That happened to us last year! We were really upset, we have indoor cats too.

What helped with us is to get cheapo flea colors, not for the cats, but to put into the vacuum cleaner bag. We vacuumed every single day, and emptied the bag in the outdoor garbage (reserving the collar).

And we got Advantage or Frontline for the cats, which they didn't seem to mind too much, but was hard to keep them from licking it off each other (we'd have to separate them after application for a few hours).

Good luck to you, I can't imagine how much worse it's got to be if you are allergic to the nasty buggers.

Advantage is out... a friend had some extra and offered, and apparently my roommate had an allergic reaction to it when his parents used it on their cat. Like, ER for an adrenaline shot severe.

So, kitty will get a bath tomorrow. Which will be oh so fun. And a flea collar for her. Fortunately we have all hardwood and tile floors, so the only concern is the couch where she sits. The second I discovered it I yanked my sheets and banned her from my bedroom. Promotional T-shirts from work are now adorning the furniture anywhere she likes to lounge since I can just throw them away.

I'd also recommend a room spray. I bought a really good one from the vet, which was expensive but effective. It's important to spray beds, furnishings and carpets because the eggs can stay dormant for a while. And whilst kitty might be wearing a flea collar, you won't be.

He's how I handled flea problems when they showed up.

Take no prisoners.

Pick a day when you can be out of the house for a while. Get your cat carrier and disinfect it and put it in the bathroom. Set up, but do not touch off, flea bombs in every room with carpet. Trim your cat's nails. Move the bathroom rug to a room with a flea bomb and set it on a chair so it doesn't cover up floor. Bathe your cat with extreme prejudice. It's tough love for everyone, even it means a little shed blood on your part. Dry your cat, load it in the carrier and evacuate. Before you leave, set off the bug bombs - oh and you might read carefully first to see if you'll have a problem with your heater causing an explosion. You know, if you like your house/apartment.

Tuna for everyone!

If you turned on the heat, it may have activated hatching.
Vacuuming helps kill the eggs. The vibrations help shake them to bits.
i have serious bug allergies, too. At least it's not tse tse flies and mosquitos.
The Bees needs a bath too.

If you turned on the heat, it may have activated hatching

HATCHING!!! YES!! MOSQUITOS IN DA HOUSE, KILT SIX OF THEM IN THE BATHROOM THIS AM!! CRAPITYSHITDOODLE!

ahem.

yes, if you can't go the Advantage/Frontline route (and even if you could) plinth's method is the only surefire way. Oh and if you bugbomb, MAKE SURE you have all your food / surfaces in the kitchen cleaned/squared away and sealed. Also, dunno if you have a fishtank/bowl but if you do, make sure the bug bomb effluent won't get into it.

Ugh. We had that problem, but with six cats in the house, five of whom are not very social (the sixth is mine). They don't bother the BF but I was getting et alive. Luckily we can use Advantage, and I became the James Bond of cat dosing: cat on back of couch, walk by slowly with opened Advantage tube, not looking at cat, turn suddenly, trapping cat under arm, BLAM! They don't see it coming. To de-flea the bed I washed all the bedding *and* the pillows and sprayed the bare mattress, as well as vacuuming and spraying the carpet. Any pillows you can wash, do it. Drown the bastards. If you've got the freezer space, I've heard that freezing them for a day or two works, too. The flea collar in the vacuum bag (hooray for no carpets, but if you decide to vacuum the furniture) is important, too, otherwise the wee fuckers live and escape to tell the tale. Since you're allergic, the roommate should do any vacuuming--I find that though it may kill the eggs it also makes the adults jump up and bite all over the ankle/shin region.

Sucks that you can't use Advantage, 'cause that would sort it in a couple of days. Does that mean all the other similar meds (like Revolution) are out?

I feel for ya. I'm still compulsively scratching my shins. Buggers.