Summary: The best flea treatment for cats is definitely a monthly spot on treatment from Front-line, Advantage or Revolution. Natural cat treatments are awesome but remember that some products and even a number of essential oils are highly toxic to cats. I am sure that you don’t want to put your cat’s health at risk! Unfortunately, many people recommend them, I have even seen a number of fairly reputable websites saying that it’s perfectly safe. However, at the end of the day, it’s your job to protect your cats from these dangerous flea removal methods.
In addition to all the skin problems that fleas can cause, fleas can use our cats as transportation around our home and lay their eggs in our carpets, couches and other places where they will hatch and potentially create a very unpleasant flea infestation. While treating dog fleas is very different from cat flea treatment, it’s very important to follow a step by step process for getting rid of these pests on your pets.
I Think My Cat Has Fleas, Should I Be Worried?
Concerns About Cat Flea Treatments 
According to the latest research on the top flea treatment for cats, it has been proven that if you ignore the problem, your cat runs the risk of developing flea allergy dermatitis if he or she suffers a number of bites from fleas. This condition can be fatal and even though causalities are fairly rare, it’s really not worse the risk, especially with the number of affordable flea treatments for cats on the market today. Before you start panicking, it’s worth noting that if your cat has fleas, this doesn’t mean that it’s guaranteed to develop adverse reactions that could cause excessive scratching, sickness or death. I have a neighbor that really doesn’t look after his pets and it seems that his cat has had fleas for as long as I can remember and it’s still alive! 🙂
However, as a responsible pet owner it is your duty to look after your cat and this includes treating it for fleas. Remember that fleas can also carry tapeworm and if your cat swallows on while grooming, there is a chance that it will get them and this can be dangerous! And lastly, fleas can live on people and if you have sensitive skin, this can cause a great deal of discomfort and inflammation.
WARNING: Flea Treatments That Are Toxic to Cats!
Firstly, it’s important to realize that flea treatment in cats is very different from controlling dog fleas. In other words, something that works for your dog, won’t necessarily work on your cat and you should never presume otherwise unless specifically instructed by a professional. To prove the point, here are a few things that are used for treating fleas but are highly toxic to cats:
- The insecticide called Permethrin is very toxic to cats. This is commonly found in dog flea products but since cats metabolize it differently, you need to stay away from it at all costs. Even if you are treating your dog for fleas, I recommend keeping your cat away from the dog, especially if they are best buddies. Also keep an eye out for Organophosphates as they can also be dangerous to your cats health.
- Flea collars often contain chemicals (especially the cheap brands) that are dangerous for your cat. In fact, while they might not have any “deadly” ones, these collars are bad news and there are a number of cases where serious problems were encountered, ranging from massive hair loss and painful inflammation all the way to brain damage and death. It’s also important to note that flea collars are often the cause of strangulation when a cat gets caught on branches, etc. Even normal cat collars should have a safety release mechanism in case this happens. If you have been using flea collars in the past, I encourage you to toss them and rather use another flea product. Some of the best flea treatment for cats are extremely affordable and should place too much burden on your wallet.
- Ensure that you purchase the correct cat flea treatment according to your pet’s weight. The strength of most flea products are usually increased as the pet’s weight increases and you don’t want to overdose your cat! This will result in an increased toxicity level and can make your cat sick or worse! Just take a few moments to read the instructions on the packaging and you will be fine!
- Another “natural” flea product called d-limonene is poisonous if swallowed. While most products clearly state that it must only be applied to the cats skin, they obviously have not taken into consideration that cats are continuously grooming themselves and thus run the risk of ingesting this citrus based product. Personally, I think this also should rule out using a flea powder, since consumption will result in potential breathing problems and other health complications for your cat.
- Stay away from any tea tree, cedar, peppermint, lavender oil and practically most of the other essential oil products. Why? Your cat’s liver cannot break down the oils properly and this leads to a buildup of toxins. This can result in liver and kidney failure! Even air fresheners that have these extracts can affect the health of your cat so keep that in mind!
- Raw garlic should only be used in very small quantities as it can be very dangerous to cats in large amounts. If you notice any allergic reactions, stop using this in their food immediately.
- Lastly, don’t ever purchase flea products from unverified dealers, especially online stores as they often do not contain the product they advertise, even if it looks the same. Rather visit your local vet and get your product of choice from them.
Please note that this information is not meant to be a replacement for professional medical advice. If you notice that cat having an excessive loss in energy levels, being very clumsy and vomiting, you should visit your local vet for further instruction and treatments. It’s also important to read the product label for specific guidelines for product application and to follow them carefully. If you have any friends or family members that may be using some of these dangerous treatment methods for their cats, please share this important information with them before its too late! Here’s a couple quick spot on flea treatment reviews that I have put together for you to read:
Treat My Fleas Immediately!
The Best Flea Medicine for Cats That Yields the Quickest Results?
Based on experience, Advantage has always given me the fastest flea control for my cats. While results will differ based on breed, their environment and other factors, I highly recommend this product for fairly instant results. The good news is that, in comparison with other top brands of flea control insecticide, it’s one of the cheaper ones that doesn’t sacrifice on quality! According to their product guarantee, it can kill over 90% of all fleas within 12 hours, not too shabby at all! 🙂 I have also been told that revolution for cats is also a quick killer of fleas but I haven’t personally used it yet but will definitely update this article if I find it to be effective.
What Is the Strongest Flea Treatment for Cats?
Again, based on my personal experience with treating cats with fleas, Front Line has the best stopping power. This even takes out flea eggs on cats. In the past, I have dealt with fairly bad flea infestations for both my own pets and those of others. In some occasions, I have found that while other flea products didn’t work, Frontline never failed to get rid of even the toughest fleas. If you have tried other flea medications and they were not that effective, give Front Line a try and you will not be disappointed. The only negative aspect is that it’s fairly expensive but you can find some great deals on places like Amazon and other trusted online stores.
Which Cat Flea Control Option Lasts the Longest?
Ironically, the best flea treatment for indoor cats is to keep your home and environment free from fleas. While we can’t usually stop our cats from exploring the big outdoors, there are a few things that we can do to protect them. These next few tips might become a bit tedious but it will save you money in the long run as you won’t have to spend money on flea treatments!
