# How does Advocate work?



## xTammi

I've seen how different flea treatments work in different ways so could someone explain how Advocate works to me? I treated my 3 this morning (noticed new kitten had fleas, have never treated my other 2 before so they probably caught them from him too) and keeping them separate so they don't groom each other. 

How long will it take to kill the actual fleas? Will it kill fleas and eggs, etc? Does this particular treatment effect the environment and it will effect wherever they lay down?


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## CoCoTrio

I think it's absorbed into the cat's bloodstream and is supposed kill all fleas within about 24 hours. It won't affect the environment. 

Maybe someone else knows more specifics.


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## Satori

The Imidacloprid actually spreads over the surface of the skin and hair (don't ask me how) and lodges in the fat layer of the skin. It should kill the fleas in ablut 12 hours. The worm treatment chemical is actually absorbed into the bloodstream. Because the insecticide is actually on the cat, yes it does kill fleas and larvae in the cats immediate environment too but NOT pupae of course so you still need to look at enviromental for when they hatch.


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## xTammi

I am also going to treat the environment as I have a can of StayKill but I had read some spot ons also effect the areas where the cat sits down. I am just feeling so overwhelmed with it all and am sitting nearly in tears. I just feel clueless as I feel I have no idea how to properly use the spray. I really am stressed beyond belief


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## CoCoTrio

Thanks Satori! 

xTammi if it helps any when we got our cat he was very flea-ridden. We combed out most of the fleas gently over a few days using a flea comb, catching them off the comb in a bit of damp paper towel. Some escaped, but then we used Advocate, and if any escaped fleas were lurking to jump back on him they'd then have been killed by the Advocate. We didn't treat the house at all, but we've had no more fleas at all since he's been on Advocate regularly.

The Staykill spray looks good, I read that it should be used on areas which the cats can access but which can't easily be vacuumed. So I guess this means to hoover everywhere, and then spray any tricky nooks and crannies. 

But as I said, we didn't do anything to the house, and it's been fine.


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## xTammi

Thank you for reply. I have actually only seen 2 fleas on him and we've only had him since Friday but there are so many of those little black specs on his fur. I really am a person who panics :/


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## Satori

xTammi said:


> I am also going to treat the environment as I have a can of StayKill but I had read some spot ons also effect the areas where the cat sits down. I am just feeling so overwhelmed with it all and am sitting nearly in tears. I just feel clueless as I feel I have no idea how to properly use the spray. I really am stressed beyond belief


Yes you are right, Advocate will kill fleas and larvae in the areas that the cat sits down but not pupae which may still hatch.


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## xTammi

Satori said:


> Yes you are right, Advocate will kill fleas and larvae in the areas that the cat sits down but not pupae which may still hatch.


Yeah from what I can see there is nothing that will kill the pupae :/


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## CoCoTrio

But once they hatch and jump onto a passing cat they'll be killed. At least that's what I assume.. that our cat is a walking flea assassin armed with his monthly dose of insecticide Advocate. Woe betide any tiny bitey things who dare jump on him. Mwaa-haa-haa!!! :devil:


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## xTammi

CoCoTrio said:


> But once they hatch and jump onto a passing cat they'll be killed. At least that's what I assume.. that our cat is a walking flea assassin armed with his monthly dose of insecticide Advocate. Woe betide any tiny bitey things who dare jump on him. Mwaa-haa-haa!!! :devil:


Hahaha well I hope that is the case! I have just been into check on the kitten and the room that he is in I have found 5 dead flea just laying around on the carpet :/ I'm assumming they are ones that were on him and have died and fallen off?


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## wicket

xTammi said:


> I am also going to treat the environment as I have a can of StayKill but I had read some spot ons also effect the areas where the cat sits down. I am just feeling so overwhelmed with it all and am sitting nearly in tears. I just feel clueless as I feel I have no idea how to properly use the spray. I really am stressed beyond belief


Please dont stress yourself too much, if you have advocate and a spray for the house you will very quickly get on top of the problem 
If its a spray for the rooms you have do one room at a time and shut up the room for about half an hour after (obviously with no pets or people in lol) then after about half an hour open the windows to air the room out - repeat room by room and you will soon be flea free - magine the aerosol is a can of hairspray, start with the edges of the room and move inwards, also do any soft furnishings the cats vmay have sat on - I have quite a large house and can do all rooms with one can of indorex - now get flea murdering


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## CoCoTrio

xTammi said:


> Hahaha well I hope that is the case! I have just been into check on the kitten and the room that he is in I have found 5 dead flea just laying around on the carpet :/ I'm assumming they are ones that were on him and have died and fallen off?


