Best Flea Remedies for Cats

Fleas cause in cats not only pain and itching from bites. Blood-sucking insects can be carriers of many diseases, including helminthiases, skin diseases, fungal infections or hemobartenellosis. Therefore, flea drops for cats, reviews of which help to choose the best, are an effective tool in the fight against insects.

Used insecticides and their characteristics

Flea remedies for cats contain one or more insecticides that belong to hazard class 3-4 - they are not dangerous for warm-blooded animals, but deadly for insects. The products are not toxic to adult cats and are safe for kittens if the instructions and dosage are strictly followed. The most used classes of insecticides and acaricides include:

• Permethrin - refers to the group of pyrethroids and paralyzing effect on fleas, lice, ticks. Through the skin, only 2% of the substance penetrates into the blood, which in the body breaks down to inactive metabolites and is excreted in the urine. The effect of a single application persists for 2-3 weeks and depends on the form of release of the drugs.
• Fipronil is a contact insecticide of the phenylpyrazole group. It has a wide range of effects in relation to blood-sucking arthropods - fleas, lice, scabies and ixodidae ticks , beetle eaters, mosquitoes. When applied to the skin of cats, it almost does not penetrate the bloodstream, but accumulates in the upper layer of the epidermis, hair follicles, sebaceous glands. It has a damaging effect on insects for 1.5-2 months. Validity depends on the type of blood-sucking insects. The substance prevents the transition of juvenile forms of insects into adulthood.
• Pyriproxyphene is an effective insecticide that is part of the sprays, drops and formulations in collars from fleas, ticks, lice, and lice eaters. The substance is an analogue of juvenile hormone, which affects the development of insects, including fleas. Collars for cats can be used for both adult animals and kittens.
• Ivermectin is a drug that acts on many endo- and exoparasites. An ivermectin aqueous solution is approved for the treatment of helminthiases in humans, removes subcutaneous larvae of gadflies, and effectively destroys bloodsucker, ticks, fleas, lice. The drug is a derivative of streptomycetes and is a semi-synthetic agent with a minimum of contraindications.

On a note!

Often, owners of cats in order to save treat their animals with drugs in an amount less than indicated in the instructions. As a result, arthropods “get sick”, but do not die, producing insecticide-resistant offspring. Therefore, more than 50 species of insect pests have a reduced sensitivity to many groups of poisons.

Flea remedies in cats contain one or more of the following substances that enhance each other's action. In addition, synergists are introduced into the preparations - substances that inhibit the enzymes of fleas and other insects that are responsible for the development of resistance.

The use of deltamethrin in drops and sprays provides an instant repellent (repelling) effect.

Increasingly, insecticides of the avermectin group are used in the preparations - substances produced on the basis of the vital products of some strains of streptomycetes. So flea spray for Feline cats, Drops Inspector and Fiprex, as well as IN-AP Complex for cats and dogs contain a derivative of avermectins.

List and summary of flea drops

The best flea remedy for cats can be selected from the following drugs:

1. Beaphar - the products of this Dutch company have an excellent effect in the fight against blood-sucking insects. Developed Beaphar drops for kittens can be used no earlier than 6 weeks of age. BIO drops are completely natural, as they consist of feverfew and margose extract. The remedy is valid for a month. Flea Drops protect the cat from fleas for 3 weeks, and are used as a second-stage preparation in the 4-stage program for protecting cats from ectoparasites and contain diazinon. Caniguard Spot On - includes permethrin and protects animals for 5 weeks from infection with fleas.
2. Hartz– flea droplets for cats made in the USA, destroy parasites at all stages of development of cats cannot be processed.
3. Adventage - the drug is applied to kittens only from two months of age. The safe formula of the active substance - imidacloprid, allows you to use the drug even during pregnancy. German quality from Bayer guarantees the effectiveness of the drug for 4 weeks after a single use. After application for 2 days, drops destroy up to 98% of fleas. It has protective properties.

   

4. Leopard forte - A domestic preparation for blood-sucking insects, which successfully combines efficiency, safety and low price. The insecticides included: fipronil, dicarboximide, diflubenzuron, are active against larvae and adults.
5. Dana - The best domestic drops in which the active substance is enhanced by the action of synergists. Dana is active against adults and insect larvae. Processing can be carried out only 1 time per month. The medicine contains diazolin and despite the safety of the substance, drops are not recommended for kittens up to 10 weeks and pregnant cats.
6. Frontline - A high-quality flea medication, manufactured by the French company Merial in the form of drops and spray. The active substance is fipronil, which is safe for warm-blooded animals. A cat without consequences can lick 320 mg drops. Frontline protects for 8 weeks, does not penetrate the blood, therefore it is allowed to get rid of fleas of pregnant and lactating cats, as well as kittens from birth. For complete disposal, it is enough to use the drug once every 60 days.
7. Stronghold - drops contain the substance selamectin, which is well tolerated by pregnant and lactating females.

