Dog and Cat

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Can your indoor cat get Flea

My cat has never been outside I'm just wondering if I need to get a flea and tick collar for him so that they won't come.



You don't need to get a flea and tick collar, but it isn't to say that he won't get fleas. You can bring them in on your shoes and clothes, ticks too. I suggest you buy a flea comb and just quickly go over him once a month. He may have the odd one or two fleas every few months, but nothing like an infestation and certainly not enough to get a flea collar. I hate putting chemicals on my cats. If you are worried though, lightly spray some very diluted lavender oil on your cat and you'll never have a flea or a tick. They hate lavender.





EDIT: I wouldn't suggest using products such as Advantage, Frontline & Revolution. One of my cats had an allergic reaction to Revolution, it burnt her fur and skin off and it was very painful for her for months. She now permently has the scars from the chemical burns she had, and her skin is still sensitive. It is rare to have an allergic reaction to it, but it's not unheard of. It's better to go natural and use lavender.




Indoor cats can get fleas and ticks, as the little beggars (the bugs) can hitch a ride on shoes and clothing. Fleas are the biggest worry they will reproduce quickly -- ticks don't breed until they are bloated and by that time you have seen them and removed them.





Flea collars, however, are virtually useless. The do not repel fleas effectively and only offer minimal protection, and can be dangerous. In other words, if your cat has a flea collar, it will do nothing to stop fleas from infesting your cat or home. Your best bet is to get a topical med like Advantage or Frontline. However, I wouldn't dose an indoor cat unless there was some evidence of fleas, and that would be scratching, little white flea eggs and pepper-looking flea poop on the coat, and, of course, fleas leaping on and off the cat.




As other have said, fleas can come inside on shoes and clothes.





Don't use flea collars. First they are not as effective as other things and they can injure the cat. Some are allergic to the collars and the chemicals can harm their skin.





Instead of a collar, use Frontline, Advantage, or Revolution. These are products sold by vets which you put on the cat's skin between their shoulders.





It spreads over the cat, through I think, the lymph system, and kills fleas when the bite the cat or come in contact with the product.





Ask your vet about them.





We only use them if we have a cat with fleas but they are intended to be used each month.





We have a few cats and the monthly cost is too high for us so we only use them when we have a cat with fleas.





If you have only one cat, you can probably afford to treat them monthly.





Talk to your vet about them, most vets have one they prefer.





In bad flea years, we will spray our yard with an insecticide that kills fleas, it really helps.




Your cat definatly won't get ticks if your not walking through areas that commonly have ticks and bring one home. Same thing with fleas. As long as you or anyone else coming into your home is flea free, then your cat won't get fleas.


Don't treat something that isn't there.




flea's can come through screens but ticks most likey want get on him but they could be carried in on like a shoe or something.




yes they can. and just about 2 fleas can reproduce to hundreds and they will spread all over your house, so don't take the risk.




NO FLEA COLLARS! They don't work on the fleas and are extremely toxic.




yes fleas can enter your house even through screens

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