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Best Flea Treatment For Cats: 3 Options For Your Feline

Apr 26, 2021 by Nenitta Suzon

Fleas are a grave concern for cat owners, as they can latch onto your feline pretty quickly. An even more significant problem is that they'll spread throughout your home fast. Humans are not carriers for fleas because we do not have fur to make it easy for these pesky bugs to hide and breed. However, that doesn't mean they don't pose problems for humans.

They can carry deadly bacteria and tapeworms! If your cat has fleas, you might be wondering about what are some of the options for the best flea treatment for cats. Here's what you need to know on this subject!

Before We Look at the Best Flea Treatment for Cats

Before looking at the best flea treatment for cats, it's imperative first to analyze the best way to treat fleas: prevent them!

There are a few methods to prevent fleas in cats. The first one is to make your cat an indoor pet. To get fleas, they need to pick fleas up from somewhere. While not guaranteed to make your cat never have fleas, keeping them indoors reduces the chances of an outbreak significantly!

Additionally, many flea prevention products out there will minimize or eliminate the chance of this happening. Bravecto for cats works well. They offer both topical and oral chew options depending on what works best for your cat. There are other topical, shampoo, oral medications, and even flea collars available for purchase.

If you want to guard against fleas (and prevention is the best medicine!), the best thing to do is talk to your veterinarian. They can help you find the product that is best suited for your cat.

One of the Options for Best Flea Treatment for Cats: Topical Drops

Topical drops are one of the fastest and easiest ways to eliminate fleas from your cat.

The way topical drops work is quite fascinating. You apply them directly to your cat's skin (usually at the base of the neck). From there, the sebaceous glands absorb the active ingredient. The glands then pass it from one to another until it makes its way all over the skin. These glands are the ones that lubricate your cat's epidermis with oil, so in the process, it puts the active ingredient all over your cat's body.

That ingredient will attack the nervous system and cause them to be unable to feed. Without food, like all living things, they'll die off. The best part about this method as compared to other methods is that it's relatively unintrusive. All you need to do is apply the drops to one area on your pet, and the entire skin receives the treatment! It's genuinely one of the easiest ways to get rid of fleas!

Another Technique: Use Specialty Shampoos

If your cat is averse to baths in general, this method may be complex. However, it is a great way to rid your kitten of fleas and flea larvae that may have found their way into their fur. To use the shampoo properly, make sure to follow the instructions on the product of choice to the letter. It's crucial that you ensure your cat receives the shampoo correctly, or else the product may not work.

Afterward, drain the bath, dry your kitten with a towel you aren't afraid to throw out (in case there are still some fleas or flea larvae on them), and inspect your cat's fur to see if any remain. Make sure to clean your bathtub after as well for good measure.

You may have to apply the shampoo multiple times. It's not uncommon to require more than one bath to rid your cat of fleas altogether!

Flea Sprays

Flea sprays are relatively straightforward and are easy to use. Just follow the directions to spray your cat and let the formula set in. Once you use the spray, make sure to check your cat for fleas. It may help to bathe your kitten following spray use to ensure you clean them of any dead fleas or flea larvae in their fur. It is worth noting that some cats don't like the feeling of the spray on them, so test it first and see how your feline reacts.

One beneficial aspect of flea sprays is that you can get these sprays for things other than your cat. You can get sprays to protect your furniture, your carpet, and more. With the right products, it's possible to not only rid your cat of fleas but also rid your entire home of these unwanted bugs!

Your Vet Is the Top Source for the Best Flea Treatment for Cats

Whether you're looking into cat flea prevention, cat flea removal, or want more answers about the nature of cat fleas and cat flea larvae, please contact your vet.

Vet-recommended flea treatment for cats is always your best option, as your vet will know your animal on a more personal level than almost any other online source. Your vet is a much-needed resource in these situations and will have the best flea treatment for cats!

How to get rid of fleas on cats?

There are three primary methods to remove fleas from cats: topical drops, flea spray, or bath. Most people find the best success from one of these methods, but there are others. If your cat has fleas, please contact your vet and see what methods they recommend!

Can humans get fleas from cats?

The simple answer to this question is no. Cat fleas and flea larvae do not and cannot live on humans and, as such, will not spread to or spread from humans. However, they will still try to bite and feed on humans, so it's not unusual to notice itching and red spots on your ankles, knees, or other areas of your legs.

What is flea dirt?

"Flea dirt" is essentially a bunch of small, black flakes that consist of flea blood and excrement. If your cat has fleas, you'll likely notice some flea dirt in different areas on their skin. If you suspect that your feline friend has flea dirt, consider running a comb through his or her fur - if you find black residue, that's likely flea dirt!