How about a flea comb?  Get a fine one with long teeth (the sort that
advertise they also get the eggs), fill a wide, somewhat shallow glass jar
with a couple of ice cubes and a little water, and comb your fuzzies either
right after you have played them into exhaustion or immediately after
waking from a good nap.  Stretch your fuzzie out along a your leg so his
body is supported, and start up by the ears.  It also helps if you wear
light colored clothing so you can pick off any fleas that may jump on you.
Gently, but deeply comb along the body with one hand, supporting the ferret
with the other.  Turn the ferret frequently to get the fresh fleas that
migrate to the bottom, and when you see a flea on the comb, hold it to the
surface of the comb with the thumb of the hand holding the flea-comb.  Hold
the flea comb over the water and flick the flea off into it.  Most of the
time, the ice water will kill the fleas very quickly, but let it sit awhile
so you make sure the fleas have drowned before pitching the water on your
flower beds.  Takes about an hour and a half to flea comb 3 ferrets, a cat,
and a double coated dog.
 
Your ferts will eventually get used to the daily grooming.  My three seem
to enjoy it most of the time, and my deaf badger Twist likes to nap
upside-down while being combed.  If they squirm a whole lot, usually a
vigorous 15 or so minute play session takes the wind out of their sails.
They tend to be much happier with anything after a 15 minute "magic carpet
ride"/blanket attack.
 
We used to use Advantage and Frontline on our ferrets, but the fleas have
been so awful this year, we've gone back to flea combing daily.  We think
the fleas have become immune.  :( You might want to look into either of the
aforementioned for your kitty and/or your ferrets, but if you live in an
area with mild winters, also consider asking your vet about adding Program
to your regime.  -Ferrets have to weigh at least 2# to be on Program.
 
Putting a flea collar in your vacuum cleaner bag might help some, be sure
to change the collar when you change your bag.  Inexpensive flea collars
may be found in dollar-type stores.  Wash bedding frequently ~ every time
I do a load of whites, I toss in a ferret fleece~ using borax (30 Mule
Team-type)as a laundry additive, and re-setting your laundry soak cycle
to last at least 40 minutes, so that fleas present in the bedding do not
survive.  Either dry in a dryer on high heat, or line-dry in full sunlight.
I also wash their crate at least once a week, leaving the crate out for the
afternoon to dry in the hot sunlight.  I spray the flooring under their
crate with a pyrethrin spray about every week- I vacuum first, spray, let
it dry, vacuum again, and then spray again.  You might try feeding your
fuzzoes garlic, but it doesn't seem to work on the fleas we've got.
 
I've looked into having the house and yard sprayed, but so far no one can
guarantee that it won't harm my ferrets.  I've tried borax on my carpets,
but it didn't work, and I am considering trying diatomaceous earth in the
yard.  If anyone else knows of anything that is efficacious for mutant
southern fleas, I'd be grateful to hear it.
[Posted in FML issue 2766]