As cat rescuers, animal shelters, and cat caretakers have figured out, there ARE some tricks to help you choose the best, and most cost-efficient, flea medicine available. With help from your vet, of course.
Disclaimer: I give links to pet pharmacies you can purchase some of these medications without a veterinary prescription. These medications are not made in the US and can take 1-3 weeks to ship to you. I have tried to find the most reputable vendors, but I make no guarantees. Use these products at your own risk. I highly recommend going through your veterinarian for all proper prescription medications.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This simply means I receive a small commission on qualifying purchases. Read full Affiliate Disclosure for details. Thanks for supporting the kitties!
In order to determine the best flea treatment for cats, you need to understand the flea life cycle itself. I’ll keep this simple because no one really cares about fleas too much, do they? Everyone just wants to know how to be rid of them!
There have been over 2,200 types of fleas identified in the world. These little insects come in many different forms: cat fleas to dog fleas to human fleas, even!
However, the most common nuisance on both dogs and cats is the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis felis. Fleas are the most common of all external parasites. Fleas can cause horrible itching, anemia, allergic reactions, tapeworms, and even infectious agents such as the bacteria that causes cat scratch fever in some people!
Did you know? A flea infestation can kill vulnerable kittens and puppies simply from blood loss? Fleas are NO joking matter!
The flea has four stages to its life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. This life cycle can be as short as a month in ideal conditions or as long as SEVERAL months.
What’s the most important to remember about fleas is the adults, which make up only FIVE percent (5%) of the population are the only fleas that are actually ON the cat (or dog). The other 95% of the population of fleas (eggs, larva, and pupa) are in the environment.
Flea treatments vary widely from product to product, but they are effective in similar ways.
All flea treatments kill adult fleas once they bite or after a few hours of living on your pet. Some may prevent eggs from hatching or kill eggs, too. Different flea treatments are effective against ticks and lice, some are not. Some are effective against mites, while some are not. Some treatments last a single day, and other treatments can last up to 3 months.
There are many, many different products to choose from for your pets and your cat colonies.
It is important to remember: NO flea medicine can stop eggs already in the environment from turning into larva and then pupa, and then adults, to reinfest your pet. Seeing fleas on your pet after a flea treatment is administered does NOT mean the flea medicine is not working.
Flea medicine is not prevention against fleas jumping onto your pet. This is actually a GOOD thing, especially if you have a flea infestation. After a good 1-3 months of flea treatment of ALL pets in a home, you can usually cure a flea infestation without spraying the environment. However, that will take a long while. Treating the environment should always go with treating the animals.
This is going to depend on your needs! I care for a colony of cats in the barn and thus the best flea treatment for me may be something a little different than for someone who only has an indoor-only cat.
For cat caretakers, we need something that is affordable to dose multiple cats with, some of whom we cannot touch. For pet owners, the answer may lie in the most effective flea medicine available.
I make no judgments on cat caretakers who have over 100 cats to care for and thus do not use regular flea treatments. However, I urge all caretakers of smaller cat colonies to consider investing in flea medicines. It makes the cats SO much more comfortable.
Please keep in mind this post is for informational purposes so you can discuss my recommendations with your vet BEFORE trying it on your beloved pet!
The best flea treatment for cats who live outside in colonies is hands-down is Revolution. If you can afford it, Revolution Plus is even better! Revolution Plus is labeled for cats only.
The reason Revolution is the better option is that it is effective against nearly all external parasites (except ticks) a cat can contract, as well as roundworms and hookworms and you can use the large dog version to save you a ton of money! If you appropriately dose the large dog version, one tube could last through 4-8 cats!
Revolution Plus is better though – if the price is no object – because it adds tick protection.
Please speak to your veterinarian about using the dog revolution and the proper dosage. NEVER give your cats the dog medication without knowing exactly what you are doing. Some ingredients are toxic to cats! Revolution just happens to be the same active ingredient in both the dog and cat products.
Pros:
Cons:
Buy Here!
Revolution Plus
Chewy
Revolution for Dogs
Chewy
Or Order Outside the US Without an Rx (use at your own risk!)
Canada Pet Care
Budget Pet Care
Budget Pet World
But what about feral cats you can’t apply topical treatments on? I have a solution for that, too!
