The best flea medicine is referring to cat flea drops that are applied to the skin of the cat between the shoulder blades or a cat flea pill or tablet. Both are forms of medicine that either kill or repel fleas from cats.
This article is primarily about cat flea drops. If you are looking for a cat flea pill or tablet, this is a link to the article that reviews cat flea tablets and provides more information.
The Best Flea Medicine For Cats
Cat Flea Drops also called Topical Flea Treatment
For fast acting, long lasting results and an easy and convenient application you hands down can’t beat the cat flea drops. They are applied once per month. The drops really are the gold standard.
Cat Flea Drops – How Do They Work?
The topical drops last one month, although some manufacturers will say that the protection does last a bit longer than one month. We have always found that it is pretty well spot on a month and then more drops need to be applied.
The applicator makes these drops easy to apply.
It is just a matter of snapping off the top or sometimes cutting the top, parting kitties fur between the shoulder blades and squeezing the applicator gently to distribute the product.
You will become a pro at doing this. The cat cannot reach around to lick the product, however, if possible, just keep kitty quiet for a minute or two until the product dries.
If your kitty is like many and has already headed for the hills as soon as the application is done, well there’s nothing you can do about that. The product does fortunately dry very quickly.
This is the best flea medicine for cats, it is popular because it Works, it is Easy to Apply and the once a month application is appealing.
There are always exceptions and sometimes a cat may have an allergy to a product, so keep this in mind when using a new product. Observe your cat to make sure all is okay.
If you suspect there is an allergy a visit to the vet for medical advice will be necessary.
| 1. Frontline Plus For Cats – Active ingredients – Fipronil (S)-Methoprene |
| 2. Advantage Flea Control For Cats – Active ingredients – Imidacloprid Pyripoxyfen |
| 3. Sentry Fiproguard Plus For Cats – Active ingredients – Fipronil (S)-Methoprene |
| 4.TevraPet Actispot II Flea Treatment for Cats Active ingredients – Imidacloprid Pyripoxyfen |
| 5.Cheristin Flea Spot Treatment for Cats Active ingredients – Spinetoram and Other Ingredients |
| Active Ingredients In Spot On Treatments |
Best Flea Medicine For Cats Reviews
1. Frontline Plus For Cats
Frontline is suitable for cats and also kittens over eight weeks old and weighing more than 1.5 lbs.
This product kills fleas, flea eggs & larvae, ticks and chewing lice. It also kills the ticks that may transmit Lyme disease. Apply to the skin between the shoulder blades. Part the cat’s hair before applying.
The two ingredients that work so efficiently are fipronil and (S)-methoprene – one to kill adult fleas and ticks and the second to kill flea eggs and larvae. We have used this product for years and it reliably performs well. The only exception is forgetting to reapply and that is human problem.
As a dosing reminder, Frontline comes with six small stickers that can be attached to the calendar on a particular day of the month as a reminder to dose the cat. Now if someone would remind me to use the reminder stickers!
If you would like more information about the chemicals used and exactly how they work this is a detailed article from a veterinary perspective.
Read the safety information. Scroll right down the page, past the video section until you reach Important Information. That is where the safety information is located.
Pros
This is a waterproof treatment.
It starts to work quickly.
Cons
Check your package for a use by date. With this product there should NOT be a use by date. If there is contact the seller or return for a refund.
Fleas may build a resistance to this product.
Specifications
The treatment is topical flea drops. This flea treatment is available in a 3 count (dose), a 6count (dose) and an 8 count (dose) pack. The active ingredients are fipronil 9.8%, (S)-methoprene 11.8%. Inactive Ingredients compromise 78.4% of the product.
Put a cat flea collar on once and forget about fleas for 8 months. It has got appeal for convenience with good results.
2. Advantage Flea Control for Cats
This treatment is also applied topically in the same manner as Frontline. You may need to set up your own testing regime to see what works best for your cat. The active ingredients in each are different. Check the Specifications.
It works successfully on indoor and outdoor cats. It is applied once a month which is the same protocol as other treatments of this type.
Indoor cats can still get fleas as the fleas come inside the house. This product stops fleas feeding within minutes and kills adult fleas and larvae.
It is water resistant but don’t apply it if the cat is wet.
The treatment shown in the image is for cats over 9 lb as you can tell by the purple tag in the top right of the packaging.
Pros
This product works on contact so fleas do not have to actually bite, resulting in fewer flea bites on the cat.
Cons
Once possible side effect recorded, is loss of hair at the site of application. This does happen occasionally and is reported as usually being a single occurrence with the hair regrowing.
Specifications
This is a topical spot on treatment like Frontline Plus but it has different active ingredients. The active ingredients in this product are 9.1% Imidacloprid and 0.46%Pyripoxyfen. Different treatments are also available for cats of different weights as shown here for kittens 2-5 lbs, cats 5-9 lbs and cats over 9lbs.In addition these treatments can be purchased in 1 dose, 2 doses, 4 doses and 6 doses. That covers all options and gives you the choice to try a 2 dose pack if this is a product you haven’t tried before and want to give it a go.
If you have a kitten, you need to consider the dosage and type of flea treatment. This article gives more information about fighting fleas on kittens.
3. Sentry Fiproguard Plus For Cats
Kills fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks and chewing lice for up to 30 days. Also kills ticks that may transmit Lyme disease.
