Cat Chat Feline Forum

Which flea treatment do you use/ recommend?

I use Advocate spot on, as recommended by my vet, which covers everything. To be truthful though (and I know some will disagree with me) in all the 27 years we’ve had cats we’ve not used flea treatment too often as I don’t like using too many chemicals on my cats and none have suffered with fleas, apart from one cat we adopted who brought them with her! However my latest adopted cat suffers with flea allergy dermatitis which she had when she first came to us, and the vet recommended we treat her monthly. I actually missed treating her over Christmas, thinking she’d be ok, but nope, she was affected again, so unfortunately we’re having to stick with it all year round as the allergy is pretty nasty, and leads to a week or two indoors with a collar on.

I personally use Stronghold, as it covers more things - while it doesn't cover all worms, I do a different wormer less frequently. Like Janey, I don't de-flea as often as I should - my vet actually suggested it with Buster, as he only had one kidney, so the less chemicals, the better. Must ask if she suggests the same now Lucy has been diagnosed with early stage renal failure. I do flea spray the house yearly though, as I foster cats. Buster had to have flea tablets though, as he developed an allergy to spot ons. I would never use Bob Martin though, and I remember doing a home visit once where they used it, and I was paying the same price for Advantage, so it wasn't even cheaper.

We've just changed from Stronghold to Broadline (a newer variant of Frontline that gets rid of more things) as one of the younger cats is quite a hunter and although he normally leaves them dead and whole I feel the extra worming treatment was worth it for him.

Stronghold is meant to treat ear mites as well however even though she had been done a few weeks earlier one of ours did end up at the vets with an ear mite infestation regardless of the spot on and ended up on ear drops to clear it out.

The main advise I can give is to get one from your vets not from a pet shop, the prescription ones are a lot better than the over the counter variants.

[quote=“booktigger”]I do flea spray the house yearly though[/quote]

Yep, forgot to add, I use the spray yearly too. I only started when we adopted the cat that came with fleas and the vet gave me Inderex and I’ve used it since.

Do you buy it directly from the vet or get it online with a prescription? Do the vets write out these prescriptions for you if you ask? I guess they lose out on some profit as the ones I’ve seen online are half the price if bought directly.

vanilla wrote:Do you buy it directly from the vet or get it online with a prescription? Do the vets write out these prescriptions for you if you ask? I guess they lose out on some profit as the ones I’ve seen online are half the price if bought directly.

So far I’ve been buying the Advocate from my vet as you can’t buy it online without a prescription. The Indorex I bought the first time from the vet, then I bought two, one for myself and my sister from Amazon as that’s not prescription only. However, I was actually thinking of asking for a prescription for the Advocate, as the last two cats I had with hyperthyroidism I asked for a prescription from my vet as it was costing a lot, and much cheaper for their tablets online. But I had to take them in periodically for check-ups, and the consultation cost us.

I also use Broadline (as recommended by Tilly's Vet). Seems to do the job and kills the worms as well (Tilly being a hunter). I also spray the house once a year with Indorex - usually the last thing I do before going away on holiday when Tilly is at the cattery.

Bob Martin - NO NO NO NO NEVER.

A lot of people are reporting that Frontline seems to have become quite ineffective, but there is Frontline Combo which apparently still is OK

I use stronghold for my gang, and as quite a few others on here (and so glad to read I'm not the only one) I don't treat as often as they say one should. Of my six cats, two get treated monthly but the others usually get done twice a year. Obviously if fleas became an issue I'd treat more often and right away but - touch wood - I've never had a problem and same as the others don't believe in using chemicals on my pets if I don't have to.

I use the stronghold in combination with Milbermax for worming

Because of the number of cats I have, I try and get a prescription from my vet and then buy online as it does works out cheaper when buying larger quantities. I've been with my vets for a long time and they know me, so have in the past given me a prescription to cover half a year per cat (ie 6 pipettes). But if you've only got one or two cats then sometimes it makes no or minimal cost difference buying directly from the vet vs online

Oh, and I've never sprayed the house. Probably helps that I only have one very short pile rug in the lounge, the rest of the house is laminate wood flooring all the way through

Does smbody know is frontline and frontline plus is the same? I read the article https://catspurfection.com/frontline-pl ... views.html and there are good rewies... I am a little confuse. I know that a lot of people doesn't it satisfied frontline. But if frontline plus is another cure maybe it will work?

I use stronghold or Bob martin when necessary and spray the house twice a year and yes Bob martin does work even on flea allergy cats and new rescues crawling with fleas its the same chemical as front line and the fact its available in supermarkets etc is due to the products licensing and nothing to do with it being inferior to vet products

Sorry, have you seen some of the side effects from Bob Martin products?

