Summer for most of the US means tick season. If you are not familiar with ticks, they are blood-sucking insects. In fact, one of the most disgusting things you can see is a tick with its head buried in your skin, feasting on your blood, and slowly growing larger and larger like a tiny balloon.
The bad news is that your cat can also fall victim to a tick bite.
The way that your cat gets a tick is much different than how it gets fleas. In the case of fleas, your cat picks up flea eggs, which will eventually mature into adults. In comparison, your cat doesn’t contract a tick egg. It will pick up one of these blood-feeding parasites when sitting or lying on the ground or scraping against a plant or bush.
A tick will generally drop-off after it has filled up on your cat’s blood. In some cases, the tick will continue to feed on your cat’s blood for several days.
Ticks are not just a threat to your cat. They can carry diseases such as Lyme disease, Southern tick-associated rash illness, tick-borne relapsing fever, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, and Tularemia.
Should You Use A Cat Flea and Tick Treatment?
Ticks do not pose the same threat to your cat as fleas. But the good news is that it’s easy to treat your cat for ticks at the same time you treat it for fleas. This is because there are many combination products available – that is, shampoos, sprays, etc. that will treat your cat for both fleas and ticks simultaneously.
Be sure to consult with your veterinarian before you use any of these treatments. He or she is best qualified to recommend a flea and tick treatment that would be best for your cat, depending on its weight, age and general physical condition.
Here our some of the more popular combination cat flea and tick treatment options.
Flea and Tick Collars
Hartz® UltraGuard Plus® Flea & Tick Collar for Cats and Kittens with Reflect-X Shield™
Cost: $8.99
Bio Spot Flea & Tick Collar For Cats & Kittens
Cost: $8.49
Flea and Tick Shampoos
Doctors Foster and Smith Advanced Formula Flea and Tick Shampoo for Cats
Cost: $5.59
Hartz UlraGuard Flea & Tick Shampoo
Cost: $11.95
Flea and Tick Shampoos
Sentry Natural Defense Flea & Tick Powder For Cats & Kittens
Cost: $9.89
Sergeant’s Nature’s Guardian Natural Flea & Tick Powder for Cats & Kittens
Cost: $4.09
Flea and Tick Oral Pills
Frontline Plus for Cats & Kittens
Cost: $38.99
Flea and Tick Spot-on or Topical Medicines
Bio Spot® SPOT-ON Flea & Tick Control for Cats
Cost: $14.99
Frontline Top Spot
Cost: $27.00
How Effective Is A Cat Flea And Tick Treatment?
All of these combination products are effective for treating both cat fleas and ticks. But the shampoos and powders protect your cat against further infestations for only about a week.
In comparison, flea and tick collars are also very effective and will protect your cat is against fleas and ticks for several months. However, some cat owners will not use these collars because they contain harsh chemicals that could actually harm your cat.
Most veterinarians recommend the oral pills and topical medications as best for treating and protecting your cat from fleas and ticks. They are easy to give your cat and provide longer-lasting protection – usually for 30 days. This means that instead of having to shampoo your cat or dust it with powder almost every week, you just treat a once a month.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cat Flea And Tick Treatments
Generally speaking, there is no disadvantage to using a combination flea and tick treatment on your cat. However, several of the specific types of products have disadvantages. As noted above, the disadvantage of the shampoos and powders is that they are effective for only about a week. The disadvantage of the flea collars is the harsh chemicals they contain. The main disadvantage to the oral pills and topical treatments is they are a more expensive treatment option.
The advantage of these combination products is clear. Just one cat flea and tick treatment will protect your cat against both fleas and ticks – in some cases for as long as a month.
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