How to remove fleas from a cat: quickly and effectively, review of products

If you decide to remove fleas from your cat, first of all you need to draw up a plan to combat adult insects and their eggs. The most effective are: drops, injections and flea collars. They have a strong and long-lasting effect, turning the cat into a biological weapon to combat fleas.

The mechanism of action is quite simple: a substance enters the blood of a kitten or cat that is poisonous for fleas and does not harm the cat itself. Having bitten a cat, a flea receives a lethal dose of poison, in addition, new generations of fleas hatched from eggs will also be poisoned. Thus, you are guaranteed to rid your cat or kitten of fleas for a long period of time.

As a rule, to get rid of fleas from a cat, you need to start with a thorough cleaning of the room.

Features of the insect

There are different types of fleas, and the choice of remedy depends on what type of insect you encounter. They are divided into:

• Mouse and rat;
• Dogs and cats;
• Sandy;
• Basement, earthen;
• Bedding.

We are interested in cat fleas. How are they different from others, what do they look like? Body length usually ranges between two and five millimeters. The exception is the fertilized female, its length can reach 15 mm. The dark brown body of the insect is densely covered with bristles, which make it easy to move along the animal’s fur.

The main difference between a cat flea and a dog or rat flea is the flattened forehead and close-set eyes.

Why are fleas dangerous?

The main danger of fleas is not the inconvenience it brings to the animal, but the spread of infections. With its bites, a flea can transmit more than 200 types of dangerous diseases. Some of them are dangerous, including for people.
That is why you need to start fighting as soon as possible. The earlier you identify the parasite, the greater the chances of dealing with it with little blood.

Symptoms of infection

It is quite difficult to miss the moment of flea infestation: the animal immediately begins to show anxiety and itch. Swelling and red blisters appear at the bite sites. It’s easy to identify an infestation—just part the animal’s fur and carefully examine the skin. You can also find larvae when combing your pet.

Advantages and disadvantages

Insecticidal components are not absorbed into the blood, but remain in the sebaceous glands and hair follicles. Upon contact with a toxic substance, paralysis occurs and the insect dies within 10-15 minutes. The drops are irrigated onto the intact, dry skin of the withers, from where the pet cannot lick them off.

Flaws:

1. The liquid is also toxic to warm-blooded animals if it gets into the eyes or mucous membranes. The cat develops drooling, conjunctivitis, and vomiting.
2. You cannot treat several pets at once: they will lick the liquid from each other’s withers, become poisoned and be left without protection from attacks by fleas and ticks.
3. A nursing cat must be removed from the babies until the drops are absorbed. Most drugs remain toxic even after absorption.
4. After treatment, you need to protect the cat from getting wet. Children should not be allowed to pet the pet due to the risk of developing an allergic reaction.
5. The best drugs are expensive.

The advantages of insecticidal drops outweigh the disadvantages.

What are the types of flea treatments for cats?

A veterinarian can help you choose the right effective remedy. If you don’t have time to go to a specialist, you can try to figure it out on your own. Remedies for cat fleas are divided into 7 types:

1. Sprays;
2. Pills;
3. Drops;
4. Shampoos;
5. Collars;
6. Injections;
7. Powders.

It is impossible not to highlight folk remedies for which you do not need to buy anything.

Each type of medication has its own pros and cons, based on which you can choose a product individually for your cat.

Sprays

Sprays are sold in special bottles with spray nozzles. Apply the product evenly to the animal's fur, and after the spray has completely dried, comb the cat. It is important not to bathe your cat for two days before use and the same number after. It is advisable to temporarily limit the cat's contact with other animals.

Pills

The tablets act from the inside, so there are no restrictions on bathing and contact.
Despite the fact that drugs in this form have appeared on our market only recently, they are already in demand. The assortment is small. The most ideal option would be Comfortis tablets, suitable for both dogs and cats. The active substance (spinosad) is not toxic to animals. Side effects are completely excluded, provided that the dosage prescribed in the instructions is followed. The substance begins to act in 15-20 minutes, and is completely eliminated from the body after a week.

It is not advisable to repeat the appointment earlier than a month later. It is not recommended to use the tablets for pregnant, debilitated cats or for kittens under 3 months.

Drops

The main advantage of flea drops is that they act as both treatment and prevention. The effect of use usually lasts for a month, so they are convenient to use for animals walking on the street. The principle of application is simple: the number of drops specified in the instructions is applied to the animal’s withers.

It works almost instantly. A good choice would be “4 with a tail” drops, which protect against ticks and fleas. Frontline drops are widely used. They are also considered the best for controlling ticks, mosquitoes and even lice.

Shampoos

Shampoos are suitable only for those owners whose pets are not afraid of water. The product is applied to wet wool, rubbed in until foam appears, and washed off after a while (depending on the composition and indicated in the instructions).

Shampoos vary in degree of toxicity, for example, anti-flea “Leopard” is not dangerous at all, since it contains only herbal ingredients, but with shampoo “Lugovoy” you need to be more careful. It is important to protect the animal's eyes from contact with the product.

Collars

Flea collars are good because they also work to repel insects. They emit a scent that kills those fleas already on the skin and repels all others. The effectiveness of the collar lasts for 6-7 months, after which it needs to be changed. Pros: accessibility, budget, ease of use, efficiency. Cons: toxicity, unpleasant odor, allergic reactions are possible.

Injections

Despite the fact that injections must be done by a veterinarian, many choose them for disinfestation. The injections are effective, provide long-term protection, and also help against fleas and worms at the same time.

The drugs are highly toxic and can cause many side effects. It is recommended to use no more than once every 6 months. Incompatible with other flea products.

