Among all the remedies for skin parasites, flea drops for cats are considered one of the most convenient, safe and effective. Indeed, due to the fact that such drugs are applied to a place that is practically inaccessible to the animal (usually in the withers area), contain insecticides that are of low toxicity to warm-blooded animals, and are very easy to apply, today they are used more often than other means.
Moreover, today they even produce flea drops for kittens, which are almost completely harmless both for them and for the mother cat, which allows you to get rid of cat fleas in any situation.
However, the use of flea drops requires proper application procedures. In addition, the preparation of each manufacturer has its own characteristics.
Let's try together to navigate the most popular drugs available on the market. But first, it makes sense to get acquainted with the basic information ...
Flea drops: general characteristics of the product
In fact, flea drops are solutions of strong insecticides with low toxicity to warm-blooded animals. The most common active ingredients are:
- Permethrin, which is rapidly decomposed in the gastrointestinal tract of a cat (if it suddenly licks the remedy) and does not enter the bloodstream.
- Fipronil, a more modern and even safer insecticide.
- Pyriproxyfen, which is increasingly the basis of drops today, although in the past it was mainly placed in the composition of the hodgepodge of poisons on cat flea collars.
- Ivermectin, remarkable for its universal action against most parasites, in addition to fleas, including ticks, withers and nematodes.
Some of these substances not only have a poisonous effect against fleas, but also repel them with their smell. Due to this, it is possible to apply the product directly to the body of the animal: usually, drops against fleas for cats are applied once to the skin of the neck, at the base of the skull. After that, most of the fleas leave the integument of the animal, literally jumping in different directions.
The main advantages of drops are their ease of application, safety and a wide range of applications.
Usually these products smell quite strong, and the cat may try to reach the neck with his paw and wipe the drug, but if he rubs it thoroughly, he will not be able to do this.
Drops are convenient to use both for absolutely pets and for cats that often walk a lot on the street. Such drugs are most in demand for those animals that go out occasionally - several times a year, getting to the dacha or to a private house. In this case, the drops will help rid the cat of the fleas that have already attacked it, and prevent infection with new ones.
Drops against fleas have some disadvantages. So, they are characterized by low toxicity and the ability to sometimes cause allergies in an animal.So, individual funds cannot be used for sick or lactating cats, most of them are contraindicated in kittens, and in any case, individual intolerance to the drug by animals may occur. Therefore, you should not immediately smear a cat or, moreover, a kitten on the neck with such substances.
With the help of anti-flea drops, you can prevent the infection of a cat with ticks and lice. Usually one application of drops is enough to protect a cat from fleas for two months, and from ticks and lice - for a month.
General application rules
In order for flea drops for a cat or cat to work perfectly, it is enough to push the pet's hair at the withers, drip and rub a certain amount of the product into the skin with your fingers. After that, the cat should not be washed or combed for at least two to three days.
Some preparations (usually domestic ones) are applied in several places along the animal's spine in the same way. In this case, a more pronounced effect is achieved.
The number of drops applied always varies from preparation to preparation. Therefore, before dripping drops from fleas to a cat, you must carefully read the instructions for their use.
On a note
It almost never happens that flea drops do not help. This can happen if, immediately after applying the product, the cat or cat gets very wet in the rain and the drug is washed off without having time to absorb it properly. But given the accuracy of cats, such cases can be considered exceptional.
Review
I once bought Bars flea drops for my Smoke. I put a drop on my neck, and two days later I decided to check, and caught a few fleas from him. I thought that the remedy did not help. And then my son explained to me that the Smoke gets wet somewhere and the drops are washed off.Probably, when in the mornings he goes to catch mice through the garden to the neighbors. Yes, I also applied them incorrectly. They need to be rubbed, but I just dripped on the skin. He once showed me how to apply these drops, and after that the cat really didn’t have a single flea.
Lyubov Sergeevna, Severodvinsk
When using all flea drops, care must be taken that they do not get into the nose, mouth or eyes of the animal. If this happens, flush the affected organ with plenty of water. Also remember that many flea drops are not meant for kittens.
Important:
If the animal has developed an acute reaction to the drug, and its signs do not go away within 1-2 days, it must be shown to the veterinarian.
Safety regulations and toxicity
Do not worry if the cat licked off flea drops: not only is the amount of the active substance in them quite small, besides, most of the insecticides used in the drops are relatively harmless to the animal.
A dangerous situation can arise if a cat has drunk drops from fleas with which her kittens were treated. (especially if all at once and abundantly). Therefore, most drugs are forbidden to be used for kittens before weaning them from their mother: here, as a cat can get poisoned by licking all the kittens, so every kitten in the game can grab another by the neck. And if a kitten licked flea drops from his brother or sister, they can affect him much more than an adult cat.