- Flea combs can be used a couple times a week to check for flea dirt and adult fleas. Prevention is better than a cure and you need to catch any potential flea problem as early as possible.
- Bath your cat with dawn dish soap. I suggest wearing 20 layers of clothes and a helmet. 😉 Jokes aside however, while your cat might hate you for a couple hours, dawn soap is a great way to remove fleas. In fact, since their skin is sensitive to flea medications, this is one of the best kitten flea treatments that I have used in the past and is very effective!
- Vacuum regularly, especially if you have carpets in the home. Flea eggs and adult fleas often hide in your carpet and this will ensure that you suck up a large portion of their population on a weekly basis. Just dispose of your bag safely otherwise they will all hop out and spread out in your home again.
- Use Food Grade (not Pool Grade) Diatomateous Earth for killing fleas on your carpets and common cat sleeping areas. This powder is completely safe and kills fleas fairly quickly. It’s also rather cheap and you can often find it at your nearest nursery at a very affordable price. It’s a good idea to vacuum your entire house before applying this powder as it forces the fleas out their hiding places and upon returning, they are taken out by this substance.
- Use a monthly spot on treatment for your cats. Provided you can afford this choice, it’s a very good one and ensures that your pet has the highest level of protection against fleas.
In conclusion, treating cats for fleas involves a proactive and a reactive approach. You want to try keep fleas away as much as possible while still taking the time and effort to react properly when a flea problem is discovered. Never ignore a flea infestation, hoping that it will go away because it’s one of those things that can usually get worse and that needs to be avoided for all the reasons discussed in this article. I hope that you enjoyed this article and I encourage you to leave your comment below 🙂
Hello! My name is Natasha, and I have been helping people with their insect problems since 2012. I have published a book, worked with many pest control companies, and helped thousands with various infestations on a one-to-one basis. My goal for this blog is to create evidence-based guides that are easy to understand, provide sufficient depth and can be trusted to be very accurate. Please remember that my guides are for informational purposes only, and that you agree to the terms of use when reading content on this website. If you leave a comment, I typically respond within 48 hours.
We moved into a home in December. We have 2 cats that have never had fleas in our previous home. About a month ago i noticed a ton of fleas in my kids closet and it has been downhill ever since. I have placed salt down more than once. More like half a dozen times. Vacuum everything every single day. My kids are getting bit and its becoming a nightmare. I have also used a flea powder that you vacuum up after about 30 minutes. I tried the cheap treatments for the cats but found about 6 adult fleas on them yesterday. I flea combed them dipping the comb into dawn and water. I hadnt seen fleas for about 2 days besides on the cats, which were confined to a bathroom. I treated them after combing with some flea spray. And sprinkled safe flea powder in the bathroom. Today i have found at least 6 very small fleas in the living room. My question is have you had experience with flea busters rx? And how long does it take flea treatments to kill small fleas once hatched?? I dont want to do any bombing and would like to figure this out before it gets to that point. Also can fleas live and hatch eggs on human blood vs cats?
Hi Rachael! I have not used that product, sorry. While salt is good, I recommend that you repeat that same process with food grade diatomaceous earth (it is really cheap) as it is much more effective (100% safe). Combine that with putting out DIY flea traps at night and I am positive you will win this battle. I have articles on both these subjects, check them out under the fleas category. Cheers
Hi there thanks for the article. We’ve treated our cat for the second month in a row now after finding fleas, he’s wearing a flea collar and we’ve still had to spray the studio down every few days due to finding new fleas. It seems they’re all gone and then he brings in a new batch, we comb him and see some dead ones and flea poo and eggs but then also a live one pops out and we decimate the surfaces again, wash the bedding vacuum everywhere – the whole kaboodle. Just when we think we’re in the clear another little bugger jumps on our ankles. Is it possible the treatment we rub into his neck and flea collar he wears all day is not enough to kill them all or deter them before he comes back inside? Do we need to go a better brand? Are they even meant to be 100% effective, or will we always find stragglers? Should we try washing him ontop of the monthly treatment and collar or is that too poisonous? Huullppp ussss!! D:
Hi Jeremy, first of all, I highly recommend that you remove that flea collar (check out my article on this topic for more details). Secondly, I recommend just a monthly spot on treatment until the fleas start disappearing, and thirdly, your cat must be getting them from somewhere and it is likely to be your yard. See my article on “beneficial nematodes” and use them, they are extremely effective. Lastly, just to make sure that your rooms are not housing any fleas, check out my article on DIY flea traps, and put one in each room at night, also very very effective. Hope that helps!
I want to ask. For your home made flea trap you mention using a battery operated tea light. Where do you put it at? Do you place it directly into the water or hang it somewhere? I have an infestation of fleas and am losing the battle. 2 of my cats do not leave the house and the third, yet oldest does go out but not much as she like the comfort of the air conditioning. I believe she has brought the visitors in and that the dogs in the back yard might have shared even though they have no interaction with each other. Please help.
Hi Dana! Good question, probably should update the article with that info, my bad. I usually place it on something small, which I place in the middle of the bowl. So to answer your question, no I do not put it in the water, but if you have the waterproof ones then go ahead and do that (better).
Most of the flea products say they are to be used on cats over 1.5 pounds. I have a 14 yr old cat that weighs 6 lbs. and a year that weighs 22 lbs.Will this work on both cats. What do you think.
Hi Kay! I recommend that you chat to your local vet, as there is flea products that are tailored to different cat sizes, and it is important to get one that matches your pet otherwise it is likely to prove ineffective. Hope that helps.
Hi I would just like to say thank you for your article. I have a question my friend came in with her little dog last Saturday and it turns out she has fleas. I have two indoor cats and they have never had fleas. I comb my girls yesterday and my Lady Penelope had one very small flea on her my Tuppence hasn’t any and I have comb both girls with a flea comb. What spot on would you recommend. I live in London. Thank you. Amanda
Hi Amanda! Thanks for your kind words 🙂 I recommend Frontline, hope that helps! Have a good one!
I found a natural product from “Natural Chemistry ”
Natural Yard and Kennel spray. It is a Cedar Cinnamon base. I diluted to use on carpet and dog also (same product better price).
While not soaking cats in it..it could help those with wet yard infestation issues. I actually watched and compared as I sprayed fleas with this and a HARTZ spray. It killed them just as fast .
