You should NEVER use dog shampoo on cats because cats lick their fur and will ingest the insecticide. Your cat could get very ill from this. Please call your vet and tell them what you did so they can tell you what you should now do. I tried to look it up on the internet, but couldn't find anything.

Vickey-MN

Flea collars are mostly useless. Try a topical application of Frontline or Advantage especially for cats. Also, if the fleas are really bad, ask your vet for CapStar. It kills them within a few hours directly on the cat, is safe, and only effective for 24 hours.

Some dog products are toxic for cats but not for dogs.

Cats are EXTREMELY sensitive to pesticides and other chemicals. Be observant to his reaction to the flea collar and to the flea powder. If he starts salivating heavily, that's a clear sign of a chemical reaction. Both of those products can be dangerous to you, as well.

I would get the flea collar off of Jasper right away. They are not particularly effective, and can be dangerous, even fatal.

If he doesn't go outside ever, and you have no dogs, and you didn't actually see fleas or flea dirt --- I would really wonder how he would contract them to be honest with you. I mean cats scratch themselves because they itch just like you and me itch sometimes.

And don't feel bad that you have never bathed your kitty. Cats, especially indoor cats, do not need baths -- they are self-cleaning :)

I'd definitely ditch the collar - they've gotten a real bad rap, and for good reason. What about getting one of those tiny combs and see if you come up with any fleas? I'd be curious about what's biting you both if you've got ten or so bites and haven't seen any fleas. Especially since we just *know* your carpeting has got to be immaculate, you being a vacuum collector!

Frontline is all you need. And remove the collar asap!

Vickey... I think I was a bit amibuous. I did NOT use dog shampoo on the cat... I got regular cat shampoo. I was just wondering why it said not to use it... I didn't do it. I shampooed him to see if I could wash any fleas off. I just got in from buying some Advantage for cats. I guess I will take the collar back and see if I can get a refund for it. I had no clue they were THAT bad, but that's what I have you all here for! I've never had to deal with this issue before. Advantage was 55 dollars, but it lasts a while and if it solves the problem definitely worth it. The vet said that fleas come in on human shoes or clothing, and while I don't have a dog people that live around me do.

Vickey... I was ambiguous, not whatever that other word I typed was!

Whew, you scared me. Don't worry about throwing the collar away, put it into your vacuum cleaner bag, IF you have fleas, they'll breed in there the most, and this will be the best way to kill them! (and really really safe).

Vickey-MN

All the crap they sell at stores for fleas IS useless. Some of it is even deadly.
My advice is to go to a vet and purchase some FRONTLINE SPRAY. The regular frontline wont help much if he already has the fleas. The spray is expensive,about 35 dollars,but VERY worth it. My cat got fleas last year and I used it on him one time and didnt see anymore the rest of summer.

Please, please, PLEASE remove that collar IMMEDIATELY and bathe Jasper again VERY THOROUGHLY and RIGHT AWAY. The storebought flea collars and other flea preparations are HIGHLY TOXIC and have been implicated in the deaths of MANY cats and dogs. Do NOT wait until Jasper starts to show symptoms of insecticide poisoning before getting rid of the collar and rebathing him. By the time he shows symptoms, it may be too late to save him.

Laurie

You're in Florida right? I think they pretty much have a flea problem there all year round. Even tho Jasper stays in if there are other animals around your place you can bring them in on you and then they get on Jasper.

Lisa

As a new cat owner years ago - I tick-dipped my dog and thought that I might as well dip the cat too while I was at it. He became VERY ill and I took him to the vet for the antidote. That's how I learned that dog insecticides (or the strength used for dogs) is toxic to cats. I think it might be because cats have thinner skin and it absorbs more. I also learned to read instructions!

I found a good article for you to read if you're so inclined.

