Oral Flea Medication For Cats

How Can I Kill Fleas On My Cat

Several factors must be considered before deciding which type of flea treatment for cats will work best in a given situation, including effectiveness, safety, cost, potential side effects, and formulation.

The most effective flea control products will contain an adulticide or an insect growth regulator that sterilizes flea eggs and prevents the immature fleas from growing up and reproducing.

How Does Oral Flea Pill For Cats Work

Oral flea treatment for cats works by killing adult fleas and preventing flea eggs from hatching. It is a form of Oral Flea Treatment, but it is specifically designed to be used on cats. Cats are generally not very good at taking pills, so this method of treatment was invented by scientists working in the pet industry to help owners treat their pets without having to force them into swallowing pills or liquids. The pill uses natural ingredients that kill adult fleas and prevent female fleas from laying eggs. This means that if you give your cat an oral tablet every few months , then you can get rid of any existing infestations as well as stop new ones from developing over time.

Why Trust The Spruce

Adrienne Kruzer is a Registered and Licensed Veterinary Technician in three states and has been writing on pet and vet topics for over a decade. She loves researching, learning, and problem solving in order to better help pet owners. Her years of working in various animal hospitals, alongside her formal college education and elective continuing education classes, have provided her with a wealth of experience and knowledge to benefit cat owners.

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Our Favorite Is Revolution Plus Topical Solution For Cats

Sarah Scott is a fact checker with more than 16 years of experience in researching, writing, and editing digital and print media. She has verified and edited articles on a variety of subjects for The Spruce Pets, including pet behavior, health, and care as well as the latest trends in products for animals in the home.

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The best overall flea treatment is Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats, which kills fleas and provides preventative protection. To clean up an infestation, such as fleas spread to your cat’s bed, check out Virbac Knockout Area Treatment Spray.

Fleas can transmit serious diseases to your cats, making preventative treatments a useful tool for cat owners with animals at risk for picking up fleas. Flea treatments for cats, including preventatives, are available in a variety of forms, including as a topical solution and as an oral treatment.

But not all flea treatments work well with cats, especially because they are very sensitive to certain chemicals . Using vetted, cat-specific treatments is key to maintaining you cat’s health while getting rid of their flea problem. We evaluated products for reliability, safety, and ease of use.

Here are the best flea treatments for cats.

The Best Oral Flea Control Product

Comfortis Chewable Tablets start killing fleas within 30 minutes and offer a full month of protection with one easy-to-give flavored pill.

Pros: Fast-acting treatment starts killing adult fleas within 30 minutes, safe for kittens 14 weeks or older, easy to give alone or in food

Cons: Does not kill flea eggs or larvae or prevent parasites other than fleas, not labeled for use in kittens younger than 14 weeks or breeding, pregnant, or nursing cats

Parasites prevented: Adult fleas

Duration of effectiveness: 30 days

Safe for: Cats and kittens 14 weeks and older, weighing at least 4.1 pounds

Not labeled for use: Breeding, pregnant, and nursing cats

Prescription: Yes

Our top choice for an oral flea control product for cats, Comfortis Chewable Tablets, is fast-acting and good for cats that can’t tolerate topical flea preventives. Its active ingredient, spinosad, starts to work within 30 minutes and kills 98% of adult fleas on cats within four hours.

Although topical flea control products are typically easier to use , there are some cases when an oral preventive is a better choice. For instance, some cats with sensitive skin can’t tolerate a spot-on treatment. “An oral flea preventive product is better if a cat has had focal hair loss related to the application of a topical product or if it has a severe flea-related allergy,” said Sawyer.

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Can Comfortis Kill Cats

Strictly speaking, no. When used at up to five times the labeled dosage for up to six months, cats still did not exhibit any serious side effects. Limited vomiting and loose stool were noted.

It is important to remember that while uncommon, any pet could have a hypersensitivity reaction to a new drug. However, even in these cases, anaphylactic reactions leading to death would be exceedingly rare. Such reactions are not known to have been reported in relation to Comfortis.

If you feel that your cat is showing any adverse reactions to Comfortis or any other drug, it is always best to contact your veterinarian, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center , or Pet Poison Helpline for further advice. A fee does apply to consult with poison centers, but the advice is invaluable and your vet will often need the toxicology advice to guide treatment for your cat.

Best Comb: Hartz Groomer’s Best Flea Comb For Dogs And Cats

Amazon

• Removes both adult fleas and their eggs

• Time consuming to find fleas

• Not all cats will allow combing

Catching live fleas can be a challenge but combing dead ones off your cat can be just as difficult if you dont have a flea comb. The Hartz Groomers Best flea comb helps you clean your cat and makes it easy to keep a good grip on this important grooming tool. It can also be used to comb out your short haired cat, even if when they doesnt have fleas.

