Outdoor cats are cats that have been born and raised outside of a home. These feline pets tend to roam, hunt, and socialise with other outdoor animals. They often live in the wild around farms and forests but can reside in any area of the world.
Because they stay outdoors, they are at risk of cat flea because they are more likely to linger around and interact with other animals. They have a different coat than indoor cats, and their fur is more visible to pests. Since they are more likely to bring fleas into the home, all sorts of problems can occur. Fleas carry several diseases which may be harmful to you.
This article answers all your questions relating to cat fleas, the importance of addressing such a problem, and the best treatment for your outdoor cats. For this, you must know the best flea treatment for outdoor cats.
Keep reading to learn!
The Importance of Treating Fleas in Outdoor Cats
Fleas are the most common parasitic infestation in outdoor cats, especially in warm weather. They can cause a variety of health issues and make your little kitten itchy, uncomfortable and miserable. They can cause a host of health problems for cats and their owners. They are also challenging to get rid of, as they live on the cat’s body and will continue to do so until they die.
Treating adult fleas in outdoor cats is imperative because they can spread to other pets and humans, especially if your cat has fleas on their fur or skin. For example, you could bring them home with you and pass them on to your dog or children. Putting a stop to these parasites will spare you a significant headache, so the best thing to do is solve it now.
What Should I Use?
There are a lot of options available to you when it comes to flea control. You can pick the perfect one for your cat by following these tips.
Decide which prescription is right for your cat
Getting in touch with your veterinarian is the first step. The medication you use to control fleas on cats must be prescribed by a veterinarian so that you are using a safe and effective product. You can only trust your veterinarian to tell you what is best for your specific cat.
Make the most of your benefits.
There are many flea medicines for outdoor cats that also protect against other pests besides fleas. In addition to flea control, some topical flea control products protect dogs and cats from heartworm disease, which is often fatal.
The prevention of ticks is another fringe benefit of flea medication for outdoor cats. Cats living an outdoor lifestyle are more likely to be plagued by ticks than cats living an indoor lifestyle.
Don’t forget your deadline.
It is not uncommon for outdoor cats to return home every night. Nevertheless, if your cat likes to come and go as he pleases, be sure they’re adequately protected. Those cats who don’t return home regularly should be treated with a product with a longer acting time.
It’s time to groom
You can fight fleas with a comb as well as chemical treatments for cats. Fleas attempting to catch a ride indoors are especially susceptible to this pest control method. Additionally, there are several other benefits. Regular grooming will also keep your cat’s coat healthy and can prevent hairballs from forming.
Keeping the house clean is a must!
Cats can bring fleas into your home, which can make eliminating them challenging. It is estimated that fleas can live in your house for a couple of months without a host, and they prefer dark hiding places like carpets, furniture, closets, and even your bed.
To prevent fleas from getting into your cat, you should utilise a medicated flea preventative and deep-clean your floors and bedding, including surfaces your cat sleeps on. If you find places where fleas are likely to hide, you can use flea-killing spray on those areas. You should, however, read the label first.
What to Look For in a Flea Treatment for a Cat
What’s in it
Flea treatments for cats should not contain certain ingredients. Even products marketed or marketed for cats can be dangerous if they are specifically designed for dogs.
It is not recommended to use pyrethroids in cats, as they are toxic. It is more prevalent in some dog flea treatment products, but it can also be found in some cat flea treatment products. A cat’s level of sensitivity can also make pyrethrin and permethrin products dangerous. Various pyrethrin and permethrin products can cause seizures in some cats, while others may not have any problem.
The ease of use or application
Products vary in their ease of use. While spot-on, orals, collars, and injections require less effort and planning, shampoos, sprays, dips, bombs, powders, and combs require more effort.
The most common preventatives used by cat owners are spot-ones since they are easy to use and last a long time, but oral products may be an option if your cat will take treats. Putting a collar on a cat that will allow it is easy, but using flea collars is fraught with concerns.
Veterinary professionals usually administer injectable flea preventatives, so you simply have to take your cat to the vet if you want to take advantage of this option.
