Do Cats Require Regular Flea Treatments?

Every pet owner has to face the problem of fleas whether they are in North or

South America as they are the most common parasite found in cats and dogs.

These fleas exist throughout the life cycle on pets. There are numerous reasons

why fleas attack dog, cats and other pets. This could be due to unhygienic

surroundings in the house or the place like yard or the car where pets spend most

of the time. So, immediate and regular flea treatment is required to avoid them

from spreading it to other areas of the home.

Fleas are tiny red-colored parasite that feast on blood and can cause painful

itching in pets. They lay their eggs in dark places like carpets, yard or pet bedding.

Getting rid of fleas on dog and cats alone will not solve the overall flea problem as

fleas stay in the house and the yard too, so the flea control program must include

house, yard and the entire environment where the pets live. Treat pets and the

surroundings all at one time to make this flea control programme successful.

There are many products available in the market to eliminate fleas and some

common forms are tablets, spot on, shampoos, dips, collars, powders and many

other. They are different in effectiveness, direction, safety and convenience.

When buying any flea product from a local pet store or over the internet, it is

important to read the ingredients carefully as all flea products may not be

suitable for your pet. Buy flea product on

the basis of the weather and daily activity

of your pet. It is important to not only

remove the live adult flea, but also the

larva. So use treatments all year round to

control fleas.

Advocate Spot On cats is one of the most

effective treatments available today.

Advocate Spot On is a monthly topical

spot-on treatment to control fleas,

heartworm, and gastrointestinal worms

such as hookworm, roundworm and whipworm. It kills 98-100% of adult fleas

within 12 hours of application. In addition, Advocate spot on controls flea larvae

in the pet's environment and reduces the incidence of Flea Allergy Dermatitis. It

can be used in cats 9 weeks of age or older. Stronghold for Cats is also very

successful at taking care of flea problems. Stronghold is a topical once-a-month

treatment to control fleas, heartworm, ear mites, hookworm and roundworm. It

can be used in cats 6 weeks of age or older. It is advisable to consult a Vet before

using Advocate or Stronghold medication on sick and debilitated cats.

It is very important to use Advocate

or Stronghold flea treatment

around the year otherwise they will

wear off and the cat will be at risk of

catching fleas. Pet owners should

take care to ensure that they do not

apply any flea treatment on cats

which is designed for dogs and vice-

versa. They should also clean carpets

and beddings on a regular basis. If

the problem remains, the entire house should be treated for parasites as part of

the cat flea treatment programme.