What is the best way to treat fleas in a cat?
My family cat has had them on and off since I was a little kid, so long that my family pretty much gave up after years of failure a long while ago. We've tried pills, drops. powder, flea collars, flea shampoo. He never sleps on old furniture or any infestation hotspots. We just cant figure it out what we're doing wrong.
Will I ever see him flea free in his lifetime?
Help me out, /an/
Are you religiously vacuuming your house, regularly washing bedding, clothing, and rugs with boiling water?
Are you letting him outside? If so, he is just picking up more fleas
>>2147841
How often is religiously?
We've only had carpet for the past six months or so, and since then, we haven't noticed any increases in flea numbers, or even seen them in the vaccum bag at all. I guess we could all wash our bedding more frequently if it'll help.
>>2147868
He is almost always outside. Rarely sleeps indoors unless it's raining, and is usually hiding somewhere in the backyard. He begs to go outside if we keep him in for more than a few hours.
>>2147872
Then that is your problem. Flea collars are useless. The best thing you can do is get the monthly flea meds you feed them or put on the back of their necks.
>>2147886
Are they safe? I've heard stories of cats having seizures, becoming ill, even dying from those chemicals. Do the benefits outweigh the risk?
>>2147889
that would depend if you leave your cat outside or not. leaving your cat outside pretty much requires you to put it on those meds, especially if you live in areas where fleas, ticks, ect are present. Its just one of the risks associated with having an outdoor cat. whether or not the benefits outweigh the risks is up to you
>>2147892
We only have fleas here, thankfully, and he looks as healthy as can be at 10. If deteriorating his health is the alternative, I think I'll stick with the occasional flea. They never hurt him before
>>2147889
Over the counter brands aren't safe. Although they're more expensive, brands supported by vets are usually much safer. My mother and I both use Advantage Multi and have probably used it on over 20 cats by now, and never had a problem
>>2147889
I've used Advantage II even on an indoor cat and I've never had an issue. The only time I have heard of seizures and such were from people trying to put the dog version on cats.
Advantix II is not for cats and will cause seizures and possible death. Don't try to save money by buying the big dog version and only putting half on your cat. Fucking stupid, cheap bastards.
My vet told me they only trust Revolution because fleas become adapted to Advantage over time and become immune. My mom used Advantage and noticed that gradual wearing off effect. I think they're like the same price so just try Rev for a while and see if that works better.
>>2147889
Don't use over the counter. Get something like 1800 petmeds. Hart is really bad company in general, don't use their flea stuff or anything they make really. And don't use the dog flea meds on the cat.