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Types Of Oral Flea Treatments For Cats

There are two main types of oral flea treatments for cats. Mainly a tablet in a chewable formula, or a liquid supplement that can be added to your cats water or food.

Tablet Form

This is the most common type of flea treatment for cats because it is readily available and fast-acting. Flea tablets typically take between 30 to 60 minutes to work, and the dose will last for a week. Some cats may struggle to swallow or chew the tablet and a food bribe will need to be used to get your cat to consume the tablet.

If your cat spits out the tablet, you may want to look into trying the next best oral flea treatment for your cat, which is a liquid supplement.

Liquid Form

This is generally a slow-acting flea treatment that gets added to your cats food or water every day. This treatment will not work if it is not used correctly as it can take up to a month for the active ingredients to start working. Liquid flea treatments can be used to eradicate mild flea infestations on cats or as a preventative measure during flea breeding season.

Since it can be added to your cats water, you have to make sure that they are drinking enough water and not avoiding it because of the added medication. Liquid flea treatments can be hidden within the gravy or juice in wet cat food, which will easily enter your cats digestive system to start working.

Best Area Spray: Virbac Knockout Area Treatment Spray

Chewy

• Kills more than just adult fleas

• Continues killing multiple flea life stages for several months after application

• Gets into hard-to-clean places in the home where fleas hide

• Must remove all pets and people from the home before using

• May need more than one bottle for multiple living spaces

If your cat has fleas, odds are your home also has them so youll need an effective area spray to treat your cats inside environment. The Virbac Knockout spray contains an insect growth regulator to kill not only the adult fleas but the eggs and larvae, too. It lasts in the home for up to four months to prevent future infestations, but is not meant to be applied to a cat or any other pet. Your pets should be removed from the house before spraying this aerosolized treatment spray. Once it dries, your pets can return to their space.

Revolution Plus offers the most complete parasite prevention in a single application. It lasts for one month, contains no pyrethrins, permethrins, or pyrethroids, and contains a small amount of quick-drying, alcohol-based liquid. Your cat will be protected from fleas, ticks, heartworms, ear mites, and intestinal parasites by simply applying Revolution Plus once a month.

If you have live fleas that you need to kill quickly, Comfortis is your best option since it works within 30 minutes, and this chewable tablet will then continue working for up to one month, just like Revolution Plus.

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Flea And Tick Oral Medication Reduces Your Risk Of Accidental Exposure To Chemicals

Flea and tick oral medication reduces your risk of accidental exposure to chemicals. Flea and tick products are typically applied to the skin, which has a high absorption rate . However, oral medications for fleas and ticks are given orally , which means that accidental ingestion is much less likely because most cats will not actually eat their own flea or tick medication.

Topical Cat Flea Treatments

Spot-ons

Spot-on cat flea treatments contain a small amount of liquid that is applied to your cats skin once a month. Many claim to be waterproof, but if the medication resides in the skin, frequent bathing can reduce their effectiveness. They may also be rubbed or groomed off when wet, so it is best to keep an eye on your cat and avoid petting them until the liquid dries.

Sprays, Dips and Shampoos

Once a major part of flea-control programs, sprays, dips and cat flea shampoos only work at killing fleas on the cat at the time of application, but do almost nothing for the hatchling fleas coming from the environment post-treatment. Many different products are available, so it is important to make sure the one you use is safe for cats.

Cat Flea Collars

A cat flea collar can be an attractive option for some pet owners. They are easy to use and typically have few side effects. However, old-style flea collars may not be very effective, especially in areas of the body farthest from the collar. Some of the newer products cost more but have data to support better efficacy.

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Types Of Safe Flea Treatments For Cats

While you need to be careful when selecting a safe flea treatment for your cat, you have plenty of options to choose from. Between collars, spot-on topical treatments and chewable tablets, you can work with your veterinarian to discuss which one suits your cats health and lifestyle.

Here are some things to consider about each of these flea preventative options.

Best Oral Flea Medication For Cats : Safest Pill

3 rows · The most crucial factor to consider when choosing an oral flea medication for your cat is Author: Celia MillerComfortis Chewable Tablets for Cats Indications, Quickly kills adult fleas, 99Some cats are allergic to the saliva fleas leave behind after biting them,Comfortis is a popular flea pill choice among pet parents for its ability to prevent and eradicate fleas, wounds and even hair loss, redness, Oral Suspension Products for Cat Flea Treatment, 1-3 Thats easy and

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Comfortis Chewable Tablets Best Overall

Comfortis Chewable Tablets are designed to be palatable. They are chewable and easy to handle, and they are designed for small breed dogs as well as cats. Comfortis claims that their flea treatment kills fleas and prevents reinfestation for a period of up to a month, which is about average. The tablets are meant to be given with food. This not only helps ensure better delivery of the ingredients, it can also help prevent your cat from vomiting the tablet back up.

