by Kyla

Created on: May 09, 2007   Last Updated: May 01, 2009

Flea control is probably one of the most important things you need as a cat owner, whether you have indoor or outdoor cats. Think: what would happen if people never did gave their cats' flea prevention medications? Having to pick fleas off a pet is not the best occupation around.
So, unless you want to have to pick creepy, bloodsucking bugs off your cats all the time, it is best to invest in some sort of flea control, whether it is a collar, drops, a bath, or a natural repellant.

Frontline Top Spot and Advantage are two of the best products. All products have pros and cons, so... Advantage kills fleas, and works for 30 days, while if they have a problem with ticks, the preferred product is Frontline Top Spot, which is deadly to both fleas and ticks, and also stays for 30 days. Frontline Top Spot does kill both fleas and ticks, has hardly any smell, and you only have to apply a small amount, but it leaves an oily residue on the back of the cat's neck. It does not keep fleas from coming back onto your cat, but it does kill them as soon as they come along. You also cannot bathe your cat two days before and after you apply the product.

Advantage doesn't kill ticks, so it is ideal if you live in a place where ticks are no problem. It does kill the fleas quickly, and is easy to apply. Both of them are toxic to humans, and keep children away from the spot of application for a couple of days. Advantage also requires a veterinarian's prescription and is fairly expensive. It also can cause health problems for your little friend. Nearly all the reviews on Epinions.com and Amazon.com stated that 90% of the people were pleased with the products, with minor problems of price.

As for all those flea collars, I have found that the Hartz 2 in 1 Cat Flea & Tick Collar works the best. It is inexpensive, and is supposed to last up to five months. It also comes in many colors, so you can have a kewl kitty! It may cause health problems for the pet, and needs to be kept away from children.

If you are an all-natural person, there is an all-natural remedy you can try: Vacuum and sprinkle dried pennyroyal under throw rugs, into the carpet, and into the cat's favorite spots. Three to four days later vacuum again and reapply pennyroyal. After each vacuuming you need to either burn the bag or tie it up in a plastic bag and throw it away. Afterwards, you should give your kitty a warm bath, and rinse him off afterwards with a hot pennyroyal tea, or with an herbal repellant. Dry with a towel, comb with a flea brush, and if the cat will allow it, vacuum him/her off. Afterwards make a cloth tube, closed in at one end. Pour just enough dried pennyroyal into the open end to fill it three-fourths of the way up, and sew the open end up loosely. Fasten around the kitty's neck. If you have an outdoor cat it is best to fasten the bag on with elastic. Replenish every three or four days. If the your problem is really bad, you can put drops of pennyroyal oil on the back of the cat's legs and neck. You can also get garlic pills for your cat to take internally, which will keep the fleas off.

You also need to take precautions to keep the eggs off your cats, or you will have a recurring flea problem. A) Wash all bedding and spray down all the cat's favorite spots with some repellant. B) Vacuum everyday and throw away the used vacuum bags as soon as possible (never put flea collars or repellant in the bag, as the heat may release toxic fumes.) C) Steam-clean the carpet if possible to kill any eggs the vacuum may have missed. D) Use some yard repellant and spray in the yard.

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