Hi Shiloh! Thanks for the awesome tip!
help many people
nice one
Hi Patricia, thanks! 🙂
I would just like to add, fleas can also transmit the Bartonella bacteria, which causes “cat scratch fever”. One of my cats ended up infected with Bartonella after a flea infestation. She was very sick, but it is treatable and she is doing well. We had been using frontline, but it stopped working, advantage II worked.
Hi Emily, thanks for sharing that valuable piece of information, it will definitely help many people 🙂
Can u use the Diatomaceous Earth on cats and kittens? My female cat just had 6 babies on the 8th of this month.
Hi Nancy, ideally not. Use the DE in your home, and after giving your cat a bath with warm water and soap (if possible, it kills the fleas instantly), use a spot on treatment that lasts 30 days.
Fleas build up a resist ency to most all products. This explains why it becomes less powerful over time. Switch it up, and change brand names. Each one is a little different than the other. Another reason you pet still has fleas, it’s getting infected again and again. The solution you use becomes weaker over time. Instructions recommend using monthly, but by the time treatment day rolls around, the pets have fleas
Use diatomaceous earth in your yard. It’s safe for most living creatures; obviously not fleas
Grind table salt into a fine powder; pour it in a salt shaker, and sprinkle your floors before vacuuming. The salt dehydrates larvae and small fleas. If your home is heavily infected with mature fleas; set up lights so they point at a large water bowl. Add a few drops of dish washing detergent. It’s the warmth of the light that attracts fleas, so better cool your house down. Salt wherever your pet sleeps or hangs out.
Wash bedding every two to three days
I have a small rescue, and work out of my house. Fleas are always an issue when new cats come in, but I’ve found these little tips in being extremely effective
Hi BG, thanks for your fantastic comment (all very factual). I am sure that it will benefit the community so I appreciate your time.
Hi Natasha,
Thanks so much for all the work you and very informative information you provide – really appreciate it. I came across your blog while searching for the best remedy for my newly discovered cat/kitten flea infestation. I was trying to avoid dangerous chemicals and bought some “Mad About Organics” natural flea killer – but after reading your blog I’ll stop using it. It’s hard to find trustworthy information online these days. I also bought a Hartz flea collar for my adult cat after a neighbor told me she has been using it on her cat for over a year with no issues – do you think I made a mistake doing this? I just started using it a few days ago, do you think I should stop it? And do you know if I can use the spot on treatment after taking off the collar or do have to wait a while? I’m also wondering if you have a preference between Frontline and Advantage for kittens (10 weeks)? Also have you tried any of the other “generic” brands that use the same active ingredient as Frontline, such as Sentry? The reason I’m asking is because I have a lot of cats and I’m trying not to break the bank here 🙂
Thanks again, hope to hear from you soon!
Hi Rox! I advise against using the flea collar, they are bad news. I actually have an article about it, check it out. Both spot on treatments are good, just make sure you get the correct dosage for their weight, your vet will advise. Hope that helps 🙂
I found this site while searching for the most effective flea treatments for my three indoor cats. We’ve been using Revolution for months and it’s complete CRAP, might as well be putting water on them for all the good it does. I’m going to try Advantage II and Frontline, alternating months so the buggers don’t get used to it. Hopefully it works, I feel so sorry for my babies!
Hi Sherie! Best of luck, let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi Natasha, after two exhausting hours checking out solutions for the safest and best approach to my flea problem I find that your blog is the most informative, realistic and safe approach to the flea situation for cats. I have two indoor cats. I did a favor for a friend and kept a dog for one day. After that I along with my two cats have been miserable. My cats have never had to be treated for fleas so needless to say the three of us are ready to jump off the nearest bridge. I have been so afraid to use anything on them for fear that whatever I bought would be toxic. in fact – I researched a lot of the remedies that pet stores recommended and some of them WERE toxic to cats. Sammy, Sidney and I say ….. <Meow, Meow and thanks for your help !!
Hi Julie! Thank you very much for your lovely comment, made my day hehe. Glad that I could help you 🙂
Hi Natasha… I want to thank you for all the wonderful tips I received from you. I have four kitties, ranging from 12 years to 2 years, that never go outside. They got fleas three months ago and Advantage II did not help. I got the food grade DE three days ago and put it EVERYWHERE!!! I quickly noticed much less scratching. I plan on keeping the DE on the carpet for about a week. Do you think this is long enough? I read if I put a teaspoon in their wet food daily, it rids them of parasites, worms, etc. I am thinking about trying it. Any suggestions? Thank you. :o)
Hi Dawn! It is a pleasure, glad you find them useful. DE is great, but I also recommend a couple DIY flea traps (I have an article about them on this blog) and you can turn on at night. You will have much better results if you use both these methods. Hope that helps!
Alice, will be 17, Oct 1, 2017. She stays in doors, but gets fleas occasionally (2-3 times a year). Our yard is full of squirrels, bunnies and sometimes stray ‘outdoor’ cats. I carry yard fleas in the house on my shoes. i always know where the fleas are (rugged area) because she runs past the flea infected area and changes the place she sleeps & naps. I have found flea combing Alice twice a day plus a 2 or 3 time thorough vacuuming, using the crevice tool for rug seams and cracks plus a one time dose of Advantage 2 does a great job of solving our flea issue. I plan to start using an insect repellent on my shoes when I venture out. Hope there is a suggestion here that may help someone.
Hi Hugh! Thanks for your fantastic tips, I appreciate it! I am positive that it will help many people 🙂
Hello. I live in SF Bay peninsula area and have a 9 year old big orange tabby. No flea problems when we had our own mobile home and a yard, but moved to apt complex which allows any size dog. First year, OK, but now we have a guy next door with two Labradors that get taken outside to exercise. Lovely dogs, but it seems that the common areas of the complex are now infested with fleas, and so is my cat. So, yes, you can bring flea eggs in on your shoe soles with the outside dirt or adults on your pants legs and socks. My mom taught me that the best way to tell if your yard is infested is to walk around outside in shorts or rolled up pants wearing white socks with no shoes for 10-15 minutes and watch for fleas on the socks. For some reason, they jump right on those white socks. You can use an old or holey pair (men’s tube socks work really well) .