Comfortis is a beef-flavored chewable tablet for cats and dogs. This flea treatment can be easily crumbled up in a feral cat’s food. You must make sure he or she eats it to be effective.
Pros:
Cons:
Buy Here!
What if you have a pet cat that stays indoors all the time?
If you only have one or two indoor-only cats, then the above two options might not fit your needs. Or perhaps you care for only one or two strays in your neighborhood and want the very best flea medicine you can get. That would be Bravecto and Bravecto Plus, in my humble opinion.
Pros:
Cons:
Bravecto Plus would also be an excellent alternative to Revolution for community cat colonies if you can afford it. Just keep in mind, it doesn’t take care of mites as Revolution does. However, Bravecto Plus does take care of ticks when regular Revolution does not! Personally, I would choose Revolution Plus over Bravecto Plus for outdoor-only cats!
Buy Here!
Bravecto Plus
Chewy
Bravecto
Chewy
Or Order Outside the US Without an Rx (use at your own risk!)
Bravecto Plus
Canada Pet Care
Budget Pet Care
Bravecto
Canada Pet Care (Buy 1 Get 1 Free)
Budget Pet Care
Public Service Announcement: Do NOT use non-breakaway flea collars on cats who live or have access outside!
I do NOT suggest using a flea collar on community or stray cats. The reason for this is that cats are NOTORIOUS for catching their collars on objects as they climb. They can DIE by strangling themselves with their collars.
If you would like to use collars on your colony cats, always use a break-away collar so the cat doesn’t strangle himself from a tree branch. Break-away collars are the only collars safe enough for outdoor cats. Enough pressure and it will snap off.
The Seresto collar has a predetermined breaking point, so it is break-away. Seresto is an expensive collar to use if you have a cat who is always losing his collar, though.
Pros:
Cons:
Buy Here!
If you have a greatly infested cat, I highly recommend using Capstar to kill all fleas as it starts to work within 30 minutes and lasts 24 hours. After Capstar, you can apply a monthly flea medication such as Revolution Plus or Bravecto.
Pros:
Cons:
Buy Here!
OR buy a flavored version:
I’m going to be blunt here. I am not a proponent of natural products over medicine. Why? Because when something actually works from nature, man is quick to utilize that into medicine. Most medicine and chemicals we use today originated in the natural world. Willow bark tea was used until man discovered the active ingredient: aspirin.
Natural does not equal safer. After all, cocaine comes from a plant. Morphine comes from a plant. Nightshade IS a plant! All of that could kill you.
That said, diatomaceous earth CAN kill fleas. It is nowhere near as effective as chemical sprays or flea medicines, but it can help rid both the environment and your pet from fleas. Temporarily anyway.
So what is diatomaceous earth? It is basically fossilized diatoms. Diatoms are single-celled algae that live in ponds and streams. Fossilized diatoms are made of silica, which is what is ground up to make diatomaceous earth powder. DE is used for many things, including the abrasive texture in toothpaste or metal polish. And an insecticide.
How it works is that diatomaceous earth is abrasive to an insect’s exoskeleton and it absorbs lipids from the outer layer. This allows the water inside to evaporate more rapidly, which dehydrates the insect. Often fatally. It also kills arthropods (such as insects) by causing a water pressure deficiency. It also must be food-grade particle sized (or smaller) to be effective.
DE is effective against any insect with an exoskeleton, like fleas. It is also effective against slugs and snails.
Studies on using medical-grade DE to rid cattle of worms concluded it was not effective as a dewormer.
Personally, I do not need DE in my home as all the cats who come inside are on flea treatments. And I live here in Louisiana, so doing the lawn is not very effective as it rains so much the ground is almost ALWAYS wet. However, I DO apply it in the barn to help control insects outside my place.
Pros:
Cons:
Buy Here!
Never, ever use Hartz flea products! There are numerous instances where pets have died from the Hartz shampoos or spot-on treatments. I have not heard of a pet dying from any other product as I have from Hartz products.
Death is always a risk of any product, but it should be a very tiny risk. Heck, peanuts have a risk of death as a certain number of people have an allergic reaction to it, but the risk is tiny.
Do NOT buy Hartz products of ANY kind. They are currently being sued for the harm their products have caused.
It’s vitally important to keep all your pets on flea control. It is also just as important that the stray and feral cat colonies we feed and get fixed get flea control, if at all possible. I do understand being unable to afford medication for 100+ cats. But if you care for a smaller colony of cats, then please consider helping our feral friends live more comfortably outside.