Method of delivery
In addition to shampoos, dips, sprays, bombs, powders, spot-on, orals, collars, combs, and injections, there are many flea treatments for cats. A flea can only be killed by some delivery methods, while others can prevent them from reproducing. It is also important to remember that some flea treatments, like bombs, are not intended to be applied to your cat at all but rather to the environment where it lives.
Taking care of your cat’s fleas is just as important as the ingredients in the treatment. Incorrectly administering a flea treatment to a cat can be dangerous, so always follow instructions on the package.
Is it a long-term thing?
There should be a statement on the packaging stating how long a product lasts. Many only last 24 hours, whereas others are composed of insect growth regulators (IGRs) or other ingredients that last several months. To eradicate adult fleas, you should use a product with a 24-hour or shorter duration, but for flea eggs and flea larvae, you should use something with a longer duration. Most cat owners prefer a monthly flea preventive treatment to avoid having to reapply it too often.
The Best Flea Treatments You Can Get For Your Cat
There are several types of flea treatments available for cats, including topical solutions and oral treatments. Since fleas can transmit serious diseases, preventative treatments are a helpful tool for owners with cats at risk of picking up fleas.
There are many chemicals found in flea treatment shampoos, some of which are sensitive to cats, which is why not all flea treatment shampoos work on them. You can maintain your cat’s health while dealing with their flea problem by using vetted, cat-specific treatments. The products were evaluated based on their reliability, safety, and ease of use.
You can treat your cat with these flea treatments:
Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats
The Revolutionary Plus product comes not only with safe and effective flea-killing power but also with the ability to treat or prevent heartworms as well as roundworms, hookworms, and ear mites. It not only kills ticks but also protects against three of the most common species, making it an invaluable tool during tick season.
An alcohol-based liquid is applied monthly to the back of your cat’s neck as part of Revolution Plus. There is no oiliness or odour to it. However, it is possible to notice hair loss in the area where flea treatments are applied, and some cats do not like the feel of alcohol on their skin. Petting your cat in those areas should be done after the product has dried, and you should not be concerned about fleas apart from those quick, monthly applications.
Selamectin and sarolaner, two of Revolution Plus’ active ingredients, are safe for animals and have minimal side effects. The combination of these antiparasitics kills fleas within six hours and offers robust protection after 24 hours. If your cat has a neurological disorder, you should not use Revolution Plus.
Revolution Plus requires a prescription. You can choose from three different sizes, each with a different dosage based on the size of your cat.
Bravecto Topical Solution for Cats
Like Revolution Plus, Bravecto is an application that is applied to the back of your cat’s neck as a spot-on treatment. It has three-month protection from fleas and ticks. In addition to heartworm prevention, Bravecto Plus also addresses intestinal parasites but only lasts two months instead of three. Without the need to apply flea prevention monthly, Bravecto products offer reliable and safe flea prevention for cats. Veterinary approval is also required before purchasing this product.
Virbac Knockout Area Treatment Spray
Cats that have fleas most likely have them in their homes, so you should treat their indoor environment with a flea area spray. As well as killing adult fleas, Virbac Knockout spray also kills eggs and flea larvae. Despite its long-lasting effectiveness, it is not intended to be applied to cats or other pets since it lasts up to four months. If you spray this aerosolised treatment spray in your home, you must first remove any pets from the property. It will take a few minutes for your pets to return to their space once it has dried.
Hartz Groomer’s Best Flea Comb for Dogs and Cats
Getting rid of dead fleas on your cat without a flea comb can be just as challenging as catching live ones. You can clean your cat with ease with the Hartz Groomer’s Best flea comb, which is easy to hold and easy to clean. Even when there are no fleas on your cat, you can use it to comb them out.
Dawn Dish Soap (Flea Shampoo)
Despite what you may think, shampoos designed to kill fleas can be extremely harmful to cats. The traditional flea shampoos contain pyrethrins, a chemical that is extremely dangerous to these feline pets, even though they are labelled as “all-natural.”.