I put Advantage II on Gene last summer when the fleas first moved in and it worked like a charm. One or two days, no scratching or chewing. Thought that this Spring I would splurge on the “good stuff” (read: more expensive) and bought Frontline Plus. Boy, was THAT a mistake! I think it fed them. He went from zero scratching and biting to miserable in about 2 days. I asked the info line at Hartz about how long he would have to suffer before I could use Advantage, and they said 2 weeks for an adult cat (over one year or 8 lbs), but kittens need at least 3 weeks in between. Worked like a charm. So I hope your readers can glean some info from this about how long to wait between flea products with *different* active ingredients. If you are trying a new brand with the *same* active ingredients (lower cost, etc) you must still wait 4 weeks between.
Cat flea meds have to be formulated very carefully, because they have such specialized digestive systems that they lack a lot of enzymes and metabolic pathways that we humans have. Their bodies were meant to eat only meat and the stomach contents of their prey, which provided pre-digested greens and grains for them to absorb nutrients from. Just wanted to add here that not only are dog flea products bad for your cat, but so is dog food. It won’t hurt them to grab a snack from the dog’s bowl every now and then, but all commercially available cat food is enriched with taurine, because wild cats get it from their prey, so all cats have lost the ability to make it. It is not added to dog food, because dogs can make it. Without sufficient taurine in the diet, cats can actually go blind and develop other health problems. . Thanks for your time. I hope the info is useful for your readers.
Hi Lori! Thanks for your fantastic contribution to the community. I enjoyed reading it and I am positive that others will as well. Have a good one!
I have an inside outside cat! She is a beauty, with medium hair length which attract more fleas I believe. I have bathed her in Dawn, maybe not long enough. Are there any suggested dry shampoos for cat if all else fails, she doesn’t really like the baptism! She does have fleas and I have seen them in my bed, so they are more than I’d like to admit! I have sprinkled the yard with D.E. I will look into the Borax for the carpets. I have used Advantage 2 which didn’t seem to change her scratching patterns. Help! Any suggestions for stronger treatment, she is about 5 lbs. thanks for all the info.
Hi Cryssy, the dawn / water “baptism” (made me laugh lol) should be effective even if it was a short time, provided the cat was completely soaked (right to the skin). I suggest that you give “Frontline” a try, let me know how that goes. P.S: If you do the bath thing again, make sure its BEFORE you apply the spot on. Hope that helps!
My poor kidden has a bad infestation and there are piles of “flea dirt” in our bed because he sleeps with us! So I’ve just applied frontline month one, vacuumed and poured DE all over our carpet, wood and tile duplex on Maui. We have to take our bedding to a laundromat to get really hot water but “whatever it takes”. I will write back to let you know how it all goes but I just wanted to say…THANK YOU!!!
Hi Shelly, it is a pleasure! I hope that you come right, let me know how it goes!
Hi I’m from the UK and we don’t have Dawn dish soap here. Any idea what the UK equivalent is to wash my kitten with as he is infested with fleas and keeps bringing more home and infesting our dog too. Also could I use the same thing to wash my dog?
Thanks, Rosie
Hi Rosie! Good question. The only reason why I recommend Dawn is because it is a gentle brand, but honestly, any product that is equally as gentle will be fine. Try find some product with “real lemon” or something like that. Either way, it will work, I have even had some of the community just using any dish soap and it all worked out fine 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I have been taking my cat (7years old and weight is 3.8Kg) to the vets for injections which last for 6months but the price has gone up over the years from @ £40 to last week £70.06. Could you recommend an alternative which I could administer?
Hi Michael! Goodness, that is quite a jump! I am not sure what the prices are like in your country, but have you checked just regular monthly spoton treatments? Like Frontline, etc? Let me know.
How do you feel about the product Revolution?
Hi Missy! It’s decent, give it a try!
Hello Natasha… You have provided lots of valuable information, and I Thank You for that. For the past ten-months I have been taking care of 5-Feral Cats that I feed and have come to adore even though they can’t be touched. I’ve provided two large and three smaller straw shelters, for them that are Tarpaulin covered. I also purchased a steel 2-wheel utility trailer and converted it into a kitty house for them. I use 2-heat lamps for warmth in the trailer when it’s cold which they seem to like. I need help… They relieve themselves in one particular grass area and the smell is overwhelming. I rake out the stool and add bags of topsoil and grass seed to the pile but the smell remains awful. Natasha, can you suggest an lawn Odor Neutralizer and a Flea/Lice Killer Product(s) I can use for the smell and in their shelters, since I cannot touch them to use products such as, Frontline, Advantage and the expensive Revolution. Please let me know and in advance, Thank You.
Hi LC! It is a pleasure! I suggest that you put some DE in their shelters, any fleas that fall off and come into contact with it will die, but it is safe for the cats (see my article on this topic). As for the lawn odor product, I am sorry but I don’t know offhand, maybe visit your local garden shop and ask them. Hope that helps!
Hi Natasha thanks for such an informative article! We have 4 young cats that used to be feral now they are love bugs. They are outdoor cats, we had them fixed and they have a spoiled life 🙂 I was wondering if you have any recommendations for effective and hopefully inexpensive flea & tick monthly for the cats. We want to protect them but not sure the best option. Thank you so much!
Hi Amy! It is a pleasure! The easiest thing to do is get a monthly spot on from Frontline or something similar, it usually works pretty well. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much. Very informative. We have an older indoor only cat. Recently took in a stray someone found. The stray was given a flea bath, we kept the two apart until she went to the vet. She checked out clean. Only to find a month later she had worms (we saw sesame seeds on her bedding). Then my older cat didn’t seem himself. Took him in and a small fortune later they said he was fine. Now almost a month later they both have fleas. I don’t know if he got fleas from the new cat (who may have been diagnosed wrong) and that stressed him out, or if he brought fleas home from the vet. He was at the vet a good portion of the day. He’s longer hair and won’t let me trim him with the clippers. Been combing both of them and getting flea dirt. Trying Hartz topical product. Bathed both with Dawn (but I don’t think I did a good job). Waiting a couple days to bathe in Sentry shampoo. Been vacuuming daily & washing their bedding daily. Have dismantled two of our four bedrooms and spraying an Advantage household spot & crevice spray on furniture & mattresses. Feel sorry for the older cat. Neither he or I get much slerp. Been putting pillows & shoes in the garage as it is cold here (under 35 degrees). Washing all bedding & blankets we use for watching TV. Tried Mule Team Borax on the carpet, but didn’t wait near that long. Will try it again. Thanks for the time and effort of putting your article together. Great read.