The solution is waterproof and suitable for cats over 8 weeks of age or weighing 1.5 pounds or more. Weigh your cat before purchasing if you are not sure of the cat’s weight.
Do not treat with more than one pesticide product at a time, so don’t use this product at the same time as using a flea collar.
This treatment can be used on pregnant and nursing cats.
Pros and Cons
As with any flea product, there are cat owners this worked well for and others that didn’t. Sometimes the variables are hard to measure. The location of where you live may be a factor, if fleas have built a tolerance to the product. Without scientific testing and comparisons this is just hearsay but it could also be reasonable advice. Another factor is that some flea seasons are worse than others and this is something that can’t be controlled. You may want to consider using a different method of flea control if our usual method is not working so well now.
Specifications
This is a topical spot on treatment. The active ingredients are Methoprene and Fipronil which is the same as Frontline Plus. There are 6 applications in the product on this page. That is 6 months worth of flea treatment as each dose lasts for one month.
4.TevraPet Actispot II Flea Treatment for Cats
Tevrapet is a topical treatment. It is waterproof. It kills fleas, flea eggs and flea larvae for up to 30 days. Tevrapet breaks the lifecycle of fleas.
The product is applied in the same manner as the other topical treatments reviewed on this page. There is an explanation of how to apply the drops at the beginning of the article.
Cats must be 5lbs or over to use this product.
Pros
It starts to killing fleas within 24 hours but starts repelling fleas immediately.
This is a god budget option using the same ingredients as Advantage II.
Cons
Ensure that the product is applied as directed where the cat cannot lick the product.
Specifications
The active ingredients are Imidacloprid and Pyriproxyfen – the same as Advantage II. The product is made in the USA. Each package comes with 6 topical applications. Note: There are two products, one for Medium cats, 5-9lbs and one for Large cats over 9 lbs.
5. Cheristin Flea Spot Treatment for Cats
For use on kittens 8 weeks or over and weighing 1.8 pounds or over.
Six topical applicators are included for a 6 month supply. It starts killing fleas in 30 minutes. Spinetoram, starts killing fleas in just 30 minutes and remains effective for up to 6 weeks to keep your cat protected from fleas, although monthly application is recommended.
It is worthwhile reading the mostly positive reviews and comments made by cat owners all of whom have a personal point of view and live in many different locations throughout the US.
Pros
Quick drying and not greasy.
No prescription needed.
The applicator can get right down to the skin.
Cons
If you have multiple cats do not allow them to groom each other until the product has dried.
Specifications
The doses are available in different packs, a 1 dose (one month supply), a 3 dose (3 months supply) and a 6 dose (6 months supply). The active ingredients are Spinetoram 11.2% Other Ingredients: 88.8%.
For your information the side effects are listed here. Always observe your cat after application. “Side effects may include application site reactions such as hair loss, hair change (greasy, clumping or matting) or redness, inflammation and itching. Other side effects such as inactivity, vomiting and loss of appetite have also been reported.”
Using cat flea shampoo is a good solid solution when you need instant results. The results will depend on how well you are able to shampoo our cat. Following up with a flea combing and a flea spray will help to ensure success.
Our Recommendation is…
#1. Frontline Plus For Cats
For the gold standard in cat flea drops we recommend we recommend Frontline Plus.
This treatment kills adult fleas and ticks plus flea eggs, larvae and chewing lice for up to three months. This is a veterinarian recommended treatment.
- Age Range: All Stages
- Flea, flea egg, lice, and tick control for cats and kittens
Cat flea spray is useful when a flea infestation is discovered and you need to take action immediately for the cat’s comfort.
Active Ingredients in Cat Flea Treatments
When reading the ingredients in cat flea spot on treatments, you will see that often, either Fipronil and Imidacloprid are used. When comparing cat flea products and how effective they are for your situation, it is worth taking the time to see what the active ingredients are in the product you have chosen.
This quote, ” The study presented here confirmed that imidacloprid provides high and early efficacy. Six hours after treatment, flea counts in the imidacloprid group were already reduced by more than 60%” comes from this study.
This article is like an FAQ of some of the ingredients that you may see listed in flea products for cats and dogs. It is a useful reference.
How To Apply Cat Flea Drops
This is a particularly good video showing how to apply Frontline Plus. It is being applied to a dog however the same method applies to a cat.
This video shows very clearly how to part the fur and how to place the product from the pipette onto the skin. Do this as shown because the formula is stored in the oil glands of the cat’s skin.
It is a very simple procedure, however you know your kitty the best, so it may be a two person job, to make sure it is applied correctly.
Why Use Cat Flea Tablets?
Flea medicine can also refer to flea medication that is taken orally as tablets. Instead of applying drops, using a flea collar or flea powder or flea spray this medication is in tablet form. Normally it is a one off treatment that effectively treats a flea infestation.
How To Check Your Cat For Fleas
The cat can have a flea infestation and may not necessarily be scratching madly all the time. Although scratching is the most obvious sign of fleas, it is essential to actually check for fleas on a regular basis.
The Best Flea Medicine For cats
Frontline Plus For Cats
Kills fleas, flea eggs & larvae, ticks and chewing lice.
This is a waterproof treatment.
For cats and also kittens over eight weeks old and weighing more than 1.5 lbs.
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