The Comfortis Chewable tablets are strong and, as a result, some cats struggle to keep the tablets down after swallowing. Some owners have found that the best solution is to break the large tablets in half and feed them a few hours apart. The size of the tablet can also be an issue, as some cats will not be able to swallow it whole.

To conclude, we think the Comfortis chewable tablets are the best oral flea treatments for cats this year.

• Doesnt work on eggs or larvae

Our Criteria And Experience: How We Chose The Best

One important benefit about flea pills for cats is that they are usually fast-acting, as promised. For the most part, we have found our suggested options to be long-lasting. Being able to acquire these products without prescription was another selling point for us.

Despite some of these products being vet-approved, there are cases of reactions that have come on with minimal warning. When some customers used these products, they complained that their cats experienced side effects that include weight and hair loss. There have also been some incidences where cats are resistant to pills and this was an issue in our research.

We found these oral products effective overall. Regardless of whether a monthly or different dosage is involved, these products are convenient. Preventive and treatment-based products are both viable options for your cat.

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Avoid Natural Flea Control Products

If you’re considering using natural flea control products that contain essential oils, exercise caution. Some essential oils can be toxic to cats.

All three veterinarians we consulted do not recommend natural products, which do not work nearly as well as veterinarian-recommended topical and oral flea control products. “They are just not proven to be really effective,” Bourgeois said. “My biggest concern with natural products is, even if they’re safe, if they’re not effective, that’s not helping our pets. I get more concerned about the secondary ramifications for the pet if we’re using something that hasn’t been proven to be effective, versus products that have been proven to be effective and well tolerated.”

Here Are The Best Tick And Flea Treatment And Prevention Products For Cats In 2021

• Best topical flea preventive for cats: Revolution Plus Topical Solution
• OTC topical flea treatment for cats: Frontline Plus
• Fast-acting flea control product for cats: Comfortis Chewable Tablets for Cats and Dogs
• Flea control product for young kittens: Capstar Flea Control Tablets
• Flea collar for cats: Seresto Flea and Tick Collar

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Capstar Flea Tablets For Cats Best Value

Capstar Flea Tablets for Cats are among the best oral flea treatment for cats for the money. They are inexpensive, they start working within 30 minutes, and they can also be fed in food or given directly to the cat. The tablets are suitable for cats aged over 4 weeks, which means that they work on younger cats than most other flea treatments.

Capstar is inexpensive, but the active drug, nitenpyram, kills over 90% of adult fleas. However, it only works for 24 hours. The tablet can be given every day if the fleas reinfest the cat, but this becomes inconvenient and expensive. Although it doesnt offer long-term treatment, Capstar Flea Tablets for Cats enable you to kill off an infestation and get ahead of the problem, before changing over to a longer-term flea control drug.

Program 10021 Flea Control Green oral ampoules are expensive, but they are meant for use with large cats, so they actually work out cheaper than some alternatives and can provide a solution where traditional tablets will not suffice.

While an oral solution is a good option for some cats, other owners may find it easier to give traditional tablets.

Sentry 469024 Capguard Oral Flea Control Medication are oral tablets that contain the primary ingredient, nitenpyram, and the packet contains 6 tablets. This is not a long-term fix.

• Only works for 24 hours

What Oral Flea Treatment Is Right For Your Cat

Nitenpyram

This is found in tablet flea treatments and is an active ingredient that enters your cats bloodstream within a few minutes. The fleas will then bite the cat and ingest traces of this insecticide. After a while, the fleas will become paralyzed and starve to death. Your cat will then have a natural reaction to scratch the dead fleas from their fur. After this flea treatment has been used, the environment should be thoroughly cleaned to remove any dead fleas.

A downside to this active ingredient is that it cannot kill flea eggs.

Allicin

Allicin is released from dried garlic. It has great anti-parasitic properties and has been praised as a holistic treatment for flea infestations in both cats and dogs. It does not work as fast as other insecticide flea treatments, but it has an excellent ability to control, kill, and prevent fleas from taking a liking to your cat.

Niacin

This is a Vitamin B derivative that naturally repels fleas. It enters the digestive system through oral administration. After a few weeks, enough levels of Niacin will be in your cats body to repel and prevent fleas from being attracted to your cat.

Thiamine

Thiamine is a form of Vitamin B1. If your cat consumes ample amounts of this vitamin, it will be able to ward off fleas. This greatly lowers their risk of being bitten by fleas as they hate the smell of Thiamine and the smell being produced from your cats pores will repel them.

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