Fleas – Disease causing ectoparasites
When you look at the new feline addition to your home, it’s hard to imagine that it could have anything like fleas. Unfortunately, it’s not unheard of for a very young kitten to have fleas; it all very much depends upon the environment in which it lived before you brought it to live with you. For example, if the mother cat had fleas, then there’s a huge possibility that all the kittens will have fleas. Another pet in the home such as another cat, or dog, then again, there’s a possibility that even though the mother cat wasn’t allowed out while she was nursing her kittens, fleas were brought in by the other pets. Even humans can bring fleas into a home on their shoes or clothes.
Fleas are something you will eventually have to deal with if you have cats at one time or another. But don’t fret; there are several brands of treatments that are available. They all work well at ridding your precious pet from these dastardly Ectoparasites. The main brands are Frontline, Frontline Plus, Advantage, Advantage Multi cat and Revolution. These products spread over the pet’s body by a process called translocation. Meaning they spread through the skin.
Do not use over the counter medications that you can get in pet shops like Spot On or Hartz. They have killed many cats. They are not safe. I will provide links below to buy the proper treatments.
Not only will these topical treatments kill the fleas on your cat, they will also rid your entire house of them over a few weeks. They have been proven very safe for you cat and I could not live without them. The vials are premeasured and you just apply the vial that is appropriate to the size of your cat to its skin at the back of the neck.
These treatments will start working as soon as you apply them and provide your cat with a month of comfort. If you have even been bitten by a flea, you will know how much it itches. Usually within 12 hours, they will be dead.
They can also be used safely on kittens 8 weeks of age or older. If they get wet or need bathed, no need to worry, they are also water resistant.
These topical medications often will also kill the larvae, preventing them from hatching. If they do hatch, they will be dead in no time.
These products are a great benefit to your cat and it very important not to neglect to apply them. These treatments are gradually dispersed by the pet’s natural oils, collecting in the oil glands in the skin. It is then absorbed onto the hair. The translocation process can take up to 24 hours to complete.
Here are a few of the topical flea treatments available. I will update this list as I continue researching and updating this article.
Frontline ® – Active ingredient is fipronil — Fleas and ticks do not even have to bite your pet for Frontline to work. Fleas and ticks will die if they simply come into contact with your pet’s hair coat.
Frontline Plus ® – Active ingredients are Fipronil 9.8% + (S)-methoprene 11.8% — This medication will kill both ticks and fleas with a once per month treatment. It will inhibit the central nervous system of the flea, causing death. It will also stop the production of eggs.
Advantage ® – Active ingredient is imidacloprid 9.1% — It is safe for use on pregnant and lactating cats and kittens 8 weeks or older. It is the top flea product used by breeders.
Advantage Multi Cat ® – Active ingredient is imidacloprid + moxidectin — Used to prevent heartworms, kill fleas and ear mites and to control round worm and hook worm infestations. You can only buy this from a veterinarian at the moment.
Revolution ® – Active ingredient is selamectin — Used to prevent heartworms, kill fleas and ear mites and to control round worm and hook worm infestations.