Do you have a favorite flea product I didn’t mention? Leave me a comment below!
Lovies!
Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian. Please discuss all health decisions regarding the health of your cats and feral cat colonies with a veterinarian. This post is for informational purposes only, so that you can make informed decisions with your veterinarian. Never use dog products on cats or cat products on dogs unless your veterinarian agrees. Some dog products can kill cats!
This post was last modified on September 11, 2020 4:02 pm
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Hi,
I use Bravecto and it works really well. It works for three months and I just don't have to worry about fleas anymore. Revolution is also very effective. Both Bravecto and Revolution are used a lot by local animal rescues in my area. A friend of mine also recommended DE, and he swears by it. I would like to try it out. It's just hard to get here. I will check out your link ;-) He uses it on his property and he has no trouble with ticks and fleas. I haven't tried the other products you recommended.
Thank you for the warning about Hartz products. I have not used them and I'm glad to know about this now.
Thank you! Definitely stay far away from the Hartz products.
I just ordered a Seresto and a Capstar! Thank you so much for sharing. I've never had a cat before but months ago I decided to adopt a little kitty. She got fleas last week and I wasn't sure what to do until I read your article. Fingers crossed these will arrive fast and take care of those annoying bugs.
Glad it was useful for you!
I'm glad I came across this. The next time one of the cats get fleas, I'm going to give them Revolution. I know it's a bit pricey for $100+, but if it works as good as this, then it's well worth it. I like it's a topical solution too because giving cats pills can be a hassle. At least in my experience. And I definitely agree that Hartz isn't any good. That goes for all their flea products in my opinion.
You're right! Topical is much easier to give cats than pills. SO much easier.
Definitely don't buy anything from Hartz, ever. Even flea home sprays. It's so scary what could happen!
Thanks for stopping by!
What a fantastic post! This is so chock full of useful information I can not wait to dig deep and start utilizing the resources you have given me .your exuberance is refreshing. You have explained very nicely about Flea Treatments step by step. It will be very useful for beginners
Thanks for sharing this useful article with us and I am looking forward to your next post!
Thanks for visiting!
We have 5 cats that we consider as actually ours, 4 of them came to us after crappy neighbors moved and left them behind. On top of that, we have 6 more that were TNR, since they remained close by after being released, my husband built a nice shed or barn type structure for them and we take care of them..I don't think they were ferals, they won't come in the house, but they're friendly enough we could do spot on treatments for them. I wish I could use Revolution, it would be the easiest, because it's supposed to treat ear mites too. But even for just the 5 that are ours, the price would be a bit too much to do every 30 days, and so far, I haven't been able to find a vet around here who'd do the large dog dosage for us, they seem to be more about the $, which really sucks. I guess I'll keep checking around..I've thought about ordering online, but I'm afraid of getting a counterfeit product.
Hi, Emma! Thanks for stopping by!
You're right, unfortunately, that a lot of vets will not help people do this because of money, unfortunately. If they actually sell Revolution at their vet's office, you might have more luck. Another consideration is that some pet owners cannot dose correctly even with prefilled flea meds in tubes, so vets don't always believe someone won't poison their cats.
You're right that counterfeit products are a concern on some websites (even Amazon sellers!) but most of the sites I've mentioned have products made in their countries, as Revolution is not a prescription in Canada or Australia. Honestly, it's silly it's a prescription here. But any heartworm medication is a prescription in the US because if given to dogs while heartworm positive, it can cause a horrible reaction and even death. (From my understanding).
The US has the Teal Revolution, which is the largest dog Revolution they sell. In Canada and Australia, they only can sell up to the Maroon Revolution, which is a smaller size of 2 ML tubes, not the 3 ML the largest dogs get. Now it's no guarantee that they aren't counterfeit, but it did help me decide which sites to link to on my website for out of the country orders because if they're actually offering legitimate products, they won't have the largest sized Revolution we can get with a prescription here. I also went by reviews to see if most people were happy, and the review didn't seem terribly fake.
That said, I can't vouch for any of them as I haven't ordered from them for the same reasons you are concerned. I simply listed it as an option (with my warning) as I believe they're simply foreign-made, not counterfeit, as some people go to Mexico to get their medication because it's cheaper, some people order these things from out of the country. But I haven't tried each vendor, although I may in the future if I have money to burn testing it out!
