Whether your cat loves to spend their day outside or curled up on the sofa, all cats are at risk of getting fleas – even over winter. The only way to keep these pesky parasites at bay is to give your cat a high quality flea treatment on a regular basis. Flea treatments are available in a variety of formats so you can choose one that suits you and your cat. The most common types of flea treatment for cats are spot-on solutions, tablets, and collars, which we’ll go through in this blog. Some also deal with ticks and worms as well as fleas, and some require a prescription from a vet.
Please note that these are not veterinary recommendations; for individual advice on the products that would work best for your pet, consult your vet.
Best Spot-On Flea Treatment for Cats
Spot-on flea treatments are applied to your cat’s skin, usually the back of the neck, using a pipette. Most spot-on treatments are applied to the back of the neck as cats cannot lick it off there.
To administer spot-on flea treatment, part the fur on the back of your cat’s neck (just in front of the shoulder blades) until the skin is visible. Place the tip of the pipette on the skin and squeeze the pipette several times to empty its contents directly onto the skin in one spot.
Spot-on flea treatment can be a great option for cats who are reluctant to take pills, or won’t wear a collar.
It’s important to keep your cat dry for around 48 hours after applying most spot-on treatments, so avoid letting them out in the rain or bathing them in that time.
Some of the best spot-on flea treatments for cats include:
Some of the best spot-on flea treatments for cats include:
Fipnil Plus Flea and Tick Spot-on Solution
Application: Topical by pipette | Frequency: Four-weekly | Active ingredients: Fipronil + (S)-methopren
Fipnil Plus helps control flea infestations, effectively killing fleas within 24 hours. It also prevents flea eggs from hatching and inhibits the development of flea larvae. It’s effective against any new fleas for up to 4 weeks. It will also kill ticks and biting lice within 48 hours of application, making it a great all-round parasite treatment for cats.
Application: Topical by pipette | Frequency: Four-weekly | Active ingredients: Fipronil + Methoprene
Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Treatment is an advanced formula that kills fleas within 24 hours, and also stops their eggs from hatching and infesting your home. It kills ticks within 48 hours too, helping to reduce the risk of tick-borne disease transmission although this product cannot guarantee against disease transmission if the conditions are unfavourable.
You can use Frontline Plus Spot-on Treatment all-year-round as often as every 4 weeks. This product can also be used safely on pregnant cats.
Application: Topical by pipette | Frequency: Four-weekly | Active ingredients: Imidacloprid
This flea treatment for cats kills fleas and larvae through contact, so your cat doesn’t have to be bitten for the treatment to take effect. Advantage gets to work within 24 hours and delivers up to 4 weeks of protection.
Unlike some spot-on treatments, water exposure, like being out in heavy rain, does not render this product ineffective. However, depending on whether fleas are present in the environment, re-treatment may become necessary – but you shouldn’t apply it more than once a week.
If your cat is allergic to fleas, Advantage can also be used as part of their treatment. Speak to your vet for more advice on this.
Best Flea Collars for Cats
If you find it difficult to keep on top of administering regular flea treatment, or your dog won’t stay still long enough for you to apply the treatment, you could try a flea collar. This method of flea treatment for dogs is easy to apply, and works by slowly and steadily releasing its active ingredients to kill fleas over many months.
Seresto Flea Collar
Application: Worn as a collar | Frequency: Every 7–8 months | Active ingredients: Imidacloprid + Flumethrin
The Seresto flea and tick collar will protect your cat from fleas and ticks for up to 8 months. It works by releasing its active ingredients gradually over this time, killing fleas, flea larvae and ticks. As well as killing ticks, the collar also repels them so that they don’t get near your cat in the first place. Seresto collars also prevent flea larvae developing in your cat’s immediate surroundings for 10 weeks.
Other advantages to the Seresto flea collar include that it is water-resistant, odour-free, non-greasy and has a built-in safety release mechanism for peace of mind.
Not suitable for kittens under 10 weeks old.
Best Flea Tablets for Cats
If your pet has sensitive skin, or you prefer not to use spot-on treatments or collars for any other reasons, flea tablets could be a good option for your cat.
Cat flea treatment tablets can be mixed in with your cat’s food, or disguised inside a treat or pill assist. If you choose to use flea tablets, it’s important to make sure your cat doesn’t spit the pill out when you’re not looking!
Application: Oral by tablet | Sizes: Up to 11kg or over 11kg | Frequency: Maximum one tablet per day | Active ingredients: Nitenpyram
Capstar tablets are a fast and effective treatment against flea infestations. Flea tablets work by entering the cat’s bloodstream, where the Nitenpyram is absorbed into the body. When a flea bites the treated cat, it ingests the medication and is killed by the active ingredient. The tablets start killing fleas within 30 minutes, and you’ll actually be able to see dead fleas falling off your cat.
It’s safe to give a dose of Capstar flea tablets as often as once a day – however, the frequency of treatment needed will depend on the degree of infestation. Severe cases may require treatment daily or every other day until the infestation is controlled, but this won’t always be necessary.
Wrapping up
We hope our run down of some of the best cat flea treatments has helped you decide which might be most suitable for your pet. Always have a chat with your vet if you're unsure of anything, or if you’d like to discuss the option of prescription-only flea treatments.
While these effective flea treatments will help to keep your cat flea-free throughout the year, it is advisable to use an additional form of flea control, such as Indorex Defence Spray in the house too. Year-round flea treatment for your cat and the home will protect against infestations and diseases.
To learn more about keeping your safe from all common parasites, read our Ultimate Guide to Fleas, Ticks & Worms for Pet Owners.