Here is a link that might be useful: otc flea products

I wouldn't do anything else until you actually have evidence of fleas. Maybe someone could help by listing how to look for them on the cat, what the flea dirt looks like etc... I know when I go to FL I am often bit by noseeums -- they come in right through the screens.

You might check ebay for frontline/advantage/revolution etc before you need it again.

sometimes you can get it much cheaper there.

That "flea dirt" is small black dots that when they get wet they look bloody...I think it's flea poo actually but I'm not 100% sure about that. When my husband was taking care of the two cats that were here...I started noticing on the bathroom floor little bloody looking dots and I knew there were fleas on them as soon as I saw that!!!!!(I've owned dogs in the south my whole life, fleas are a constant battle) Even though we live in an apartment...it's an apartment building that all the doors are inside of the building(you open your front door into a hallway) there was a person living next door the us with two large dogs and that I'm sure is where they came from. My husband thought I was crazy and there was no way the cats could have flea so I told him to look on their stomachs and see for himself. After looking for about 2 seconds...there they were, crawling on the stomach...dam fleas!!!!!!!

I'm glad that you took the flea collar off of Jasper. I am sure the advantage will take care of the fleas or what ever that has been biting you both. Jasper is so cute he even looks cute damp and mad. lol

Advantage and Frontline both work really well. I use Advantage on our cats.

Congratulations on surviving the cat bath!

Jasper looks very handsome.

Thanks for the help... Jasper says thanks for freaking out and possibly saving his life :o) Now I just have to remember which of the 30 vacuums the flea collar is in! Yes... FL is terrible, I can't wait to graduate college and move ANYWHERE else.

LMAO - it just now hit me. Giving a cat a bath. WHAT a feat! I bathed a cat once...... ONCE.

Must be a pretty good boy you've got there - being that you can still type, I assume you didn't lose a finger.... I'd say that's pretty good.

Yeah, cat bathing.. must haves are leather gloves that come up to the shoulders.. and some cats.. even those are not enough. Good thing Jasper is a good kitty ;)

He's quite the little angel! He didn't bite or snap or claw at me (I think he enjoys getting fed too much to disable the hand that does it)! I certainly shan't bathe him on a regular basis, the experience is too traumatic for all parties concerned. I did like how much softer his fur was afterwards though!

My cat never fights back either.Just cries like a big baby.I try not to bath him unless I really have to.He doesnt really need it either,his fur is always soft and smells good.

Reminds me when I had to give one of my cats a bath. She was very good, didn't fight, but looked up at me & continuously screamed very clearly "NO, NO, NO". It was the only time I ever heard her use that sound, but it came out clearly as no. We made it quick & never repeated it, she was so very unhappy. I agree, their fur really feels nice after a bath.

Jasper looks handsome, as always! Vaccumfreak, did you find real fleas anywhere on/around him?

I found tiny black spots under Nikita's chin once, and freaked out thinking it was flea residue. It was acne I guess, and disappeared once she was bathed and scrubbed carefully under the chin. Our vet gave us an antibiotic cream to put on a boil she got on her lower lip once (that probably was flared up acne too). I use a lil dab of it on her chin sometimes and that seems to keep the acne at bay.

I guess I'm really lucky that Nikita and Simba love bathtime. I bathe them once a month and they seem to like hot water rahter than lukewarm. Max is OK as long as water doesn't touch his face. Simba loves to sit on my shoulder when I'm in the shower; I don't relish that one bit LOL he's just such a big baby.

I have not seen a flea yet! I have no clue what it is... ear mites, dust mites, the new laundry soap, or I am developing cat allergies for the first time in 23 years. Who knows! I sprayed the bed with something that is supposed to kill dust mites. I put some ear mite drops in Jasper's ears. I washed the sheets and bed spread in vinegar water just in case it was the new laundry soap (I did switch brands), but I don't think that would cause round bite looking marks. I've no clue what's going on! Spent the night with a friend two nights ago who doesn't have any animals and I was fine the entire time I was at his house. :o(