Thank you for caring for the kitties!
Hey..
Thanks for the reply and info. We've been switching back & forth between Frontline Plus and Advantage II for a while now, I've read it's good to alternate. We buy the xlarge dog doses in those, since I know they can be used on cats too, in the right dosage - I have the dosage chart saved. But as I mentioned before, Revolution would be so much better, since it also treats worms & ear-mites..the ear mites our the biggest concern w/the kitties, along with fleas. I think I will look a little more into the online pharmacies..and pay attention to the ones only offering up to the Maroon. A couple questions though..is it still called Revolution in places like Canada, or is it Stronghold - I think that's the name I read that's used for Revolution in other places. Also, I know you said you've never ordered from them either, but do you know anyone who has? Just curious if anyone has had any issues w/receiving their orders, aside from taking longer..I mean like since it's an item that requires a prescription here in the U.S., if customs usually lets it go through.
Hi, Emma!
I knew that Frontline Plus could be used that way, but I wasn't certain about Advantage. Good to know!
It is still called Revolution in other English-speaking countries as far as I've seen. At least in Canada and Australia. And yes, I get mine locally from a source as my vet doesn't want to do this either. However, if I had to, I definitely would try to do my research and order out of the country. I DO know someone who does do this and swears by it, which is how I learned of people doing it. From what she said, she's never had problems with customs and her order, though it's possible it could get held up.
I specifically messaged her after receiving this comment and she said the wait with Covid-19 has made it a ridiculously long wait to receive it, but that she had never had it held up by customs. She also said she's never had issues with the product itself that she orders. She said it works like the US Revolution she's gotten in the past and she's never had any issues. The pharmacy sells all sorts of flea meds legal here without an Rx and those that require an Rx, but don't in other countries.
The only concern would be if you had a cat with an adverse reaction, which can happen in all meds, of course. (The only reaction I've ever had with US Revolution was the loss of fur at the application site, one looked like a bit of a burn reaction once, but they never had that reaction again.) Or if you are using it as a heartworm preventative. Apparently, if received through a vet's office and proof can be given of regular use on-time and your pet still gets heartworms, then the company will pay for the heartworm treatment. This will not happen if you order outside the US, but this likely isn't going to be as big of a concern for cats as they aren't as prone to heartworms as dogs since cats aren't their natural hosts.
If I didn't have a source for Revolution, and if my source dries up, I'd definitely attempt it as I do trust my friend's experience. And I very well might do it in the future just to test it out, if I have money to burn. Not sure that's going to happen soon, as I'm sure you're aware feeding a ton of cats and their care is expensive!
And if you DO order, I would start with a smaller order to just test it out, if it were me. I imagine if customs does open the package, they'll likely send it back to the country of origin, but my friend has never had that happen. I'd also be careful about applying it to one cat at a time to see if anyone has an adverse reaction, or start with those that have had Revolution in the past. If you do test it, please let me know which pharmacy you decided on and how the experience went. I only have my friend and a bunch of strangers in a cat group who suggested this and swear by it to go by. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you, if you decide to do so.
Any suggestions for how to apply topical flea medicine to 5 semi-feral cats? All are accustomed to me, and three allow me to touch them, so they will be easy. The other two hiss and accept the food. I feel like I need a long applicator, even though my aim would be poor-ish. Might dripping it on their neck fur work? I know they would lick it off each other, as they are chummy.
I ordered Advecta Plus, a generic for Advantage 2 (from Amazon). It is cheaper, and if I can get it onto the cats I will let you know if it works. Some of the reviews seemed genuine....
I caught 4 of the 5 cats and got them spayed/neutered, but the old gnarly Tom will not be caught. Our excellent animal control lady agreed, she took a look and said "no one is gonna catch him". I don't think he can sire babies any more but he can surely bring fleas. You gotta admire him, but Yuck!
Hi, Sandra! Thanks so much for visiting!
