Flea Treatment for Cats: What are the Best Products?
My name is Denise and I recently moved from New York to Santa Monica, California to pursue a new job opportunity. I’m a writer and am currently working with Paramount Television on an upcoming series for HBO. My cat, Milo, and I have been together for over 8 years and I know him and his behavior quite well by this point, which is why it was so apparent to me when something was up. I would have never expected that implementing the use of a flea treatment for cats would be involved.
As most cats do, he spent the first few days exploring the house and figuring out all his favorite spots. He climbed all over the counters, hid under the couches and bed, and sprawled out on the carpet waiting to have his stomach scratched. But it wasn’t before long that his eye for adventure became quickly smothered by a hesitance to occupy certain areas of my home, especially the area rugs and plush furniture. “What is this all about?” I thought.
When is a Flea Treatment for Cats Necessary?
He started licking himself obsessively, to the point that certain areas almost went bald! And then when he jumped from the cabinets to the sink, where it was wet, I noticed a small amount of blood left behind in his footsteps. “Enough is enough,” I thought. “I have to get to the bottom of this.” So I called one of my best cat-owner friends back in New York, Cindy, to see what she made of the situation.
Cindy told me was that when she was in California, the most frequent issue with her cat was fleas. She couldn’t tell me why, so I hopped on Google and discovered that frost in colder regions kills fleas. Aha! That explains the licking. But then why was he so shy of the carpet and furniture? “That’s where fleas live” said Google. OK, then, so how do I solve this problem?
Dr. Kent Recommends the following Flea Treatment for Cats
My research showed me that the massive amount of flea products on the market are so overwhelming for the average consumer that it takes a licensed professional to make a recommendation. I typically work from home and have been so busy with this project I found it difficult to make it to the veterinarian. Being that I don’t have a vet in Santa Monica, I was dependent upon Yelp recommendations to find a new one to help Milo. Thankfully, Dr. Elyse Kent had stellar Yelp reviews for serving Santa Monica and the Greater Los Angeles area, so I called her up right away and scheduled the soonest available appointment.
Dr. Kent recommended to me the following flea treatment for cats:
Bravecto: Bravecto is a topical flea solution for cats with a 3 month duration. It can only be used for fleas. It is recommended for its long duration, but may not be the best fit if your cat has other skin conditions or regularly goes outside.
Revolution: Revolution is a broader flea treatment for cats that is recommended if your cat goes outside. In addition to treating fleas, it also treats roundworms and ear mites and is a heart-worm preventative for cats.
How can a Mobile vet help with Flea Treatment?
Upon our mobile pet care visit, Dr. Kent was able to explain the blood I found in the sink, which are flea excretions, and the licking which results from an allergy to flea saliva. She provided a custom cream medication to apply to the hairless inside part of Milo's ear flap to counteract the allergic response in his body. I was so happy that I wouldn't have to give him pills because the medicine would be absorbed through his skin. Dr. Kent explained that using an effective flea medication every month all year would make it unlikely that Milo would have have medication in the future.I was ecstatic that Milo would no longer have to suffer flea trauma and that Dr. Kent would be my new vet who would always be just one house-call away.
Is your dog itching but you have ruled out the potential of flea inflection? They may have atopic dermatitis. Read our blog entry about it here.