Of course, if, for example, a healthy adult cat has drunk flea drops, in the worst case, he will vomit and won’t eat for a couple of days. Lose some weight...
On a note
Flea drops for cats can cause irritation and allergic reactions in humans as well. Therefore, it is recommended to apply these funds with gloves, and if itching or redness on the hands, coughing and sore throat appear, drink as much water as possible.
However, in individual cases, insecticidal drops can lead to allergic reactions in adult cats. They may develop itching at the site of application, hair loss and even dermatitis. However, such cases are extremely rare, and it is always safe to apply one drop first to see how the pet's body reacts to it.
But for fleas, the drops are extremely toxic. Most insects, when applying drops to an animal, die only when they get to the place where the drug was ground. The rest try to leave their master as quickly as possible, running away from the unbearable smell for them.
But in order to choose the most effective drug, it is not necessary to know how flea drops work: the most famous remedies have been tested both by laboratory tests and by many cat lovers, and therefore can be safely recommended to protect mustachioed pets.
Let's take a closer look at these tools.
Drops Beaphar, characteristics and reviews
Beaphar is a famous Dutch remedy, different versions of which are intended for cats, kittens and debilitated animals. Its main distinguishing feature is the active ingredient: instead of chemical insecticides, the manufacturer decided to poison fleas in cats with absolutely natural margosa extract, which is safe for furry pets. So with Beaphar you don’t have to worry at all if, say, a cat suddenly licked flea drops.
As a result, today Beaphar is confidently conquering more and more cat lovers, and the manufacturer is diligently expanding the line, developing flea drops for kittens and protective products for lactating cats.
Beaphar drops are valid for 1 month. Every four weeks, a new portion of the drug must be applied to the withers of the animal. Beaphar is sold in ampoules, the entire content of each of which is enough for exactly one treatment of the animal. To apply the drug, it is enough to break off the top of the ampoule and pour the liquid onto the withers of the cat.
The price of Beaphar ampoules is 102 rubles, Beaphar Bio Spot On ampoules - 115 rubles.
Drops Hartz
Perhaps these flea drops are the most advertised and famous today. The American production decided to concentrate on Methoprene-based products, and therefore even the softest HARTZ UltraGuard OneSpot should not be used on kittens under 12 weeks of age.
Hartz drops are available in tubes for 200 rubles per tube. They are applied not pointwise, but as a strip along the spine. According to the manufacturer, the death of insects occurs within 24 hours.
Drop Frontline: Reliable flea protection
Frontline - well-known drops from fleas and worms. A typical preparation, sold in pipettes with a polyethylene tip, with a capacity of 0.5, 0.67, 1.34, 2.68 and 4.06 ml. For cats, only the product is used in half-milliliter pipettes.
It is allowed to apply to kittens after 2 months. Interestingly, Frontline is also used to treat ear scabies.
Review
“I always buy Frontline flea drops. I treat my cat twice a year, at the beginning of summer and at the beginning of autumn. In winter, she never has fleas, and in summer the remedy helps. Two years ago I was told about it, and now I have no problems with parasites at all.
Yana, Kremenchuk
It should be remembered that Frontline may slightly change the color of the cat's coat at the site of application. Therefore, it may sometimes not be suitable for exhibition white specimens.
Frontline: flea drops for cats
Advantage for fleas in cats
Advantage is considered one of the most effective flea treatments for cats. For cats, Advantage 40 is used. The active ingredient is Imidacloprid.
The contents of the tube of the drug at the withers protects the cat for one month. It is important to ensure that other cats do not lick the treated one for several hours.
It is interesting
Advantage 40 is used not only for cats and kittens from 8 weeks old, but also for ornamental rabbits. Only for rabbits, the remedy can be used from 12 weeks of age.
Bars: domestic development
Of the great variety of domestic preparations among scrupulous cat lovers, only Bars drops have gained sufficient confidence: unlike competitors who use harsh insecticides and acaricides for cattle, the manufacturer Bars puts insecticides that are safe for pets in their drops.
As a result, for 50 rubles, the owner of a mustachioed pet receives a remedy that is in no way inferior in efficiency to the promoted foreign counterparts.
But with all the safety of flea drops and the rarity of side effects, consulting a veterinarian before using the drops will not hurt. And when choosing the drugs themselves, one should be guided primarily by the effectiveness and safety of the drug, and not by price and availability. This will ensure that the furry friend will be rid of parasites quickly and without unpleasant consequences.
Important: flea drops for cats can be dangerous!