Hi Carla, it is a pleasure and thank you for sharing your story! I am pretty sure that those steps will result in success, let me know how it goes!
Hi and thank you for all the good information. I have a young maine coon who stays indoors and has somehow gotten fleas. My question is how do we get rid of them? I have tried frontline twice and I still am finding live fleas in her belly fur. She is now wearing a Bayer flea collar. I vacuum my hardwood floors every day and have left all my throw rugs out overnight in the below freezing temps to kill fleas and eggs. All bedding has been replaced with towels that I launder every few days. I brush her every day. I am keeping her out of the bedrooms after I laundered all the bed linens and vacuumed thoroughly and treated the floors with Bayer insect (flea) spray. I even bravely shaved her belly between her legs where I find most of the fleas. Even though that fur is almost down to her pink skin I still am finding fleas in that area of my baby. I have tried treating her with natural powders and applecider vinegar spray and NOTHING is working. Bathing her is out of the question because of the temps in our area now. She won’t tolerate the hair dryer and would need to dry naturally which takes forever with her long fur. I am at my wits end. I also have a short hair black cat who received the same treatements as his little sister. He seems to be flea free. I think it’s her fur that is protecting the dastardly fleas…….now what?
Hi Joanne! It is a pleasure! Firstly, don’t use a flea collar please, it is bad news. Secondly, I suggest that you take the cat to the vet, they usually have solutions, especially for long haired animals. Thirdly, it doesn’t sound like you have a big indoor flea issue, so just focus on the cat. If you are able to wash the cat without being killed, try using warm water and dawn soap, kills fleas instantly. Good luck, please share this post on Facebook if you appreciated my help.
We just found a flea -will take your advice and check back thank you
Hi Virginia! Perfect, hope you come right! Best of luck!
HI,
I have 2 cats that are strictly indoor in my 3rd story apartment and I’ve noticed tons of flea dirt on them and a few fleas. I am extra paranoid about having fleas everywhere in the house so I’m wondering if spraying down the furniture and vacuuming is effective at killing and preventing more fleas? I just put the medication on their backs of their necks from the vets and will be giving them dawn and warm water baths tomorrow (much to their hatred)
Hi Grace, if it is a small scale infestation, yes that might be all you need. Definitely do that, I am sure that you will be perfectly fine moving forward 🙂
Hi Natasha, I have a flea problem ! I’v been through this before and have used a pill for my cats ( Comfortis ) which works pretty good,plus I use Diatomaceous Earth around the house inside.Now on the outside I’v used Borax and it worked good,but I have feral cats outside and kittens too,supposedly the Borax is not good for young cats,is there anything else that works good on the outside that won’t hurt the cats and kittens,preferably natural ?
Hi Scott. Are you wanting to treat the cats outside or the actual garden?
Hi, I’m going to move to southern Oregon and want to take the proper flea medication. My indoor/outdoor cats don’t need flea meds where we live now in California–they don’t get fleas–but with wetter weather in OR, I want them to be protected as a preventative. My vet said Advantage may not be effective in some regions, but she didn’t know about southern Oregon. Do you know if it is a region where Advantage will be effective? Thanks
Hi Nicole, sorry I don’t even think a region based list of effective flea treatments exist and if it does, I want it as well hehe. Just go ahead with the spot on, I am sure that it will be fine.
I found fleas in the house about a month ago. I’ve Frontlined the cats, been hoovering, sprayed Staykill, had DE down for a week, just hoovered it up & sprayed again. Through all this I’ve been finding one or two live fleas daily. They are sometimes jumping but other times wriggling on the floor – is that likely to be because of the spray? I drop them in soapy water to kill them. I also have traps down & find an occasional one in there. I know that one or two daily isn’t a huge number but they’re still driving me mad! I’m checking the floor with a torch 3 – 4 times a day as the torchlight shows them up really well. Will I ever get rid?? If the IGR stops them hatching etc, why are they still appearing after so long? I feel like I’ll never be able to relax again 🙁
Hi Alison! Yes most likely. Yes it will get better, especially with what you are doing so keep that up. Make sure you are using the traps at night, that is when they are most effective. Good luck!
Hi I have a 2 yr old chihuahua his name is Gizzy. I recently got a kitten named Lulu she is about 3 months old now. Well I’ve never had problems with fleas until now that we got Lulu,and I have found treating her is nothing like the dog. Weirdly Lulu loves water all but it on near her head think maybe hurts her ears, but anyways when I bath her they all seem run on her face then I can’t get them off. I don’t want to dunk her head or nothing since as now all I have to do is turn water on and she will jump in her self. I no if I scare her by putting water over her head she will fight bath so what is best solution to getting them off her w out getting her head wet since seems that the fleas stay there almost like they no water doesn’t go there
Hi Melissa. If you use soapy water, the fleas won’t make it to her head and will die instantly. Maybe try that? Or you can use a flea comb and push them into the water, that is probably a better option. Hope that helps!
I have a flea situation that is practically keeping me awake at night with paranoia and I was hoping you could give me some peace of mind. My apartment was infested with fleas from the previous resident, and I unknowingly brought a 10 week old kitten into it. I noticed him scratching and saw some on him within a day so I took him to the vet that night. I put frontline plus on him around 1AM and finally got him to take his capstar pill around 11AM. My boyfriend offered to take him in for a few days while I get the infestation in my apartment under control, so we went to his apartment around 2PM that same day. Now I am worried sick that somehow myself or the kitten will infest my boyfriends place with fleas. What are the chances of this happening based on the medications I used and the time frame before we went over. I wiped out the carrier with Clorox and used a brand new towel that the cat hadn’t touched before he was given the medicine, but I’m so worried that somehow me or the kitten transported some fleas or eggs. The cat has only been over there for 24 hours, is there anything I can do to ensure that my boyfriend doesn’t end up with the same hellish nightmare of an infestation that I am?
Hi Laura! It is unlikely that your bf will get a major infestation, especially since you have already used that medication. If you want to check, put a flea trap or two at his place and if there are any fleas, they will get caught. Flea trap guide is on this blog.
