Eeeew!

In a previous post, I talked about my dog and my girlfriend's cat. Well, there's more news for the both of them: fleas. The dog has never had fleas and the cat has never been outside to contract them. The problem is, combining the two animals made for a perfect petrie dish for the disgusting insects. We think the dog brought in one or two and they used the cat to increase their numbers.

The puppy has really thin fur and goes swimming often, making her useless for an incubator. The cat, on the other hand, has thick, dark fur that makes her an ideal nesting ground. We've sprayed, powdered, bathed, and otherwise tried to rid ourselves of the nuisances so far, but with little success. Up til now, though, we thought the cat was relatively flea-free.

We bought a flea comb, and I'd brush both animals' coats to check for bugs. The dog would always yield a handful with the cat following with maybe one or two. Today, though, I combed her stomach, too. There, I hit the mother load. I took at least 20 off her in the first sitting. Then I came back and did it again. Here's a photo of the insects drowning in the bottom of a cup.

Both pets are pretty bug-free at the moment, but I'm going to give the kitty a flea-bath in the morning and take the puppy in for a flea-dip at the vet. I also sprayed both the rooms where they sleep and washed all their bedding, twice, in scalding water, with lots of soap.

Pray the bed bugs stop biting!