Safest flea treatment for young cat

[Mini8]

I currently have two 10 month old kittens who are indoor cats but I do like to take them outside around our property on leashes. We have over 20 acres and live in rural New England so there is lots of natural settings to explore with them. They love going outside although they have only gone out for a few minutes and stay close to our home. As the weather gets warmer I would like to take them out more frequently (on a leash) and therefore I know I will need to protect them with a flea and tick treatment.

I absolutely hate the idea of giving them this stuff because I know some cats can be sensitive to it. Yet I also know if I take them outside in a rural area like this I need to protect them.

My first question is from your experience what brand is the safest? Or are they all the same more or less? Also if they are on flea preventative can they still bring in fleas to the house? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[FeebysOwner]

I personally think the 'least harmful' flea treatment is Advantage II, but I don't think it works for ticks. The next 'least harmful' treatment, IMO, would be Frontline. Whether or not they can still bring fleas into the house pretty much depends on how well either of these treatments work in your area. Look them up on the internet for additional information.

 

[iPappy]

I'm with FeebysOwner , if I need to use old school flea prevention I go for Advantage II.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, another source would be Only Natural Pet's website

 

[jaxtabby]

Fleas are out of control here. Frontline no longer was killing the fleas on my three indoor tabbies so I tried the Frontline Gold and it does not kill the fleas either. For a few days it does drive their fleas down to the legs and feet but does not kill them.
Is Advantage still working. I used to use it long ago but it quit working. Does the Advantage II really work. Please help my three boys!

 

[jaxtabby]

 

[Furballsmom]

Please help my three boys!

Hi, take a look at the products on Only Natural Pet's website. I'm finding they work .

 

[iPappy]

Hi, take a look at the products on Only Natural Pet's website. I'm finding they work .

Furballsmom do you have any specific recommendations? I'm arming myself for what I'm sure will be a hellish flea season this summer/fall.

Fleas are out of control here. Frontline no longer was killing the fleas on my three indoor tabbies so I tried the Frontline Gold and it does not kill the fleas either. For a few days it does drive their fleas down to the legs and feet but does not kill them.
Is Advantage still working. I used to use it long ago but it quit working. Does the Advantage II really work. Please help my three boys!

Frontline doesn't do anything here either, but I used Advantage several years ago and it took care of the problem, but unfortunately it takes a few doses to wipe them out completely IME. Beautiful boys, btw!!


(Also, this is my first attempt at a "multi-quote" and reply, so I hope it comes through correctly.)

 

[Babypaws]

I went on the Only Natural Pet site and looked up the flea treatments which contain peppermint oI’ll, then looked up if peppermint oil is safe for cats, found several sites that said it wasn’t safe.
Is Peppermint Oil Safe for Cats? Or Is it lethal?

 

[jaxtabby]

I'm with FeebysOwner , if I need to use old school flea prevention I go for Advantage II.

‘I went out and bought the Advantage II for large cats at Pet Smart. I also ordered some from Amazon. PetSmart’ s price are outrageous! As I can get 6 doses at Amazon for the same price as 4 doses at PetSmart! I won’t be going there anymore but I wanted to get something now as my three boys are suffering and the Frontline Gold did not kill their fleas in 30 minutes as advertised, it did not kill them at all and just forced them down to their legs and feet where my poor cats are gnawing at their legs and feet. It hurts to watch them.

Have applied the Advantage II to all three and they are now sleeping peacefully. Hate stuff like this as it is me that brings the fleas home from the office where we are trying to get the fleas under control.

‘’’Thanks all for the help and information.

 

[Furballsmom]

do you have any specific recommendations?

I use the Easy Defense flea and tick spray.

went on the Only Natural Pet site and looked up the flea treatments which contain peppermint oil,

This is my personal opinion and not based on anything except reviews of products, reading other owners experiences and my own gut instinct, but I doubt it's any worse than the chemical stews that are in Revolution, Advantage, Frontline, Hartz et al.

In any case, whether it is or not, I won't have any of those commercial products in my house or on my animals if I have a choice in the matter.

When using the Only Natural Pet product, I spray the product onto one end of a paper towel, and I brush that part of the paper towel lightly across the fur on the back of the cat's neck, and it is effective

 

[NekoM]

I’ve used Vectra a couple of times in the past which is one of the newer ones, which doesn’t mean it’s any safer - you can’t really dress up chemical flea control, it’s a pesticide absorbed by the skin and metabolized out of the pores. The only advantage with the newer ones is fleas haven’t built up a resistance to it, so it’s easier to knock them out with one treatment and a home deep clean.

 

[NekoM]

I went on the Only Natural Pet site and looked up the flea treatments which contain peppermint oI’ll, then looked up if peppermint oil is safe for cats, found several sites that said it wasn’t safe.
Is Peppermint Oil Safe for Cats? Or Is it lethal?