However, many people are aware that Dawn Ultra dish detergent is harmless to animals since it is shown in ads with animals being washed with it. With this product, fleas are killed, and your cat is cleaned with it.
Conclusion
Many people have pets that don’t need a lot of care, but when it comes to your furry friends, you want to make sure they are getting the attention and care they need. The best way to ensure your cat is happy and healthy is by flea and tick medication. Being meticulous in choosing the right flea medicine is crucial.
Fleas are a common problem in homes and can cause many complications, secondary infections, and allergic reactions. There are many things that you can do to treat your cat’s fleas-such as using sprays and topical treatments, but the best way to prevent them is by treating your cat’s environment! Additionally, as a cat owner, you should ask your veterinarian for advice since they are the experts on this topic!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the difference between an indoor cat and an outdoor cat?
From the terms themselves, the difference between indoor and outdoor cats is that indoor cats spend most of their time inside while outdoor cats spend most of their time outside. Indoor cats also have more access to food, water, litter boxes, and other necessities compared to outdoor ones because they are taken care of.
Why are fleas a big concern for outdoor cats?
Flea is a big concern for outdoor cats because they can transmit diseases and parasites that can be harmful. Hence, an outdoor cat shall be medicated with the best solutions.
Fleas are small, wingless insects that live on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They feed on the blood of their host and lay eggs on their skin. Fleas can cause your cat to itch, lose hair, and make them sick. In addition, fleas may transmit tapeworms or heartworms, which can be fatal to your cat if not treated quickly.
What is the best way to tell if my cat has fleas?
In addition to itching, cats with flea infestations may experience hair loss, skin redness, and scabs. Affected areas are often the tail base, though other parts of the body can also experience hair loss. In the fur, you can see flea dirt, which is flea faeces. Rub a wet cotton swab on some of it to determine if it is different from regular dirt. The reddish colour of flea dirt on a wet cotton swab indicates it is composed of digested blood. A simple black colour indicates dirt from the outside.
It is possible to catch a live flea using a flea comb, but since cats are so meticulous self-cleaners, you won’t see any live ones on them.
How do you prevent your cat from getting fleas?
To prevent a flea infestation from occurring, it’s always best to use preventatives consistently, but if treatment for live fleas is needed, you’ll want to make sure the treatment kills the adult fleas, eggs, and larvae. For fast flea elimination, it is crucial to kill all three life stages of the parasite, not just the pupae. Unless the eggs, larvae, as well as adult fleas, are killed, your cat will continue to get fleas whenever the pupae turn into adults.
In general, cats that stay indoors are less likely to get fleas than cats allowed outdoors. Keep your cat from wandering too much.
What kind of side effects might occur from using a flea treatment?
Flea treatments are used to eliminate fleas from the pet’s coat. However, some side effects might occur when using these treatments. Side effects of flea treatments include skin irritation and swelling, allergic reactions, liver damage and toxicity, and even unusual behaviour. This is why you need to be careful in purchasing items for your cat.
How do you get rid of fleas on your cat?
Fleas are small, wingless insects that feed on the blood of animals and humans. They can jump several feet in a single leap. They live on the body of their host and lay eggs in their fur.
Fleas are so minute that the naked eye can easily miss them. The best way to get rid of them is by using a topical solution, a flea comb or flea spray on your cat. Some people use a vacuum cleaner to suck them up off the carpet or bedding, but this isn’t recommended because it might cause damage to your pet’s skin and fur.
Can fleas be treated with a topical solution or with a pill?
Fleas can be treated with topical solutions or with pills. Topical flea treatments are used mainly by pet owners, while pills are usually given to pets by their veterinarians.
What do I need to know before using flea treatment on my cat?
Flea treatments can be used to kill the fleas on your cat. However, if you don’t know what you are doing, they can harm your kitty.
Cats have susceptible skin and they can get allergic reactions to certain ingredients in the products that we use on them. The most common ingredient that cats are allergic to is pyrethrin. Pyrethrin is an organic compound that is found in many of the flea treatments out there today.
Before using flea treatment on your cat, make sure that you read the instructions carefully and ask your vet for advice if needed.