Hi –
I have two cats who spend a lot of time outdoors. I discovered that they had fleas a few weeks ago, and they had probably had them for a few weeks before I really figured it out, because I’ve never dealt with it before. I have a one bed ground floor apt, and I’ve treated them both with Advantage, twice now, and it seems to pretty much work, but then they go outside so much, that they come back in with more fleas. I’m getting so stressed out with washing everything (maybe it’s for the best!) but really, I’ve washed my comforter three times in the last three weeks, even though I’ve stopped allowing them in my bedroom, because I think I also carry the fleas in on my clothes (which I’ve started bagging in a trash bag until I can wash them). I have wood floors and one rug, which I’ve been vacuuming a couple of times a week. I just spread D-earth on it tonight with a broom, but I also have piano students in my apt, which is part of my anxiety, so I won’t be able to keep that on for 24 hours (more like 12) before vacuuming. I also comb my cats daily with a bowl of soapy water nearby, and that’s where I find fleas, often. Do I stop letting my cats go out? Do I try to limit them? Is there a spray for my apt? (I also sprayed some fabrics and chairs with a combo of 1/4 white vinegar and 3/4 water with some dish soap added.) ALSO I’m this perpetual cat sitter for a guy who only has an indoor cat, in a 3rd floor apt, with windows that are never open. Is it a bad idea that I keep pet sitting for this cat? I mean, he may not be treating the cat. I just want to know how likely it could be that I could carry something into my car, and into this other apt. I’m so stressed out.
Hi Ann! It isn’t likely that you will carry the fleas over honestly. I suggest that you put 2-3 flea traps in each room during the night. I have a DIY article on how to make them yourself. Repeat for a couple nights and see if the numbers reduce. If they don’t, let me know.
Thank you! That’s relieving.
Hi Ann, it is my pleasure!
Hi,
I have been reading about your problems. I have two cats, both 7. They are indoor only. A friends dog brought fleas in, which I battled for over a year.
I TRIED borax, baths, Advantage, Frontline, vacuumed like a crazy person,essential oils, moped, washed couch covers constantly. I was going INSANE!!!!!!
Finally I read online about the combination of Program and Capstar. I gave them the Capstar in food, it killed the existing fleas that day.
Then when enough time had past (didn’t want to give my kitties too many chemicals at once) I gave them the Program 266mg Once again given in their food.
HEAVEN!!!! Flea free at last. It was explained later to me by a friend, (after $100.00s spent/ soooo much energy) that fleas, in my area are resistant to Frontline, and Advantage. I was throwing my money away!
Have not had a flea, in a year now. Hope this helps somebody out of the hell I was in.
Best wishes, and Happy Cats!
Hi there, goodness, that is some super resistance fleas you have there hehe. But yes, I have heard the same over the years. Although it is not the norm (I still use Frontline and works fantastically for me), they can become resistant so swapping it out for something else was a good idea, nice one. Thanks for sharing your experience, I am sure that others will appreciate it like I do.
can dawn dishsoap be used on cats as well as dogs
Hi Rita! Yes, your cat might think it’s a terrible idea though 😉
hi i need major help i notice my cat has fleas and he been getting really skinny along the way i tried to give him a bath with non concentrated dawn soap and apple cider vinegar it work for a couple days but the fleas came back again what should i do. Should I take him to the vet immediately or buy that advantage product you talk about in your article or is there any other ways to treat him.
Hi Sabrina! Yeah a bath is not going to prevent fleas from coming back, it just kills ones that are currently there. A spot on would work best so yes, give that a try!
what spot on do you recomend
Hi Sabrina, Frontline or Advantage works well in my experience, can’t promise anything though 🙂
I finally got around to using Advantage on my cat, and BINGO, it did the trick, no fleas on her after only 2 days, I was amazed. Now I have to work on the downstairs area (my workroom and back storage room.) where the fleas are. I’ve used bombs, Raid spray, gals of Hot Shot, all useless and a waste of money.
Vacuuming worked to some degree. It reduced the no. of fleas I was catching in the flea traps. They do work, but only tell you how bad your flea problem is. I’m going to try the Borax powder today and we shall see. Thank you for your info help. Don in Buffalo
Hi Don, excellent, glad you are having some success. I am sure the borax will sort them out, good luck!
Hi my name is trisha,I have a gorgeous ginger cat called Jean Luke and he two years old.He live indoors and I can’t understand how he’s got fleas.ive read your article and I’m going to try either advantage or frontline ,I’ve tried bathing him but he turns into the cats from hell you’d think that I was killing and omg he bites and scratches it’s horrid.i get really stressed out as I want to help him as I love him to bits,please help I’m from the uk by the way thanks Trisha xx
Hi Trisha, yeah bathing is effective but extremely dangerous for the owner LOL! Both of those products are decent, let me know how it goes!
Hi Natasha,
Would diatomateous earth be safe to kill fleas if I sprinkle it on my cat’s bedding ? How long does it take to kill the fleas by doing this ?
Thanks,
Paul
Hi Paul, yes, food grade DE is completely safe. I would leave it down for a good 2-3 days but it should kills fleas shortly after coming into contact with them.
Hi there – my cat is very sensitive and allergic to regular cat flea drops. Is there a specific brand you can suggest that is gentler on the cat but still effective?
Thank you
Hi Sarah! They are all pretty aggressive unfortunately. If you can wash your pet (and not be killed in the process), use warm water and dish soap to kill fleas instantly.
I find the one and only flea treatment that works is, Advocate, its brilliant!! My cat suffers from the allergic reaction to flea bites and comes up in little scabs all over her, Advocate kills the fleas and works on the reaction.
Hi Phil! It is decent, but there are many variables that make some stuff work for some and not others. Either way, glad that it helped you 🙂
Great reading, Thank U… I have 3 cats, I rescued and raised from a bottle. They were emaciated, upon death. They were being feed with “calf milk” powder. And because of this, they have health issues… We live n the country, and I keep two n the house, (with most health issues), one outside. Plus having stray cats that come around. My 2 n home, doesn’t go outside, (one jumps the gate, until she is discovered). They groom each other, so I wasn’t sure to use “monthly spot drops”, and I’m not sure to give ’em the pill, because of digestive issues. Any suggests in this case?