Janey wrote:I use Advocate spot on, as recommended by my vet, which covers everything. To be truthful though (and I know some will disagree with me) in all the 27 years we’ve had cats we’ve not used flea treatment too often as I don’t like using too many chemicals on my cats and none have suffered with fleas, apart from one cat we adopted who brought them with her! However my latest adopted cat suffers with flea allergy dermatitis which she had when she first came to us, and the vet recommended we treat her monthly. I actually missed treating her over Christmas, thinking she’d be ok, but nope, she was affected again, so unfortunately we’re having to stick with it all year round as the allergy is pretty nasty, and leads to a week or two indoors with a collar on.

Hi Janet, I am in the same boat my older has flea allergy dermatitis too and I got a kitten who came with fleas infecting the middle one, I use broadline but I am now worried that in order for I to work they need to get bitten. That's why I need to know if advocate is any good, I also choice broadline as the older and middle one are both reluctant in taking tablets as they spit them out after a while?

Emgiggla wrote:

Janey wrote:I use Advocate spot on, as recommended by my vet, which covers everything. To be truthful though (and I know some will disagree with me) in all the 27 years we’ve had cats we’ve not used flea treatment too often as I don’t like using too many chemicals on my cats and none have suffered with fleas, apart from one cat we adopted who brought them with her! However my latest adopted cat suffers with flea allergy dermatitis which she had when she first came to us, and the vet recommended we treat her monthly. I actually missed treating her over Christmas, thinking she’d be ok, but nope, she was affected again, so unfortunately we’re having to stick with it all year round as the allergy is pretty nasty, and leads to a week or two indoors with a collar on.

Hi Janet, I am in the same boat my older has flea allergy dermatitis too and I got a kitten who came with fleas infecting the middle one, I use broadline but I am now worried that in order for I to work they need to get bitten. That's why I need to know if advocate is any good, I also choice broadline as the older and middle one are both reluctant in taking tablets as they spit them out after a while?

I haven’t treated my cat since late summer last year. She still got an itchy scab after 2 weeks of treatment, the vet said it could be a different insect causing it, that the spot on doesn’t cover (especially if she’s a hunter), or any number of allergies causing it, e.g. inhaling pollens could come out in her skin. She ended up giving me a steroid cream for her to use, as and when, just a tiny amount. Anyhow, since then I’ve not given her a spot on, because I couldn’t see the point if she was still getting scabby after 2 weeks. Touch wood she’s been fine, but it has been winter. I will probably give her a spot on shortly, but not monthly like I was last year, and keep an eye on her neck and if I see any breaking of skin, just apply the cream. I’d rather not use the spot on so much if I can.

Interesting looking back on this as it was just after I had decided to try Broadline, a few months later we were back on Stronghold. Our vet did say that Broadline (and Frontline) did seem to be less effective than they used to be and that some fleas seemed to be becoming resistant to the active ingredient.

I haven't deflead them for a few months, there doesn't seem to be as much need over the winter, but i guess it is time to get it out again and get all four done.

I haven't treated my two for fleas for many years - they are restricted to an outside enclosure, and have never had a flea in 10 years

another good reason to have an enclosed garden or area in the garden, as they are not likely to pick up anything nasty from other cats

Well, Oscar is on Stronghold plus as prescriped by my vet...however we did him 3 weeks ago and I’ve just noticed Oscar has flees!! Granted he is not teaming in them and I’m sure (hopefully) I have not found them in the house, but I hate flees!

However am I the only person to be itching whilst reading the thread....grrrrrr

Red wine lady wrote:Well, Oscar is on Stronghold plus as prescriped by my vet...however we did him 3 weeks ago and I’ve just noticed Oscar has flees!! Granted he is not teaming in them and I’m sure (hopefully) I have not found them in the house, but I hate flees!

However am I the only person to be itching whilst reading the thread....grrrrrr

My first time on here so not sure how:(
Our cat's been on monthly Revolution for years [more or less monthly!] but the shop was out of it and sold us Advocate for worms and fleas. First dose yesterday. Evie didn't like being treated and hid for a while - then was pretty normal all day i.e. sleeping - ate well. Slept over night too but didn't get up as usual when I did and hasn't touched her food - very subdued - now asleep again.
Anybody seen similar side effects to Advocate - it's about 22hrs since treatment.
hope to find that htese side effects pass quickly

She doesn't like Revolution much either because of a strong alcohol smell at the time but it evaporates quickly and there have been no side effects.

Hi and welcome. I have heard of reaction to flea/worming products and that this wears off (my lot are lucky because they don't go out of the garden and in the past I've reacted faster to fleas than the cats so no defleaing unless necessary but if it's to be done, I'm the first to know!)

If you're worried about Evie, I'd phone your vet, even though it's out of hours. A good vet will advise you (and not necessarily urge you to come in as an emergency) and hopefully reassure you.

It's awful when a cat's not right and you're worried - good luck!

Ha, Red Wine Lady, typing this I could feel something WALKING on my bare foot! Mind you during the hot weather some ants hitched a ride on my feet and got into bed with me ...