Mrs_B Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Hello all! My cat has got fleas, and my other half instantly thought about weather or not the chooks could catch them. Of course I can only assume my cat got the fleas from the garden (she's an indoor cat, goes out once a week for a strole) or if they were in the carpet somewhere in the house (though this seems less likely as it's been about a year since she's had them!) I haven't noticed any lice on the girls - but I haven't done a thorough inspection in the last few weeks as I have been resting from an operation and my family have been taking care of the girls mostly. My family were very good with putting Diatom everywhere it was required (inc dustbaths and woodchip with added Stalosan!) so I am confident enough was done in that department. If the hens do end up with fleas, will a good dusting with Diatom suffice or would someone recommend a trip to the vets or another method? Thank you! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 They won't catch fleas from the cat as they are species-specific. I would suggest that both are treated with preventative spot-ons as recommended by your vet; there are plenty of threads about lice and mite treatment in the chicken section of the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 Thank you, Dogmother! That's really good to know! I was searching different bits and pieces of info on here and Google but I was confusing myself the more I searched (which isn't hard ) I will look for the threads you suggested now I'm clear on what I am looking for As soon as the fleas were spotted on the cat - the spot on came out. I love the stuff, it's great for getting rid of fleas quickly! Thanks again x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 You do need to use the spot-on on the cats every 3 months, not just when you see fleas. If you live rurally or they tend to get infested a lot then it's probably best to use a flea collar as well. Same with poultry; preventative quarterly and a spray if you see any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 We usually do the cat once every 5-6 months as she only goes out for about 2 minutes (if that!) once a week as she's a pedigree - and thankfully we haven't really had problems with her flea wise (she's 18 nearly). If she was outdoors more often I would definitely use spot-on more, so I will consider the every 3 months in the future, thank you I definitely agree prevention is the best way to stop fleas (and mites!) - thankfully I haven't had any issues with the chickens in that area yet. Thanks for the advice, it makes me feel more confident if something does occur! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
