Over the past several years, companies such as Bayer have introduced two kinds of cat flea medicine that many veterinarians consider to be the most effective way to eliminate cat flea problems. The two types of cat flea medicine are oral medications and the topical or spot-on type.
The flea pills such as Program and Sentinel work by keeping the larva from emerging from the flea egg. Program is also available as an injectable medication for cats.
Some of these cat flea medications are by prescription only. Others are available over the counter. However, you should make sure you check with your veterinarian before using any of these on your cat. Only your vet can advise as to which of these cat flea medications would be best for you cat, given its age and condition.
Cat Flea Medicine Available Only By Prescription
Advantage Multi Flea and Tick Treatment for Cats
Advantage is a topical cat flea medicine that will protect your cat from heartworm, fleas and more. It contains
both Imidacloprid and Moxidectin for effective feline parasite control. Plus, it controls ear mites and will
rid your cat of roundworms and hookworms. Advantage Multi is a once-a-month prescription, which not only kills
fleas but also kills the larval stages of the heartworm. It is safe for cats and kittens over nine weeks of
age and that weigh at least two pounds. Its manufacturer says that Advantage Multi is a safe and effective way
to treat flea infestations, prevent heartworm disease, and control hookworm and roundworm infections.
Cost: $31.00
Revolution
Revolution - or selamectin - is a simple, safe, once-a-month topical (spot-on) flea treatment that will protect
your cat from heartworms, fleas and ear mites. It is a topical insecticide that will prevent fleas, ear mites,
hookworms and roundworms. It is for cats six weeks of age and older. Revolution is said to be safe and easy
to use.
Cost: $41.99 - $46.99
Over-The-Counter Cat Flea Medications
In addition to the cat flea treatments available by prescription only, there are also some that can be purchased over-the-counter. This includes:
Advantage
Advantage, like Revolution, is a topical flea killer for cats that you apply monthly. It is said to stop
biting fleas in three to five minutes and will start to kill adult fleas within an hour after you apply it.
Its manufacturer also says that it will kill 98% to 100% of fleas within 12 hours of application. Advantage
also remains effective even when your cat gets wet. Advantage is said by its manufacturer to be safe and easy
to apply and is a gentle and effective cat flea medicine.
Cost: $31.00
Program Tablets
This cat flea medicine controls fleas by preventing the development of flea eggs. It is available as beef
flavored, oral tablets. The manufacture of Program says it is 100% safe and effective for preventing and controlling
fleas. Plus, you can use it with other cat flea treatments. However, Program will not kill adult fleas. People
who use Program will also use a product called Capstar to kill adult fleas for a complete flea control program.
You give your cat Program once monthly. Program can be used with cats and kittens four weeks of age and older.
Cost: $45 -$ 47.99
Topical Cat Flea Treatments
Frontline Plus for Cats & Kittens
Frontline Plus is a cat flea medicine you give your cat monthly. It breaks the flea lifecycle and also controls
tick and chewing lice infestations. The manufacturer of this product says that Frontline Plus will kill adult
fleas, flea eggs and flea larvae for up to six weeks. It will kill ticks for at least one month. This means
that if you need to control ticks, you should apply this product monthly.
Cost: $38.99
Bio Spot® SPOT-ON Flea & Tick Control for Cats
This spot-on product is said to protect four ways. It controls adult fleas, ticks and mosquitoes; repels
mosquitoes and ticks that may carry Lyme disease; and prevents the development of all stages of the flea lifecycle.
Bio-Spot contains an insecticide that kills adult fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, plus it has an effective insect
growth regulator (IGR) that stops the mature fleas from developing. Each tube of Bio-Spot provides up to one
month of protection. It is easy to apply but should not be used on kittens that are less than 12 weeks of age.
Cost: 14.99
Frontline Flea & Tick Control
Frontline is an over-the-counter topical flea and tick medication that kills fleas and ticks in less than
48 hours. It will also protect against ticks that carry Lyme disease. Frontline contains fipronil, which spreads
throughout the cat's body oils, killing fleas within 24 hours and ticks within 48 hours. In fact, the ticks
are generally killed before they can bite your cat. This product is approved for use on kittens eight weeks
and older. Frontline also contains (S)-methoprene, an Insect Growth Regulator that prevents insects from maturing
or reproducing.
Cost: $37.99
Frontline Top Spot
The manufacture of this product says it provides convenient and effective flea and tick control for cats
and kittens. It is fast acting, long lasting and waterproof. Frontline Top Spot will prevent re-infestations,
is convenient to use, and controls fleas that might cause flea allergy dermatitis. It also kills all four types
of the major ticks, including those that may carry Lyme disease. It will also kill chewing lice. Top Spot can
be used on cats and kittens that are 12 weeks of age and older.
Cost: $27.00
Hartz UltraGuard® Plus® Drops for Cats
This spot-on cat flea medicine is a monthly treatment that kills fleas, ticks and flea eggs. It will also
kill mosquitoes for up to one month. Hartz UltraGuard is a safe, quick acting, long-lasting way to protect your
cat not just from fleas but also the deer ticks that might transmit Lyme disease. It is a monthly treatment
that kills flea eggs for up to 30 days. Hartz UltraGuard does this for up to 30 days by stopping the flea lifecycle
and preventing re-infestation. Hartz UltraGuard should not be used on kittens less than eight weeks old.
Cost: $13.02 - $13.42
Capstar Tablets For Cats
Capstar tablets are unique in that they kill adult fleas with just a single dose. You can use it with cats
and any kittens over four weeks old for optimal flea control. Capstar starts killing adult fleas within 30 minutes
and lasts for 24 hours. You should use Capstar when your cat is most likely to be exposed to fleas. Capstar
is an excellent medicine for use in conjunction with those flea pills that do not kill adult fleas.
Cost: $17.99
How Effective Are Cat Flea Medicines?
These anti-flea pills and spot-on cat flea treatments are considered very, very effective for the prevention and elimination of fleas, ticks and other parasitic insects. Most veterinarians would undoubtedly rank them as the number one way to prevent a cat flea infestation.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cat Flea Medicines
The advantages of these cat flea medications are numerous. In the case of the oral cat flea medicines, one big advantage is that they are so easy to give your cat. You can either feed it to the cat orally or crush one of the pills and mix it with its food. The topical or spot-on cat flea medications are almost as easy to administer. All you do is part the hair around the your cat’s neck and put one or two drops on its skin. Another advantage of these cat flea medicines is that they only have to be applied once a month. Plus, most of them will both kill adult fleas and prevent further infestations.
The only major disadvantage of cat flea medicine is the cost. Cat flea medications cost more than the simpler solutions, such as flea shampoos and flea collars. However, they have so many advantages and do such a great job of protecting the cat that the increased cost would seem to be worth it.
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