With summer in full swing in the Mother City, the tick and flea populations start to multiply like crazy. These little buggers are not only a nuisance, but they can also transmit serious diseases to your cats. If your cat has fleas, you want them gone and fast! Thankfully, various flea preventatives and tick treatments are available to help you battle the war against these external parasites.
Years ago, options for killing fleas and ticks were limited and toxic. Today, many different safe and effective flea control products are available on the market. Choosing the best flea and tick treatment product for your furry friends can be tricky and EXPENSIVE.
To assist you with this dilemma, we look at the so-called best flea and tick treatment medications available to the cats of Cape Town and the rest of South Africa.
Bravecto
Protection period: 3 months
Cons: Expensive
With nearly perfect ratings across the board on veterinary sites, Bravecto is said to be the best. Many cat owners praise Bravecto for its long-lasting ability to repel fleas and ticks, particularly for outdoor cats. Despite the product’s overall positive online reviews, Bravecto got a bad rep in 2015, when thousands of complaints about dogs experiencing seizures, paralysis, liver failure, and even death after taking Bravecto. The sheer number of serious illnesses and deaths occurring after administering Bravecto for Dogs can certainly give cat owners a pause before purchasing Bravecto for Cats. Having said that, most negative reviews are about difficulties applying or storing it. Based on the general lack of serious complaints, Bravecto does appear to be safe for cats.
Advantage
Protection period: 1 month
Cons: Does not kill ticks
Advantage II for Cats works within 12 hours to kill fleas and only needs to be applied once per month. The product is formulated to address fleas of all life stages, including eggs, larva, and fully-grown fleas. Its three-way protection lasts up to 30 days even when there is frequent water interference. Its waterproof formula ensures fleas are killed on contact to prevent re-infestation on your hound and on your house.
Advocate
Protection period: 1 month
Cons: Does protect against ticks or tapeworm
Advocate is the only product that kills the two parasites causing lungworm disease in cats, which causes irreversible damage to the lungs. It offers all-in-one protection against fleas, heartworm and most common intestinal worms, as well as mange mites in cats.
Revolution
Protection period: 1 month
Cons: Does not kill tapeworms
Just one dose a month is applied at the base of the neck in front of the shoulder blades of your cat, Revolution for cats not only kills fleas and ticks, but it also prevents heartworms and treats and controls roundworms, hookworms, and ear mites. It is a very effective treatment containing Selamectin that will kill all kinds of invertebrate parasites. The product is recommended only for cats over eight weeks of age. According to Medi-Vet.com, the product was tested on six-week-old kittens in dosages of up to 10 times the normal dose. Even at the highest dosage tested, no adverse reactions were noted in the studies.
Frontline Plus
Protection period: 1 month
Cons: Does not prevent any parasites other than fleas, ticks, and chewing lice.
If you’re looking for a reliable, easy-to-apply and slightly less expensive treatment for your cat, then look no further than Frontline Plus Flea & Tick Treatment for cats. Frontline Plus has almost 6,000 reviews on Amazon alone. Some customers say they come back to this brand time and time again. Some reviewers do report that the formula doesn’t work for them, or that it causes burns on their cat’s skin. However, it’s not possible to know if the product was applied properly in these cases.
What do the cat experts say?
We asked Dr Elisabeth Broussard, a veterinarian and feline expert at CitiVet in Gardens to lay in on the matter.
Bravecto, which lasts 3 months, works well and it’s easy to apply. Bravecto works out to be the cheapest on a monthly basis.
Revolution Plus only lasts one month but works well. It’s good for kittens, as they are growing and won’t grow out of the size they are dosed with.
Sadly, the rest are unreliable. Some work well on one cat, but not on the next. The main issues seem to be resistance to the drugs. Since many of the products have been on the market quite a while and only a few ‘improvements’ have been made to most of them. The fleas and ticks are now immune to the stuff, making owner compliance even more difficult. Monthly is harder to get people to do. Whether it’s because they don’t remember, don’t think it’s necessary, or because of the cost. It’s important to stick to the application calender, regadless of the product you choose. Your cats will be thank you (well, ok, maybe they won’t – cats!) and you’ll have some peace of mind, knowing that you’re doing your best to support their overall happiness and health.
Dr Elisabeth Broussard, a veterinarian and feline expert at CitiVet in Gardens.
Choosing from amongst the best flea treatments for cats is one of the most important purchases you’ll make as a cat parent. Choose wisely! When in doubt, consult your veterinarian to find out which brand will suit your cat’s needs best.
