Cat Flea Treatment Types - Topical Flea Treatments

When you get your new kitten home, it is exciting to choose new bowls, collars and bending. But one of the most important purchases you should make is for your Cat Flea Treatment. Regular and effective flea control does more than stop your kitten from scratching. It will also give her a much better chance of a healthy life. Fleas can cause diseases and skin problems as well as stress and discomfort.

Here we will discuss the various methods of feline flea control so you can narrow down your choices when deciding which flea product to buy. Firstly:

Topical Cat Flea Treatments

There are several brands of topical flea treatments. They all follow the same basic principle. An active ingredient that targets and destroys fleas is held in a carrier liquid (usually oil based). You apply this liquid to the skin of your cat, and then the cats own body redistributes the flea medicine to cover all the skin.

There have been a few concerns over the last few years regarding topical flea treatments for cats. The key is to ensure you are using a product that has a good safety record and little chance of side effects. Choosing modern products that do not use organophosphates will keep your cat flea free and safe. The mildest long lasting products are Frontline and Advantage flea drops. The second point is to ensure you use product designed for cats and for the weight range of your pet. Most problems associated with topical treatments are due to pet owners using dog treatments on cats. The products are different and should not be used interchangeably unless (as in the case of Revolution for Puppies and Kittens, the packaging actually states it is multi-use.

Most topical flea treatments will control fleas at multiple stages of their life-cycle so giving better overall protection from the pests. All good cat flea drops remain active for at least 30 days, so used each month they offer long-lasting flea control.

There are a few very cheap topical flea products available over the counter. They can be effective in certain circumstances. The cheapest is very mild and safe but only targets juvenile fleas. This is perfectly adequate and indeed a good idea, if you are also using a product to combat adult fleas. Otherwise you may well find your cat stil infested with fleas for some time to come. These products are most useful for house cats that never meet new fleas. Once the juvenile fleas in and around your home are dealt with they should remain flea free for some time.

Using a wider ranging Topical Cat Flea Treatment such as Frontline Plus or Advantage for Cats is generally of more use to the average cat. New fleas at all stages of their lifecycle are destroyed, and in the case of Frontline, ticks are also controlled.