There’s so much contradiction with essential oils out there. Veterinarians.org has a reliable listEssential Oils for Cats: Benefits, Risks, & Considerations

 

[moxiewild]

I currently have two 10 month old kittens who are indoor cats but I do like to take them outside around our property on leashes. We have over 20 acres and live in rural New England so there is lots of natural settings to explore with them. They love going outside although they have only gone out for a few minutes and stay close to our home. As the weather gets warmer I would like to take them out more frequently (on a leash) and therefore I know I will need to protect them with a flea and tick treatment.

I absolutely hate the idea of giving them this stuff because I know some cats can be sensitive to it. Yet I also know if I take them outside in a rural area like this I need to protect them.

My first question is from your experience what brand is the safest? Or are they all the same more or less? Also if they are on flea preventative can they still bring in fleas to the house? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Hey! I work in rescue, and I can tell you that Revolution Plus really is the gold standard for safety and efficacy. We use it for cats, dogs, opossums, squirrels, coyotes, big cats, etc.

Adverse reactions are extremely rare. In the nearly 10 years I’ve worked at the sanctuary, we’ve only seen two animals react, and it was only minor skin irritation for both, which is the most common side effect (of all topicals, really).

I’d very highly recommend it. There’s no need to be scared of the vet approved or prescribed topicals.

Just avoid OTC flea treatments - they are underregulated and under tested (if at all) for safety and efficacy. This goes for so-called “natural” treatments, as well. Cats are allergic or sensitive to an enormous amount of “natural” ingredients, and some are even toxic to them.

If you only take them out 2-3 times a week, you could also get away with just using Capstar on those days. It can be given with food or in a pill pocket, and it will kill all fleas on the cat within a 24 hour period. It can also be given alongside Revolution Plus and many other monthly treatments, just double check with the company first. It also has an excellent safety profile, and, like Revolution, we use it for dozens of species without issue.

Another more “mild” option is Program. This is another monthly option like Revolution, but can be given with food or a pill pocket like Capstar, and it can also be combined with Capstar. It doesn’t kill the fleas, but it does sterilize them, so they can’t take up residence in your house or on kitties.

A downside of Program and Capstar (used either together or on their own) is that they don’t take care of ticks. If you have a lot of trees on your property and/or live in an area with a lot of ticks, I would stick with Revolution (and use Capstar on the days they go out if you want extra protection, especially during summer).

Revolution, Program, and Capstar all require vet prescription. Although the generic versions of Program and Capstar can be found if you know where to look, and are much cheaper than the name brand you get through the vet. If you’re interested in the generics, feel free to DM me for the website.

Also, steer clear of flea collars!

You might also consider releasing a ton of beneficial nemotodes around your property! I think it would still be fairly inexpensive with how much property you have. Just make sure they are a species that specifically predate on fleas.

 

[Mini8]

Hey! I work in rescue, and I can tell you that Revolution Plus really is the gold standard for safety and efficacy. We use it for cats, dogs, opossums, squirrels, coyotes, big cats, etc.

Adverse reactions are extremely rare. In the nearly 10 years I’ve worked at the sanctuary, we’ve only seen two animals react, and it was only minor skin irritation for both, which is the most common side effect (of all topicals, really).

I’d very highly recommend it. There’s no need to be scared of the vet approved or prescribed topicals.

Just avoid OTC flea treatments - they are underregulated and under tested (if at all) for safety and efficacy. This goes for so-called “natural” treatments, as well. Cats are allergic or sensitive to an enormous amount of “natural” ingredients, and some are even toxic to them.

If you only take them out 2-3 times a week, you could also get away with just using Capstar on those days. It can be given with food or in a pill pocket, and it will kill all fleas on the cat within a 24 hour period. It can also be given alongside Revolution Plus and many other monthly treatments, just double check with the company first. It also has an excellent safety profile, and, like Revolution, we use it for dozens of species without issue.

Another more “mild” option is Program. This is another monthly option like Revolution, but can be given with food or a pill pocket like Capstar, and it can also be combined with Capstar. It doesn’t kill the fleas, but it does sterilize them, so they can’t take up residence in your house or on kitties.

A downside of Program and Capstar (used either together or on their own) is that they don’t take care of ticks. If you have a lot of trees on your property and/or live in an area with a lot of ticks, I would stick with Revolution (and use Capstar on the days they go out if you want extra protection, especially during summer).

Revolution, Program, and Capstar all require vet prescription. Although the generic versions of Program and Capstar can be found if you know where to look, and are much cheaper than the name brand you get through the vet. If you’re interested in the generics, feel free to DM me for the website.

Also, steer clear of flea collars!

You might also consider releasing a ton of beneficial nemotodes around your property! I think it would still be fairly inexpensive with how much property you have. Just make sure they are a species that specifically predate on fleas.

Thanks so much for this super helpful information!