I Know Pets Well

We all would like our cats to have that ‘just walked out of a pet portrait‘ look, with shiny coat and bight eyes. But the inescapable truth is that our little heroes will, on occasion, catch fleas. Spring is the time of year when they become most susceptible to infestations, but with the milder winters we’re having, cats can be affected all year round with this problem. In some cats it can also get rather serious, causing an allergic response or transmitting disease.

It has been quoted that the ordinary home contains in the region of 20,000 flea eggs at any one time, which will grow into adult fleas in just a few weeks! Fleas increase numbers so readily, that only 200 fleas will become ten thousand in just six months.

To stop it becoming a major problem it is important to treat your cat, though to prevent the fleas returning, the whole house should be treated and any areas that your cat comes in contact with. There are several products available for the treatment of fleas, but what are the ones to go for?

Types of treatment

The main types of remedy available for the treatment of cats are spot-on medicines, collars, ‘electric shock’ combs, sprays and tablets. The type of cure you’ll use will, for the most part, depend on your cat:

Collars impregnated with insecticide offer an easy way to treat your cat offering protection up to four weeks. If your cat normally wears a collar, this can be a good option, but not all cats (or owners) are comfortable using collars on cats.

Spot-on treatments require the owner to place a few drops of the liquid directly onto the skin of the cat, usually at the back of the neck to stop the cat licking off the medicine. This provides a very effective treatment plus on-going protection from fleas for up to 5 weeks, though it can be a two man job on some cats. One of the most effective is Frontline Spot-On but, like all contact medicines, you will need to make sure you get the correct type, as there is a version for cats and another for dogs. Cats might be poisoned by owners who inadvertantly apply a dog treatment to their cat!

Electronic combs are flea combs that also send a modest electric shock, enough to kill the fleas it comes in contact with, but that is harmless to your pet. The big plus point for these is that no chemicals are used, but you’ll need to be thorough with the comb and it can miss the eggs, so you’ll have to keep repeating the process for it to be effective. There is also a slight buzzing noise when it “zaps” a flea that may put off some cats.

Flea sprays are a comparatively cheap way to treat fleas, but cats need to be over three months of age and be pretty tolerant of the ‘hissing’ noise. Your cat will also need to be placid enough to stay still while you ensure the job is done thoroughly.

Tablets will certainly do the job quickly and effectively, though not many of us are confident or adept enough at getting a cat to swallow a pill!