Unfortunately, the only way I've been able to give cats that I can't touch flea medicine is to give them an oral type in their food. There's Comfortis, which is prescription only, OR Capstar, which only lasts a day, but it'll help for a while before you need to dose again. You can also combine Capstar with a flea medicine called Lufenuron, but Lufenuron only kills/prevents eggs from hatching, it doesn't kill the adults. With outside cats, that can be an issue since the adult fleas will still jump on them. However, it might be better than nothing and it will help control the flea population in the environment just a little bit anyway and give them relief with Capstar occasionally. (Or the generic equivalent on Amazon). If you can get the cats to eat it in the wet food anyway. A cheaper place to purchase those two oral flea medicines I've found is at Little City Dogs, which compounds the medicine to taste like chicken or beef for dogs or cats. This is where I buy my tapeworm meds and Capstar (though it's called Nitenpyram because that's the generic form) for finicky cats who don't like the taste of the regular stuff. I don't give it in pill form, but I do mix it in a syringe with water and they don't foam at the mouth like they did with regular Capstar, so it's something! But hidden in food, they might not even taste it. I know my feral doesn't. But he's not picky.
As for just dribbling, as far as I've been told, that won't work as it needs to make contact with the skin so that it can get into the bloodstream, not the fur. My vet mentioned that a lot of people who swear the flea medicine they use stopped working isn't because fleas are tolerant, it's because they aren't applying it directly to the skin as they should. So I'm thinking that won't work. I wish it could, I have one true feral that I can't handle at all.
Though if you somehow manage to figure out how to get flea meds on a feral, definitely let me know! I don't know of anyone who's done it, except during surgery or when they're sedated for a vet visit or something. I do know you can put flea meds anywhere it's touching the skin. The spay/neuter place used the armpit of one of my foster kittens who apparently picked up fleas between here and there (though not one other cat had fleas I brought them that day).
And please, let me know if Advecta Plus works. I'm always on the look-out for cheaper options to share with people for caring for these kitties! I try getting Revolution when I can, simply because it also takes care of ear mites and mange issues and I can buy the dog version of Revolution, which is safe on cats when measured correctly. (Disclaimer for anyone reading this: Don't do this with other medicine, PLEASE. I only know Revolution is safe, other dog medicine can be toxic to cats. I definitely don't want anyone reading this giving K9 Advantage and other dog meds to a cat! Don't do it!). And when I can't get Revolution, I'm on the lookout for a cheap backup I can use (that actually works!) so I don't end up with another flea infestation like the time I ran out of flea meds for a month. I'm located in Louisiana too, so flea medicine year-round is absolutely necessary.
As for the gnarly tom, I had one like that. It took me two years and trying to make friends with him with wet food before I finally nabbed him. There's always that one wily old tomcat that takes AGES. There are drop traps you can try too, that are useful for the cats that won't enter traps, but this cat wouldn't be caught with those at all. Or you can just make friends with him by feeding him nummies. I did that with our feral tom every time I saw him, I gave him a can of wet food. Carried it in my bag everywhere I went around the barns. After a while, he started waiting for me in the mornings. He ranged far and didn't belong to a colony, so it was a HUGE step forward to have him at my barn every morning waiting off in the dark. I still kept feeding him. Once he was routinely showing up for food in my barn (though never on schedule, too busy roaming for mates and fighting), I finally just fed all the cats (except him) wet food, packed up the dry and all wet food, then put the trap (with wet food in it) right at the spot he knows I feed. Took an entire day before he showed up, but BAM, caught him. Two YEARS of effort. One day of a trap out there, and caught him easy as pie. I was SOOOO thrilled! You have NO idea.
That was in March that I got him TNR'd. Now, he actually belongs to my colony, MEOWS at me (O_O), sits outside my apartment and rubbed on my leg. He's gaining weight, no longer fighting or showing up injured, and I actually kind of like him now. He still won't let me touch him though. He's the one true feral I have right now and the one I mentioned regarding flea medicine.
So don't feel badly about one tom left. It happens because it seems like every colony has that one tom cat that keeps showing up you can't get.
Thanks again for commenting. And definitely lemme know how you like Advecta Plus and whether or not you got topical flea medicine on a feral. ^_^
Lovies,
Rochelle
Do you recommend Cheristin? Getting Rx flea control is not possible.... or at least it is quite difficult. Thank you!
I apologize for my late response! For some reason, this went to the spam folder in my comments!
I haven't heard anything positive or negative about Cheristin, unfortunately. For non Rx flea control, most people seem to love Frontline and Frontline Plus for their cats.
Hope that helps!