Hi Regina, thank you! Tricky one, in your case, I could usually say a flea pill but if it causes issues, maybe not. You could try giving them a wash in warm water and dawn dish soap (really works) but they might kill you hehe.
Just and FYI to anyone thinking of using the liquid on the neck spot on products. As a caretaker to multi cat household where cats have some outdoor privileges I tried to save money by trying a product that was not REVOLUTION.
After reading some reviews I saw BIO SPOT ON had a good review and ordered it for 9 cats. A week later all of them still have LIVE fleas.
Revolution kills them on one day and kills ear mites as well.
So I wasted a LOT of money and put chemicals on the cats without results.
And now I will still have to purchase the more expensive product which requires an Rx.
I also heard good things about Advantage II, which can be purchased w/o Rx, but am now reluctant to try it.
Anyone have any good experience with it?
Hi Jolie! Glad you have had success with revolution! However, the effectiveness of these products varies greatly from different regions so what might work for you, might not work for others. I do like revolution though so grats on your success in using it. Advantage II is very good as well. Have a good weekend!
Hi, if I use the advantage on my cat, can I wash him any time after application? Is there a certain time I have to wait before I wash him or can I not wash him at all? Thanks in advance
Hi Eda, I suggest you wait a week or two before washing. Hope that helps!
Im in the tedious process of killing off our flea infestation. My problem is that my one cat is an obssessive licker (also allergic to fleas & just highly sensitive) so I put the ecollar on her for 24 hours -my mom used to work with a vet & thats what she recommended, however she admits shes been “out of the game” for a while. So I’m wondering what the recommended time would be for keeping the collar on her?
Thank you very much for your informative site. Hope to hear back soon,
Leone T
Hi Leone, I don’t recommend that you use a flea collar, check my article on this, they are really not great. I recommend that you use a spot on treatment or something like that. Hope that helps, it is a pleasure 🙂
hello, how do i groom my cat, she hates any kind of sprays , powders, even a brush or comb, she attacks, we struggle just to put flea treatment on with scratching , or words being spoken, dont want to send her to a vets to be sedated , please help thanking you
Hi Sharon, that is a tricky one to say the least. I think the only way is to take her to the vet, otherwise you will have to figure out some way to hold her in place safely (which sounds unlikely). Sorry, no magic tricks here hehe.
I have a mean Siamese cat. I Applied Revolution to her a week ago. Got on her fur instead of skin. Today she bit me when I tried to use her flea comb she still has fleas. Is it too early to put another dose her with the help of a friend? It usually works when applied properly. Thank you
Hi Susan, usually you need to wait a few weeks between treatment but since the first one went on her fur and not skin, you should be fine.
Thanks for the great information. Based on the research I’ve done, it would appear that diatomaceous earth (DE) is the best treatment for the home and pets. It appears to be the only non -toxic treatment for both. I don’t want to use any topical application since I would be dosing my kids (four legs) with pesticides. Do you think DE would be effective as both home and pet treatment?
Thanks.
Hi Mary, it is a pleasure! DE works great in the home and for pets, just use the food grade variation though.
Hi,
I’m trying to figure out the best tick repellent for a cat. Lyme disease is rampant where I live. I don’t have a lot of confidence in Frontline plus. Is there anything else?
Hi Laura! Try Advantage or revolution, they are both decent products.
I have a question that is if u r still authorizing this blog. But I have a cat who is sort of mean. She won’t let me comb her fleas out and she attacks if we try to bathe her. She is three years of age. I got her wen she was a couple of months and she was a stray so she had fleas. But those fleas got bad and no flea collar nor flea medication worked on her and she ended up getting super sick and she got worms and almost didn’t make it. I refuse to let her go through that again and so I am taking precautions and I want to know wut I should do. I’m not sure if she has fleas cuz I don’t care her scratching a lot. I just want to know cuz my boyfriends dogs has fleas and I not sure if I brought any home by accident and exposed her to it.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Ninja, since your boyfriend’s dogs have fleas, I would suggest that you use a spot on for your cat, just as a precautionary step. That way you won’t risk the chance of getting a flea problem. Hope that helps!
I had a flea infestation this winter in Florida. My cat is an indoor cat. I use Capstar and it immediately got rid of all of the fleas. Now I use Frontline once a month. I saw one Flea on him, and I immediately gave him a Capstar. Now I am seeing little white dots on him. I don’t think they are flea eggs because they are not jaggered in shape. I’m thinking that they may be dandruff. But I am not sure. Could they be dead flea eggs? It’s been two weeks since I’ve seen the one life flea. I vacuum the house several times a week put the powder in the vacuum cleaner. The cat doesn’t seem to be upset, and I have not seen any blood spots. Do you think I should be concerned?
Hi Fonda, honestly, no you don’t. Just keep a hawk eye out for any signs of fleas in the future.
Thanks Natasha, your article was helpful. I’m dealing with 3 pets with fleas at the moment, a kitten not even a year old yet, she’s on Revolution, my Beagle who is on Trifexis and my 11 year old cat who isn’t on anything because I can’t afford the Advantage 🙁 I’ve used DE around my house, that didn’t work, I’ve used natural stuff but after reading your article I’m afraid to even use my Doterra difusser. I bought Borax for the house as my next option but every night I sit in my garage and comb my cat and dog for about 2 hours. I’m trying to save up for the Advantage for him, he seems to have it the worst and the next is my daughters kitten even with the monthly topical. Help!!
Hi Sharon, your best option is washing your pets in warm water and dawn soap every two weeks or so. Additionally, keep up the combing, good job on that 🙂
My indoor cats got fleas a few years ago, vet said they can come in thru screens or on. your shoes and clothes, was news to me. Anyway, just wanted to give my 2 cents, be very careful using frontline on pure bred cats, my persian almost died, was very ill and I just happened to find a persian car group that told me to try revolution instead. Had no problems with that. Was considering trying some of the natural products, but just read many essential oils are not easily metabolized by cats.
Hi Lynn, thanks for your comment, it is appreciated. 100% agree with the essential oils being an issue with cats, I have mentioned it a couple times when suggesting natural methods.