Powders

One of the few effective flea treatments that can be used on pregnant cats and even small kittens. Since the product consists of plant components, it is non-toxic and completely safe. Does not cause allergies. The most effective remedy is “Pussy” powder.

Folk remedies

You can remove fleas without resorting to dangerous and toxic chemicals. Traditional medicine will help with this. You need to be prepared for the fact that folk remedies are not so effective and require effort and time. The treatment must be repeated frequently. Most often, wormwood, garlic and essential oils are used to remove fleas.

• Sagebrush. Its smell effectively repels all blood-sucking parasites. To prepare the product you need 20 g of dry or 40 g of fresh leaves. They need to be filled with 500 ml of water and cooked for 15-20 minutes. The cooled mixture is applied to the entire coat. To completely get rid of it, it is worth treating the area and the pet’s bedding.
• Garlic. Fleas are afraid of garlic, which means that it can be used to remove them. 6-7 cloves are crushed and filled with water. Then you need to wait about 12 hours - the product is infused. Apply to the body only in those places that the animal cannot reach. Getting garlic into the gastrointestinal tract is harmful to a cat's health.

Risk factors

The fleas that infect cats live in the grass. From there they jump on warm-blooded animals and feed on their blood. These blood-sucking parasites live on all continents, even Antarctica. A cat can become infected with fleas at any time of the year.

It is important to remember the reasons why a cat is at risk of contracting parasites:

1. A cat that goes outside will definitely become infected with fleas. Therefore, you should not let your pet walk on its own.
2. Unlike cats, domestic dogs should be walked 2-3 times a day. If a dog brings fleas home, then all other animals will pick them up. All pets should be treated for fleas regularly.
3. A person can bring fleas into an apartment on his shoes or outerwear. Only regular treatment with anti-flea products will protect your pet.
4. If the cat already had fleas, but the owner did not treat the pet, then the parasites will soon appear again. Fleas lay eggs in animal fur. New parasites can hatch from these eggs at any time.
5. Fleas that have already entered the apartment will settle in the thick carpet. All carpets and cat beds should be thoroughly vacuumed.
6. Fleas multiply especially actively in the heat, so in the summer you will have to treat your cat several times.

Flea infestations often lead to serious complications that are detrimental to the health of cats. Flea bites always cause severe pain and excruciating itching, and also provoke the development of dangerous diseases.

Complications of flea bites:

• Anemia is a condition in which a cat does not have enough blood due to a large number of parasites. The level of hemoglobin in the blood is greatly reduced. It develops when cats are not treated for fleas. Street animals are most often affected. Very young kittens, as well as weakened, sick and elderly animals can die from anemia.
• Flea dermatitis is an allergic reaction to the saliva of parasites that enters the skin during a bite. The pet experiences severe skin irritation, so the cat constantly licks. Her hair falls out and her skin becomes crusty. Infection easily penetrates damaged skin, which can lead to blood poisoning.
• Infectious diseases - fleas can infect pets with bartonellosis or rickettsia.
• Tapeworms - by licking, a cat can swallow fleas infected with tapeworms. Because of this, worms will begin to multiply in the intestines, the pet’s well-being will worsen, and then it will have to be treated not only for fleas, but also for worms.

Parasites are especially dangerous for pregnant and lactating cats. Fleas can harm not only the mother, but also the future offspring. But during pregnancy and lactation, you cannot treat your cat with anti-flea agents, because they are toxic. Treatment must be carried out before mating.

Up to 200 fleas can live on one cat. A caring owner should treat pets for parasites 4 times a year - every 3 months. If your cat has fleas, you need to carry out additional treatment.

We recommend the article: How to help a cat if he is coughing as if he is choking?

How to detect parasites

Fleas in kittens can only be detected with careful examination or if there are too many parasites, but outwardly the baby may look quite healthy.

Characteristic signs of a kitten being infected with fleas:

1. The pet often itches, and he begins to do it very sharply.
2. Flea excrement in the form of small black particles or flea eggs can be found on the neck, ears and stomach.
3. Non-healing wounds and scratches appear on the animal’s skin.
4. The baby is inactive, weak, eats poorly, and loses weight.
5. Your pet's fur is falling out.
6. The pet sleeps very restlessly.

Important! In particularly advanced conditions, the baby may develop dermatitis, dermatophiliasis and other ulcerative skin lesions.

In what cases do veterinarians recommend using drip medications?

Applying drops to the withers against fleas for cats is practiced everywhere in veterinary medicine. Thanks to this form of the insecticide, it almost completely penetrates the skin. For example, a stream of spray is sprayed several centimeters around. In addition, it ends up on those parts of the animal’s body that it can lick. Therefore, veterinarians recommend using drops to treat young cats and kittens that are unable to remain still for even a few minutes.

Interesting! These medications are well suited for both short-haired and long-haired pets. The insecticide does not wet the hairs, but is absorbed directly into the skin. Since fleas feed on the animal’s blood, they will certainly be immobilized within 24 hours.

Reviews from veterinarians

N. G. Goryachev, veterinarian, Penza.

The high quality of drops for killing fleas has long been confirmed in practice. Cats tolerate them well due to gradual absorption into the bloodstream.

S. M. Klinyev, veterinarian, Voronezh.

I always prefer to prescribe drops to my pets. The therapeutic effect appears within an hour, and the result lasts for 2 months or more.

I.L. Doroshenko, veterinarian, Moscow.

Modern drops do not have the disadvantages of their predecessors. In my practice, there have been no cases where such remedies did not work and did not provide protection for the animal.