Most Effective Topical Flea Treatment For Cats

Avoid Natural Flea Control Products

Cheristin Flea Treatment Topical for Cats | Chewy

If you’re considering using natural flea control products that contain essential oils, exercise caution. Some essential oils can be toxic to cats.

All three veterinarians we consulted do not recommend natural products, which do not work nearly as well as veterinarian-recommended topical and oral flea control products. “They are just not proven to be really effective,” Bourgeois said. “My biggest concern with natural products is, even if they’re safe, if they’re not effective, that’s not helping our pets. I get more concerned about the secondary ramifications for the pet if we’re using something that hasn’t been proven to be effective, versus products that have been proven to be effective and well tolerated.”

Best Topical Cat Flea Treatments

Now that you know the fancy science names for each of the ingredients used in the market leaders, well look in a little more depth at the way they work and just how long they work for. Below is a list of the best topical flea treatments for cats ranked with efficiency and cost effectiveness in mind.

Buyers Guide: Choosing The Best Flea Treatment For Cats

Most flea treatments look the same. However, underneath, they can be very different. It is essential to be aware of the many different factors that go into an effective flea treatment. These medications can be expensive, and you can often not use more than one back-to-back. Because of this, you must choose right the first time.

In this section, well help you do just that by explaining some of the key features to look for when choosing a flea treatment for your feline.

Don’t Miss: Cats Pulse Rate

Types Of Safe Flea Treatments For Cats

While you need to be careful when selecting a safe flea treatment for your cat, you have plenty of options to choose from. Between collars, spot-on topical treatments and chewable tablets, you can work with your veterinarian to discuss which one suits your cats health and lifestyle.

Here are some things to consider about each of these flea preventative options.

Pros To Using Flea Drops

There are quite a few benefits to using flea drops which makes it a viable option for your catâs treatment.

Flea drops are very easy to use. Drop the medication between your catâs shoulder blades and call it a day.

It is extremely strong and super effective at killing the fleas on your cat. Flea drops literally make your catâs body a living nightmare for any flea attempting to take a bite.

Flea drops are very affordable compared to prescription medication from a vet.

Drop the medication onto your catâs skin about once a month for the best results.

Itâs waterproof! If your cat gets wet you do not have to worry about the effectiveness. Since itâs a topical agent and gets absorbed into the skin, it is highly resilient to water.

Don’t Miss: Diffusing Essential Oils Kills Cats

Advecta Ultra Flea & Tick Topical Treatment

Provides 5-way protection
Breaks flea cycle

Those looking for effective flea treatment for their dogs can go for Advectas topical flea treatment which would work well for them. This topical treatment for puppers is efficient enough to break a lice cycle. It kills all stages of fleas, including eggs and larvae, in no time. This helps to break the chain of ticks reproduction and prevents their growth. It contains all major active ingredients, like pyriproxyfen & imidacloprid, that resolve issues of bugs. Undoubtedly, this becomes one of the best flea prevention for dogs, aiding pets in leading a comfortable life. This Advecta ultra flea treatment starts working within 12 hours of application and would prevent re-infestation for up to 4 months.

Reviewing the product, we noticed that this medication is free from any kind of fragrance or additives, and thus it becomes harmless to pets. It offered us worry-free usage without compromising our pets health. Being waterproof, it works satisfactorily even when a pupper gets wet. Equipped with 5-way protection, it helps to prevent fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice, and biting flies. Moreover, it doesnt pose any threat to an animals health. This long-lasting medicine would work well for 30 days giving praise-worthy aftermath.

How To Tell If Your Pet Has Fleas

Identifying the signs of a flea infestation is crucial. The veterinarians we spoke to outlined three signs to look out for.

Increased itching: Casual scratching or grooming is one thing, but if you notice your pet excessively scratching in a particular area, youll want to inspect further. You can do so by running your fingers or combing through their fur. Flea bites are sharp and painful, and their salivary glands give off a substance that’s irritating or even allergic to cats and dogs, Cooley tells us.
Fleas on hair follicles: Adult fleas are reddish-brown and smaller than a grain of rice. Since fleas move fast through your pets hair, it is often easier to spot what is called flea dirt.
Presence of flea dirt: Also known as flea feces, flea dirt has been described as brownish-black dirt. If you are unsure whether it is real dirt or flea dirt, run it under water: If it turns red, then its flea dirt and youll have to treat it accordingly.

Otherwise, veterinarians recommended periodically scanning your pets bedding, carpets or other surfaces they hang out in or on for any signs of fleas.

Don’t Miss: Do Cats Shed Whiskers

How To Choose The Safest Flea Treatment For Your Cat

If youre concerned that your cat has fleas, you are probably in the market for a flea preventative medicine. However, safety is a big concern when it comes to treating pets for fleasespecially with cats.

And many flea treatments that are made for dogs can actually be extremely toxic to cats, so it is important to find one that is labeled for cats.