The list includes the most popular and effective drugs in different price categories. But in order for the medicines to be safe, it is necessary to take into account the age and weight of the pet. Which drops can be better solved only by comparing the results. Veterinarians advise alternating drops after 4-5 applications. When choosing funds from blood-sucking insects, it is not out of place to analyze the reviews of veterinarians and cat breeders.

Rules for the use of drops

Drops from fleas for cats, cats and kittens should be dripped at the withers of the animal (between the shoulder blades) or where the feline nape ends to prevent licking of the drug. Some are applied along the spine, increasing the area of ​​impact.

For greater contact, the hair at the withers is parted, a few drops, according to the instructions for use, are applied to the skin and rubbed. In order for the drug to act as long as possible, it is necessary to exclude wetting of the coat, so the animal should not be washed for 2-3 days.

The amount of active ingredient in drops for adult cats can cause intoxication or an allergic reaction in kittens, so special drops are developed for kittens. Before purchasing the drug, you need to carefully read the instructions and choose the funds in accordance with the age and condition of the animal.

Often, a good flea remedy for cats cannot be used to treat debilitated, sick, or pregnant animals.

Interesting!

In cats, dogs and many small animals, body temperature is 1-2 degrees higher than in humans, so fleas are more likely to parasitize on pets. This feature was used by ladies in the Middle Ages. To get rid of fleas, noble beauties carried various small animals on their hands. “Lady with an Ermine” by Leonardo da Vinci, “Portrait of a Lady with a Small Dog” Lorenzo depicts precisely such lovely women.

Do not worry if the cat could lick drops, their composition is not enough insecticide to cause serious harm to a healthy animal. However, when licking kittens treated with the drug from fleas, so many toxic substances can accumulate in the female body that poisoning will occur. Therefore, flea drops for kittens are not recommended for use while kittens are with their mother.

In isolated cases, funds from blood-sucking insects can provoke an allergic reaction, accompanied by itching, drying out of the skin, hair loss or dermatitis. The severity of allergies depends on the individual predisposition or sensitivity of the animal, so before applying, you can conduct a skin test to make sure that there is no reaction.

Personal safety when using drops

For the safety of the pet and the owner, you must follow the rules:

• carry out processing only with gloves;
• do not eat or drink, do not smoke during the treatment procedure;
• avoid contact with the treated cat of children and other animals during the day;
• after applying the drops, hands should be thoroughly washed with any detergent;
• insecticides, upon contact with the mucous membranes, cause irritation, if drops accidentally fall on the nose or mouth, the eyes of the pet, then you need to rinse the product with plenty of water;
• with the manifestation of signs of overdose (nausea, salivation, convulsions, vomiting), the drops are washed off and turned to the veterinarian for help.

To completely get rid of fleas, you need to not only free the cat from them, but also treat all pets an apartment and sleeping place of an animal.

Reviews about the drops are positive. Each owner of the animal chooses the drug, guided by the individual reaction of the pet. Reviews of sprays are also good, as firms create drops and sprays based on the same formula.

Reviews

I began to withdraw fleas from my cat with domestic drops of Bars. At first it seemed that the result from the processing was zero. Even after 3 days, bloodsuckers had fun running around the Coal. She was planning to go buy others, but the son said that he often saw the cat returning wet in the morning. Probably from dew on the grass. Here are the drops and washed off. After the re-processing and the cat was put under house arrest, the drops worked perfectly.

Marina, Bobruisk

It is very convenient to use drops from fleas and ticks. The pipettes are already filled with the desired dose, nothing needs to be measured, diluted. If you follow the instructions, then all the drops work fine. Used both imported and domestic, as I read that they need to be alternated periodically. There have never been any side effects. Fleas rained just hail.

Natalya I, Rostov

I'm a fan of Drops Front Line. How much I use - there has never been a misfire. Twice a year I apply droplets to my two cats and live quietly and peacefully all year - not a single bloodsucker bothers us.

Yana L., Brest