Yeah! Good kitty. :thumbsup:


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## xTammi

I'm feeling much calmer with all the helpful advice so thank you all! Now that I have the living room done and the cats flea treated and I can see results I feel like I am actually somewhere. 

I am wondering though all these washings of bedding I have done from my sons rooms, blankets, etc. Would you advise that I put all those in the living room as that is the only place I have treated at the moment? I don't want to put them want to put them in the bedrooms, particularly if I don't get time to treat them tonight. 

The living room has been sprayed, sat for half an hour and has so far been aired for just over an hour. When do you think it will be safe to allow myats entry back into it?


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## CoCoTrio

It would be sensible to put the clean washing in the room that's been treated, if you can. 

What do the instructions say about how long to exclude pets after spraying? If the instructions aren't specific then I'd think your one hour would be fine.

Sounds like you're having a busy time! Keep up the good work. :thumbup1:


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## xTammi

CoCoTrio said:


> It would be sensible to put the clean washing in the room that's been treated, if you can.
> 
> What do the instructions say about how long to exclude pets after spraying? If the instructions aren't specific then I'd think your one hour would be fine.
> 
> Sounds like you're having a busy time! Keep up the good work. :thumbup1:


It just says exclude pets during application. They are running about the hall at the moment. Apart from the kitten who is still in his little room. I have managed to treat the living room and my sons room so far today and I'm really not going to have time for anything else. I'm just wondering as I haven't had time to treat our bedroom due to Hubby sleeping all day in it do you think it would be a good idea to let the cats into it as apparently they are flea assassins at the moment? Lol


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## CoCoTrio

Although they are now armed and dangerous to fleas I think I'd still keep them out of the untreated room unless there's a good reason for them to be in there.
Might as well.  Apart from that it sounds like they can certainly go back in the treated rooms by now.


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## xTammi

CoCoTrio said:


> Although they are now armed and dangerous to fleas I think I'd still keep them out of the untreated room unless there's a good reason for them to be in there.
> Might as well.  Apart from that it sounds like they can certainly go back in the treated rooms by now.


The kitty is in the living room at the moment (that room was the first treated) and I managed to get his room hoovered and treated about and hour and half ago so it is just airing out. My other 2 older cats are still stuck out in the hall at the moment....

I think I may put kitty back in his room in couple of hours and my son and I will just sleep in the living room.

So I still have our bedroom, 4 bathrooms, kitchen, second living room and 3 floors of halls and stairs to do..... and I'm working tomorrow  Not sure I will get everything tomorrow but our bedroom is a priority!! I've told Hubby he can't sleep in there tomorrow and must sleep in our sons room lol

Noticed when I took a bath tonight I am covered in flea bites on my upper half :/


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## CoCoTrio

Yikes. Sounds like you're right to be doing a thorough job. Pesky critters.


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## xTammi

Well I hope I have been thorough enough. I think I'm going to continue to repeat the high heat washes of all pet/human bedding every few days and repeat the entire process of spraying in 2 weeks and I will be sure to advocate the cats in 4 weeks time. 

Yesterday and this morning I felt completely overwhelmed and did actually have a few tears but tonight I feel like I'm really getting somewhere and I know what I'm doing. I'm so glad I found this forum and was able to get good advice from so many people.


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## LesleySM

I've had an ongoing flea problem since I took in Spirit (Who sadly was FIV+ and passed away last November at just 2 years old). I must have tried everything but as soon as the weather got warmer they'd come out. Advantage didn't help much and applying a spot on with Bonnie is a nightmare for some reason she hates it.

anyway last Friday my kitten Ganzi went to the vets for his snip. Not my usual vet as they said they don't support early neutering . He came through just fine but the vet said he had fleas and I ended up getting "Advocate" for the pair of them

It isn't easy to apply I could not get it open and has to resort to cutting the top off with scissors but I got it on both cats

Not seen a flea since- and both cats had scabby necks due to scratching and now have none


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## Pavonine

Sorry to jump in on your thread Tammi, but I was wondering if you all get Advocate from your vet or whether you can buy it online? I've been using Frontline flea & tick, and there haven't been any fleas but somebody mentioned in another thread that Frontline is becoming less effective so I'm looking to switch before a problem arises! Am I also correct in thinking that Advocate is a combined flea and worm treatment? Meaning, if I use Advocate I won't need to use Panacur granules as well?


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