How to Protect Your Cat from Fleas and Ticks

It’s not uncommon for cats to catch fleas and ticks, especially if they spend a lot of time outside, together with other cats. But, even though it’s common, fleas and ticks are a cause for concern for cat owners because they can affect the health of the cat and transmit diseases to humans. Fortunately, there are a lot of treatments for fleas and ticks that can solve this problem.

Cat Tablets and Topical Solutions for Fleas

When it comes to treating fleas, there are cat tablets as well as topical solutions. Cat tablets for fleas can be ingested orally and they start working immediately, after only 30 minutes, although the best effects can be seen after 6 hours have passed since the cat took the pill. Cat flea tablets are recommended for cats older than four weeks with normal body weight. You can give your feline this tablet once a day if the problem persists. But if you find that the cat tablets for fleas are not effective enough, you can combine them with a topical solution.

The topical solution should be applied once a month unlike the tablets for cat fleas that are given on a daily basis. The topical solution stops the fleas from feeding in 3-5 minutes after the application. And despite fleas, topical treatments are found to be useful against heartworm, intestinal worms and larvae. The formula of the topical solution is water-resistant, meaning that the effects won’t fade away after you bathe your feline.

You can find topical solutions for kittens and young cats as well as cats that are over the age of four. Topical solutions for older cats are much stronger. That’s why you need to be careful with the solution you pick. A strong solution applied to a kitten can have negative effects, while a weak solution on an older cat won’t have an effect at all. The topical solutions are the closest thing there is to a vaccine against parasites. They’re easy to apply and have 100% effectiveness even against mites and lice. So, if you want your cat to be fully protected, then you should go for the solution.

Then again, if you want to protect a kitten as soon as it’s born, you can get a solution suitable for newborn kittens. It’s strong enough to protect the kitten from adult fleas, larvae, lice and flea allergy dermatitis without negatively affecting the little kitten. Over time, a parasitic infestation can have a negative effect on your cat’s health and yours as well. Therefore, the sooner you get protection the better.

Insecticidal Shampoos and Topical Sprays

There’s a big debate whether or not cat owners should use insecticidal shampoos as a treatment for fleas. Basically, insecticidal shampoos contain strong chemicals that may leave residue on the cat’s fur which it can later ingest given it cleans itself with the tongue. Also, it may be tricky for the owners to determine the right dosage of the shampoo. How much is too much? Or too little?

Although each and every cat product is made to be as safe as possible, some products such as flea shampoos could be dangerous. For that reason, you need to be cautious with the application or look for a non-toxic version of the cat flea shampoo. Always double-check the labels on the shampoos you’re buying in order to get familiar with the ingredients inside and the possible dangers they may pose for the cat. Same as the other treatments, shampoos are not recommended for kittens that are younger than 12 weeks. There is however an alternative to the regular flea shampoos – a natural shampoo made from essential oils. But it’s not recommended for cats because cats are quite sensitive to strong smells.

Another option is flea and tick spray for cats. It’s effective for fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks and lice but only for cats over seven months old. It kills existing fleas and repels fleas and ticks. The spraying mechanism is whisper quiet and the ingredients inside are completely safe for your feline. When you think about it, the spray allows for easy application and offers 100% protection from unwanted parasites. Some sprays even repel mosquitoes and have a two-month lasting effect. In just a few minutes you protect your cat and the protection lasts for quite some time.

A Collar that Protects from Fleas and Ticks

The collar is sort of a last resort when it comes to protection against fleas and ticks. But, the collar is also the thing that lasts the longest. Unlike the pills or topical solutions and sprays that last for a few days or a month, the collar lasts for up to eight months – eight times longer. The innovative collar protects kittens and older cats from fleas and ticks has the power to kill existing fleas and ticks on contact thus offering the best possible protection against parasites.

The collar works by releasing small doses of the serum that kills fleas and ticks over the eight-month period. The serum is then absorbed into the skin of the cat making it impossible for fleas and ticks to nest and live on. And although the collar is deadly to parasites, it’s completely safe for cats and the choice of many cat owners because it is long-lasting, effective and convenient.

A lot of people are sceptical whether the collar works or not, but if you take everything into consideration you’ll come to the conclusion that the collar is the best thing you can get for your cat. The collar is one of the most beneficial cat supplies. It works 100% and all you need to do it attach it to your cat’s neck. For comparison, it’s much better to use a collar than questionable shampoos and sprays. Plus, it lasts the longest so you won’t have to worry about the effects wearing off month after month.