A very competent article. Especially in the part about the individual selection of funds. Unfortunately, not all veterinarians are competent in this matter, many advise the remedy for which they were paid to advertise. I won’t say now which one was recommended to us, but in the end we still settled on the Russian analogue - Bars drops. I also want to say that cheap does not mean bad, so there is no need to be afraid of cheap drugs. Price is not an indicator of quality at all.
One question worries me: how many days can you not touch a cat after he has been dripped with flea remedies? I re-read the whole article and found nothing about this, damn it. If any of you know this, write in the comments.
24 hours, on the go.
2-3 hours
Until the 15th year, they used only Bars and everything was always good. But last summer was disappointing. Bars has ceased to be effective. By autumn, we, and we have six cats, came flea-like, like mongrels. Frontline Combo helped. 10 days after the pipette, I put collars on the cats.Previously, we never used anti-flea products in the autumn-winter period, but now we strictly monitor this and process it once a month.
The same thing since this year ... They probably drove the fake. Previously Bars helped well.
The veterinarian prescribed us drops for cats when Muska had fleas. In one application, all the fleas died, and we stopped letting Muska out on the street, because it’s not good.
Don't let yourself out on the street, because you don't care.
Drops are one of the most effective flea remedies in my memory. Drops are applied to the withers, once every two months against fleas. In the summer season, you can apply more often - from ticks, if the cat walks in nature, once every 4-5 weeks.
For 48 hours it is not recommended to stroke and even comb out the cat ... For the maximum effect of the drops, it takes from a day to three. In general, the pests are literally paralyzed in an hour, well, and slowly, but for sure, they go to the forefathers in hell))
We tried the “Frontline” tool, the active ingredient is fipronil ... My low bow to the manufacturer! Our pet is free from this infection - fleas - combing is tightened. Before that, they used shampoo, spray, collar, on the recommendation of a doctor! They only poisoned the animal with this rubbish and threw money away. The poor animal suffered from allergies. Then I myself got down to business, studied the entire Internet, all the means, reviews, recommendations, subtleties of application - and here is the result: buying Frontline drops and the health of our pet. I recommend it to everyone if you have a problem with parasites. Health to you and your cat!
I want to say that Bars has become a complete suck now. Last summer, they dripped on the withers, it feels like “fleas”.There were 3 times more of them than there were, and flea poop began to fall from him, just terrible. I bought Frontline, fleas die from it, even those that jumped off, and my cat had enough for almost 3 months. It costs very well too. Now I want to try something cheaper. Thanks for the article, now I know what to buy.
Used a leopard for my kitty. There were very few fleas on her visually. Ten minutes after applying the drops, one flea was observed to drop dead. The drug is clearly working. Unfortunately, it didn't work out the first time. Most of the drug remained on the fur. Hope it goes through like that.
After drops of Bars, the kitten began to itch a lot, constantly meowing ... Help, what should I do? ((
Dropped "Bars", after a while the cat began to itch a lot, what should I do?
Judging by the stylistic analysis, the comments here were written by the same person ...
Yeah, and your comment, apparently, was also written by the same person 🙂
My cat Manyasha lambed, brought 5 kittens. A week later, I noticed that Manya began to itch often. I began to examine the kittens, and they are strewn with fleas. I began to shovel the Internet, because how Manya fed the kittens, found the drug Advanced for lactating cats, studied the instructions well. While I got this drug, the kittens went to the 3rd week. Manya fed the kittens, I took her outside, dripped her withers and stayed outside for two or three hours, didn’t let the kittens in, and then let her go. The next morning, the entire bedding was strewn with dead fleas, the kittens were more active and did not sleep, as they had before, they began to crawl over the cat.I treated everything with domestos, soaked the bedding in it, put the kittens on the veranda, and treated the rooms with a raptor, that is, according to the instructions. Already the 3rd month has gone, I want to treat it for prevention, Manya began to smell. I do not advertise the drug, I tried it.
We bought drops of Stronghold for an adult cat, and for a young cat, Inspector. Before that, our cats just went crazy, did not sleep, at night I heard how they scratched endlessly. The cat's entire neck was combed. We dug them and that's all ... It's over. The cat immediately went to sleep, the cat too, and as a result, the fleas seemed to have never happened.
Bought Bars drops, dripped. Two weeks have passed - as the cat itched, it itches. Question: Is it possible to drip again or not?
Made an injection from fleas, lice, worms. It's been 10 days and she still itches. Is it possible to drip celandine and how much ?!
I bought an inspector, after an hour it began to itch very much, there are a lot of them crawling on the muzzle. How long should they be gone?
I bought Bars drops - everything helped perfectly, the cat stopped itching.