Heres how you can find a safe flea treatment for the cats in your home.

Sentry Fiproguard For Cats

Episode 40: Choosing Flea Treatment For Your Cat

A very popular alternative to Frontline®, Sentry Fiproguard is an economical option for providing basic protection against fleas and other pests, and is often used by people with a large number of pets. It is also water-resistant and so will remain effective even in areas that experience high rainfall.

Don’t Miss: How To Pass Emission Test Without A Catalytic Converter

Top 3 Best Flea Treatment For Cats: Help Relieve Your Pet

Being a cat owner can be one of the greatest joys in life. Although cats bring a lot of happiness into your home, they can also bring unwanted fleas, and leave you thinking what is Best Flea Treatment for Cats?. It is an awful feeling when you look down and see fleas crawling throughout your cats fur. Unfortunately, if not treated right away your house can also become infested with fleas. Once this occurs, the fleas can become harmful to yourself and any other living thing in the home.

Flea bites can be incredibly painful as well as harmful to your feline friend. Sometimes the flea bites can cause such extreme itching that it even leads to hair loss and infections of the skin.The best way to help your cat avoid exposure to fleas is to use preventative medicine. When looking at different flea medicines, please consider the following tips if you are looking for the Best Flea Treatment for Cats:

Ensure that the dosage is correct for the weight of your cat.
Ensure that you read the directions carefully and ask your local veterinarian if you have any questions.
Ensure that other products, such as shampoos and powders, do not conflict with the flea medicine.
Ensure that the medication does not contain the active ingredients permethrin or pyrethrin.

Below are the Top 3 Best Flea Treatment for Cats and the most popular preventative flea treatments.

What About Flea Sprays

Flea sprays are cheaper than their topical or oral counterparts. But many products need weekly applications, so in the long run they arent as cost-effective or convenient as a monthly topical or chew. Since these treatments kill on contact, you also generally need to spray down your entire pet, which takes a lot more work than a couple of drops on the scruff of the neck.

Some treatments, like Advantage Treatment Spray for Dogs, direct owners to rub the spray around the pets eyes, nose, and mouth, and they can cause adverse reactions if ingested. Others, like Vets Best Flea & Tick Home Spray for Cats, contain essential oils that are toxic to cats. Some sprays also contain alcoholwhich sometimes isnt disclosedwarned the ASPCAs Wismer. If a pet is soaked with one of these products, they can actually become intoxicated, and this requires immediate veterinary care, she said.

Read Also: Blue Fit And Healthy Cat Food

Finding And Treating Ticks On Cats

Ticks on cats are not as common as ticks on dogs because of grooming habits and lifestyle. However, cats can get ticks and they can become a health issue if left untreated. Ticks feed on the blood of the host, and use tiny but sharp teeth to embed themselves firmly into the skin and soft tissue of cats. Because they penetrate into the bloodstream, ticks can also spread blood-borne illnesses. We recommend tick products for cats on a case by case basis.

Ticks on cats cause welts and bruises around the area being fed on. It is also common to find the tick still attached. If you find a tick on your cat, please bring your cat in so we can show you the safest way to remove the tick and help formulate a plan to avoid ticks going forward. The various methods for treating ticks on cats include:

Spot-On Treatments
Oral medication
Tick Collars

We strongly recommend consulting your veterinarian immediately if your cat has ticks. Although there are various remedies to treat ticks on cats, it is essential to make sure the method you choose is safe, effective and clinically proven.

How Often Should You Apply Topical Flea Treatments

Many experts and commercial product manufacturers recommend you apply a flea control product such as a topical medicine at least half-yearly, but no sooner than 30 days from the last application.

The reason for this is that the flea life-cycle is around 6 months in duration, so a treatment that eliminates both adult fleas and larvae should be effective for a long time.

While most products only guarantee protection for up to 30 days or, you should see that fleas are controlled for a longer period when investing in the best topical treatments for fleas.

Make sure you have a flea comb on hand to help remove dead fleas and larvae from your cats coat. Youll see far longer protection window if you actively help stop new adult fleas settling too.

It may also be worth investing one of the best flea sprays for home, this can help keep adult fleas out of carpets and linen while you deal with the infestation on your cat.

You May Like: Venus Fly Trap Toxic To Cats

Best Cat Flea Treatment: At A Glance

Best efficient flea treatment: Frontline Spot On for cats | Buy now
Best flea treatment on prescription: Advocate 80 Spot-On for Large Cats | Buy now
Best fit and forget flea treatment: Beaphar Cat Flea Collar | Buy now
Best immediate flea treatment: Biospotix Cat Flea Spray | Buy now
Best one-hit treatment for infestations: Johnsons 4Fleas Tablets | Buy now
Best flea treatment at the vets: Program 80 Cat Injection | Buy now

So Why Do I Keep My Indoor Cat On Flea And Tick Medication

While my cat stays inside, my dog goes outside into my fenced-in backyard. And we have mice, gophers, rabbits, and other wildlife in the backyard, which can seed our backyard with fleas and other parasites. While my dog is also on a fast-acting flea and tick medication all spring and summer, your four-legged family member can bring one or two fleas inside. If the external parasites arent killed quickly with a prescription-strength flea and tick medication, youll suddenly have thousands of fleas within your house within days to weeks. Not worth the risk!

