The 5 greatest flea therapies for cats of 2023, authorized by veterinarians

What to search for in cat flea drugs

When searching for flea remedy to your pet, we advocate evaluating them utilizing the identical requirements we utilized to our high picks. As all the time, it is best to speak to your vet earlier than starting any remedy.

Security and efficacy: The product needs to be FDA- or EPA-approved.

Variety of parasites handled: Flea preventives that deal with further parasites are perfect. Usually, the extra parasites a preventive product covers, the upper we rated it. Amongst our suggestions, the exceptions are Capstar, the one remedy out there for kittens youthful than 8 weeks, and our OTC choose, Frontline Plus, which treats fleas, ticks, and lice.

Ease of use: Search for merchandise which are straightforward to make use of. When evaluating two related merchandise, the best one to use could also be your greatest wager. For example, we ranked merchandise decrease if an individual should put on gloves to use the remedy or if youngsters and pets have to be avoided the handled animal for a specified time.

Minimal age and weight: Cats have to be above a minimal age and weight to make use of flea drugs. For that reason, there are fewer choices for younger kittens.

Prescription vs. OTC: Some flea management merchandise can be found over-the-counter, whereas a veterinarian should prescribe different merchandise. Prescription flea management merchandise are often costlier than OTC choices as a result of they shield in opposition to extra parasites, most significantly, lethal heartworms. 

There isn’t a remedy for cats with grownup heartworms, and they’re going to finally die from the an infection. Veterinarians advocate utilizing a year-round heartworm preventive for all cats, whether or not they reside indoors or out. In addition they advocate year-round intestinal parasite prevention. For these causes, prescription flea management merchandise that forestall heartworms and different parasites are your best option to your cat. The extra parasites you’ll be able to forestall with one remedy, the higher off your cat can be. 

You should purchase prescription medicines out of your vet or at on-line pet shops like Chewy, Petco, Petsmart, and Walmart PetRx.

Kinds of flea and tick drugs: There are numerous drugs, together with topical, oral, collars, shampoos, and sprays. They differ by value, comfort, ease of use, and effectiveness. Your vet may also help you select the perfect kind to your cat. 

• Topical preventives, usually known as “spot-on,” kill fleas and forestall flea infestations.
• Oral flea management merchandise, or “flea drugs,” are given to a cat by mouth to kill fleas and forestall fleas. 
• Flea collars ship remedy to a cat’s pores and skin and coat. 
• Flea sprays are utilized to the pores and skin and coat; we don’t advocate them as a result of topical and oral merchandise are simpler. 
• Flea shampoos kill fleas which are at the moment in your cat, however topical and oral flea management merchandise are far simpler. Some flea shampoos are even dangerous to cats since many include pyrethrins.  “These days, flea shampoos are hardly ever if ever wanted as a result of the topical and oral flea merchandise are way more efficient and safer,” Sawyer says. “For flea-infested animals, we usually give a fast-acting oral product similar to nitenpyram [Capstar] and comply with with a shower in Daybreak dish detergent or one other delicate cat shampoo. You should utilize a flea comb to help in eradicating lifeless fleas and flea filth [flea feces].”

Pure vs. artificial: All three veterinarians we consulted don’t advocate pure merchandise, as they don’t work almost in addition to topical and oral flea management merchandise. “They’re simply not confirmed to be actually efficient,” says Bourgeois. “My greatest concern with pure merchandise is, even when they’re secure, if they don’t seem to be efficient, that is not serving to our pets.” For those who’re contemplating utilizing pure flea management merchandise that include important oils, train warning as a result of some important oils could be poisonous to cats.