Phone: (614) 486-7877 (PURR)
Jun 28
Purrfect Care Cat Vet - CJ the office cat on his side

Summer is here…and so is flea season!

And just like last year, it’s going to be a bad one!

Mild winters – like the past two we’ve experienced in Ohio – mean the outdoor fleas continue to reproduce, which leads to huge populations in warmer weather.

Carl no Fleas

A popular flea myth: Only outdoor cats are at risk. Unfortunately, this is not true.

During bad flea seasons, indoor cats are not immune from these annoying parasites. It is a fair question to ask, “How is this possible?” In most cases, fleas use humans as a taxi and we carry the parasites unknowingly into our homes. The fleas can come into contact with our clothes from every day activities such as:

  • visiting friends whose pets have fleas
  • walking through a grassy area

Because of this, we recommend that ALL cats be placed on flea prevention from May through December, and year-round if they go outside.

Just ask many of our clients, it is much easier to prevent fleas than treat the problem once you have them in your house. Fleas can cause severe skin allergies, general itchiness or discomfort, and can carry tapeworms which can then infect your cat’s GI tract. Surprisingly, many cats that have fleas or tapeworms may not show any symptoms. This is an alarming point!

If you are not treating your cat for fleas, or don’t think your current flea treatment is helping, we’ve created a list to help you decide which option is best for you and your cat.

Here are the products we recommend to keep your cat flea free!

For cats that go outside and have experienced prior problems with ticks:

  • Bravecto – the newest flea and tick preventative. This medication is applied topically every 3 months for your convenience.
  • Seresto – a collar that is effective against fleas and ticks for 8 months!

For cats that go outside and have not had problems with ticks:

  • Advantage Multi – a monthly preventative against fleas, heartworm disease, ear mites and intestinal parasites.

For indoor cats:

  • ParaDefense – an economical generic version of original Advantage – monthly topical preventative against fleas.

Carl, CJ and our staff send you wishes for a healthy and happy time during this flea season! If you have questions about which product is best for your cat, let us know and we’ll help you decide which option is suited for your situation.