Also, a lot of people think that fleas and ticks will die off in the cold. Yes, that is true, but depending on how long the cold freeze is for, they may just go dormant. But they can live for a long time comfortably inside your house, since itll be much more temperate.

The good news? There is a lot of really effective, safe flea and tick medicine for cats out there now. But you need to know which ones to use, how long to use them for, what the weight and age of your cat is, and how to use them appropriately.

You May Like: How Much Should A Cat Eat Each Day

What Kind Of Flea Medicine For Puppies

Treating fleas and ticks on pups can be challenging as flea and tick medicines used for large dogs might not be suitable for them. Most flea medicines are best for dogs when they reach the age of 7-8 weeks. Before you pick any therapy, check its suitability based on your puppers age. Some flea solutions from brands like Capstar would also solve your little purpose as they are feedable to pups of 4 weeks.

Types Of Flea Medication

Cheristin Flea Treatment Topical for Cats | Chewy

There are three primary forms of flea medication for dogs and cats. The main difference between the three is how you give them to your pet. They are:

Those given by mouth
Those applied on the skin
Those worn around the neck

Before going any further, always keep this safety note in mind: When giving flea prevention medication to cats, always read the label and make sure it is approved for cats. Flea medication for dogs can be very toxic to cats, even resulting in death.

Also Check: Dachshund And Cat

Are There Any Side Effects To Flea Medications

Flea medications for dogs and cats are generally safe. Occasionally, an individual dog or cat may be a bit sensitive to one. For instance, topical medications may cause hair loss or a mild irritation in the area it was applied on your pet. Or, if your dog or cat has a sensitive stomach, the oral flea medication may cause them to be nauseous or vomit.

If you notice any of these signs or any other change in your pet after giving them a flea medication, let your veterinarian know. Your vet will want to keep an eye on your pets health and potentially report any side effects to the manufacturer of the medication.

When starting a new oral flea medication, try to give it to your pet on a day when you can be around to watch for potential issues. If possible, dont give your pet any other medications or new food that day either. This way, if your dog or cat does have a problem, youll know it was most likely due to the flea medication and not something else.

Catego Flea & Tick Spot Treatment For Cats

While its effective against both fleas and ticks, Categos biggest claim to fame may be its applicator. Its extremely easy to use, enabling you to put the oil right where you want it without getting it all over yourself in the process.

The formula uses a cocktail of active ingredients to kill fleas, including Fipronil, Dinotefuran, and Pryiproxyfen. This means its unlikely to stop working because if one ingredient doesnt kill fleas, one of the other two will.

Of course, some owners will balk at putting that many chemicals on their cat, even if its been approved by the relevant authorities.

It only comes in one dosage size, which is intended to treat all cats above 1.5 pounds. This may pose a problem if you have a massive breed like a Maine Coon, as it likely wont be as effective on them as it is on, say, a Cornish Rex.

Catego also seems to have an attractive flavor, as cats seem to love licking it off one another. You dont want them to do this, so if you have multiple cats, youll need to keep them separated until the oil dries.

Not as effective on large breeds
Cats seem to enjoy taste

Don’t Miss: How Cold Can Cats Survive

Flea And Tick Medication: Oral Vs Topical Treatments

Topical Flea Treatment Vs Oral: How To Choose A Flea Treatment

There are so many different flea treatment products on the market today, including some of the best flea collars for dogs, so it can be tough to know whats best for your pooch. Before you decide which product to purchase, you may want to consider some factors about your dogs lifestyle, such as:

Does my dog currently have fleas or am I simply looking for a preventive treatment?
Will my dog be swimming or bathing while using this product?
Is my dog exposed to areas with ticks?
Are tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease common in my area?
Does my dog have a history of reactions to any type of flea treatment?
Does my dog have a history of skin problems or sensitivities to topical products?
Can my dog safely wear a flea collar?
Will I remember to use a monthly product or would a longer-acting product be better?
Which products does my veterinarian recommend?

These questions can help you narrow down the vast array of products and choose a flea treatment that is best suited to your dogs unique lifestyle and individual needs.

It is also very important to consult your veterinarian to find out which products he or she recommends for your pet and to make sure you are purchasing your flea treatment products from a reputable retailer. Many over-the-counter flea treatment products are ineffective or even unsafe for your dog, so be sure to consult your veterinarian before using any of these products.

Also Check: My Cat Heart Is Beating Fast