One of your goals, when looking for flea and tick treatment options for should be the effectiveness of the medicine and the ease of use. While some treatments are mess-free and highly effective, others aren’t.
Flea medicines work by fatally attacking the fleas’ nervous system.
This means that all flea treatment options work similarly. However, they differ regarding effectiveness and longevity.
Here are some options to choose from:
Spot-on Treatments
This treatment comes in a small bottle which contains a concentrated liquid that you have to apply to the back of your kitty’s neck.
The medicine starts working within 24-48 hours by dissipating into the natural oils on your cat’s skin. This kills the fleas in some time and even prevents new generations from developing for the next few days.
Oral chews and tablets
The tablets contain insecticides that find their way into your cat’s bloodstream within an hour or so. When the flea or tick bites your kitty, they get exposed to the insecticide and die.
While tablets work faster than other methods, their effects don’t last as long. They generally lose their effect within 24 hours and are an excellent pick to treat an ongoing infestation.
Collars
The collar contains the insecticide which works by either absorbing into your cat’s fat layer to kill the fleas or repels the insects. The effects of a collar last from anywhere from 6 weeks up to 12 weeks and it is a mess-free solution.
Shampoos
This option of treatment works well to kill adult fleas but, the effects last for a short time—a little over 24 hours. This treatment is good if you want to treat an ongoing infestation.
Sprays
Sprays linger on your cat’s skin and work as spot-on treatments do. However, they aren’t as potent, and the effects can be seen in a short period of time, usually a week.
In my opinion, when looking for the best flea and tick treatments, tablets, spot-on, and collars should be the most preferred options as they are quick, easy to use and painless in function. Sprays and shampoos, on the other hand, are messy and time-consuming.
Natural Remedies for Flea and Tick Treatment
Natural treatments are a good choice if you wish to stay away from chemicals and the side effects they bring with them. However, natural remedies aren’t as fast, and the effects aren’t long-lasting.
In this section of the blog, I’ll share a few natural cat flea and tick treatment recipes.
Let’s take a look.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is an effective option for removing yeast and allergens, and it makes an excellent flea treatment as well. Apple cider vinegar doesn’t kill the fleas but works by making them jump off your kitty. However, make sure not to use it on open wounds.
You can use a diluted mixture of two parts ACV and one part water and put in a spray bottle.
Cedar Chips
Fleas and ticks hate certain smells—cedar being one of them. Placing cedar chips in your kitty’s bedding is an excellent way to keep the fleas away. However, cats hate the smell as well.
Another option is that you place cedar chips outside your home to keep the fleas away.
Rosemary
Another thing that fleas hate includes rosemary. Grinding rosemary leaves and sprinkling them in areas where your cat sleeps and plays will help keep the pests away.
Aloe Vera Juice
Another natural repellent for fleas includes aloe vera. Mixed with cayenne pepper, you can make a spray and apply it on your kitty’s coat. However, make sure that you don’t get it around your cat’s eyes!
Lemon Spray
One of the natural flea killers include citric acid—something lemons are full of. You can make a citric acid spray. To make it work for cats with sensitive skin, you can boil lemon in water and let it soak for at least 8 hours (or overnight).
These natural remedies take their sweet time to work. However, they are still effective and don’t have any harmful side effects for you and your kitty. You should consider them, for sure.
Summing Up: Flea and Tick Treatments for Cats
Fleas bring a lot of diseases with them and feed on your cat’s blood supply.
Cats like to stay in dark, small spaces, which are usually are infested with fleas and ticks. So, it is essential to keep your kitty protected at all times. Fleas and ticks can be painful and irritating.
They can cause Lyme disease and tapeworm!
There are a lot of treatment and prevention options available to choose from on the market. However, make sure to consult your vet before getting anything as some products may not agree with your cat and cause allergic reactions.
Do you have any questions that you would like to have answered? If so, leave them in the comments, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.