spray and give it a few hours to dissipate before letting them back in.
 
Most of the household flea sprays are toxic to cats. They need to be used when there are no furries or fish in the rooms. Once it has settled, it should be OK to let them back in again. Just check the instructions on the tin.
 
Thanks everyone, no way I'm treating their house, I'm in and out as quick as possible! I'm hoping by changing my clothes in my back garden will keep them out of my house but i might get some flea spray for my house just in case. I will tell them when they come home they need to treat their cat and house and to ask someone else to feed him in future!
 
Well after being in their house this morning I can confirm they definately have something :evil:
I have picked an old pair of black leggings to wear in their house and when I came out this morning noticed there was small red bugs round the bottom near the ankles. I am now going to change my clothes in my back garden (there is a part of my garden that no one can see into thankfully!) and leave them on the washing line so I'm not going into my house wearing the clothes I wear in theirs but I am still worried. I am so angry too that knowing I have rabbits they have asked me to go into their awful house so i will be making it clear when they get back that I don't be doing it again! Does anyone else have any ideas of what I can do to prevent my rabbits catching anything?

I'm confused - does their house have fleas? You said "small red bugs"? I wouldn't make an automatic assumption that those are fleas.
 
I'm confused - does their house have fleas? You said "small red bugs"? I wouldn't make an automatic assumption that those are fleas.
Waiiit they're red? That's not fleas is it..

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Yes there were small dark red bugs, I could see them against the black of my trousers and they were round the ankle area. I thought fleas were this colour, I don't feel like I have been bitten. What could they be?
 
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