We have an indoor/outdoor cat, and for many years we only had a tick problem, for which Frontline worked great. But last Fall we didn’t use it for a few months (he seemed to stop getting ticks for some reason), but suddenly we had a terrible flea problem. We began using the Frontline again, but it did not seem to work against the fleas. We finally got the flea problem controlled by using the DE all through the house, vacuuming, flea water traps, etc. We switched to Advantage, but that also seemed to have minimal effect. Now that spring is here, what spot treatment would be best? I really don’t understand why for 13 years we never had a flea problem, but now we do and they seem to be immune to the two OTC flea meds. It will cost a lot more to try Revolution since it needs a vet prescription.
Or can we assume that if we use the spot treatment and we see fleas on the cat, that even if they jump off him they will just die soon? Thanks!
Hi Joe, yeah in certain areas (and based on a number of other variables), fleas are becoming more immune to certain treatments. My suggest is to try revolution but if you want to put the effort in, just use a flea comb on your cat daily and make sure that fleas don’t infest your house and you should be fine.
Hi Natasha, thank you for the great article.
We have 3 cats and have used Revolution for several years with great results This year our vet quit carrying it and is now using a treatment called Activyl. One of our cats has severe allergies to flea saliva and I must be able to trust that whatever treatment we use has good results. I have never heard of Activyl before and was curious if you have any experience or knowledge with this treatment. It seems to have mixed reviews from what little information I can find online. I can order the Revolution online if need be, but I’ve always gotten it from my vet before – already measured out for the cats weights (online version you have to measure out the amounts yourself and relying on my own math when my cats health or well being is at stake doesn’t sit well with me haha) I trust my veterinarian but this is a new flea treatment and I am hoping someone has more information about it before I make a decision.
We do not have any infestation issues (in our home) as we have all wood floors with throw rugs that are laundered every few days. The cats are strictly indoors and we remove our shoes in the mudroom before entering the home. I’ve never seen any fleas on our bedding or furniture, but it’s nice to have the information you posted regarding safe treatments in case we ever do see fleas wandering around the home.
I saw one flea on one of the cats yesterday (they were last treated in January 2016 with Revolution) so it’s time to make a decision regarding the Activyl vs. Revolution and treat them now.
Thanks for any information you can provide!
Hi Rose, I havn’t used Activyl but that doesn’t mean it wont work. I suggest you use it and see the results for yourself. Also be sure to let me know, perhaps others can benefit as this is a community after all 🙂
is it safe to put the di·a·to·ma·ceous earth on the cat itself
Hi Red, yes but rather use a spot on for your cats.
Hi
I have 2 indoor cats who are covered in fleas ( poor baby’s) we have brought Mortein flea bombs and intend to take the cats to a friends and bomb the house and treat the cats. But the flea bombs contain permethrin. They do not say that they are not safe for cats are they safe to use?
Hi Emily, most flea bombs will have fairly unsafe residue after using them. You need to clean up (mop, etc.) afterwards to keep your family and pets healthy.
Front line is terrible and I will never, ever use it again. I recently purchased frontline for my dogs and cats and it did not work on any of them. What Frontline did do was cause one of my cats to lose the fur, all the way down to a raw patch of skin, where it was applied. Frontline also caused one of my dogs to lose clumps of hair and break out in welts. Furthermore, the Frontline has not done squat for the fleas and I waisted money. I am now trying DE, essential oils and probably going to have to purchase a different spot treatment for the cats. To be fair, I have been told that for whatever reason the fleas in our area do not seem to be impacted by Frontline, of course this was after purchasing and using it, so it may work great for others. My next step for the cats is to try Advantage.
Hi Jen, yeah Frontline is a good product but its definitely not good for all pets in all regions. Good idea except skip the essential oils please, it can cause damage to your cat!
Hi Natasha, I have 2 questions.
First, I have been hearing a lot about a flea treatment that treats heart worms, and is topical. How would this work if it’s not taken internally? Unless it just helps prevent bytes from bugs that transfer it.
Second, and I know this is controversial, but I use Frontline Plus for large dogs on the semi-feral cats I care for. I dose them with .5 ml/10 lbs. I see the ingredients are the same but cost per dose is much less. What do you think?
thanks, Jed
Hi Jed, it actually soaks into the skin, so it does work. However, an oral treatment for worms is better so you are correct. Secondly, I have never done that before but I am sure that it will be just as effective (shhh ;P)
Hi there, thanks for very informative and well-written articles. I’m about to use DE on the carpets (2 kittens around 5 months old). Someone told me to also sprinkle DE on their food and this will act as a preventative. Do you agree or is this harmful to them? The person who told me has 2 puppies. Many thanks
)
Hi Penny, many readers have said it is fine but I would rather you use DE for carpets, etc. than on your actual pet (or for consumption).
Hi, and thank you for your article. It was very informative. I recently adopted a Himalayan cat that had a bit of flea infestation. I treated him with advantage before I brought him home to my other cat. Anyhow fast forward a month and he is scratching quite a bit less. But still some. Being he’s long haired I can’t actually see any fleas.. My other cat still has none. I treat my poor guy again thinking this will do the trick, and he seems to be biting as much as when we first brought him home! I’m doubting he has miraculously re infested. If the advantage is causing him a reaction, is there a spot treatment that is known to be more gentle than advantage? I thank you in advance for any info you may give. My poor boy needs some peace.
Hi Kathi, if you can manage to wash your cat, putting him in warm water with a gentle lemon based soap will kill all the fleas (need to completely soak him).
Hi Natasha,
I have a 14 yr old tabby cat who because of his high flea infestation is banned to the kitchen. The problem I have is that wherever he lies he leaves a huge amount of flea dirt,and eggs. Not sure what is the best treatment that will kill fleas and stop the eggs. We have bathed him but within a day he is covered in flea eggs and dirt. Please help.
Regards
Innes
Hi Innes, you probably find that your home has fleas and your cat is just catching them over and over again. Treat the house and the cat at the same time.
Here’s my situation:
Indoor/outdoor long haired cat: Given Capstar, and been given on spot treatment – this is third month. I have not been combing – long-haired, hates combing. I did a little combing yesterday and combed out a live flea, plus some dirt – I presume flea dirt.
I have bombed house, sprayed all furniture, washed and dried in hot water everything and bagged it (pillows, throws). Could not move beds, so sprayed well under all beds. I have steam cleaned carpets and put down borax several times. Vacuumed 2X’s daily until fleas were under control. Now just once a day. Here’s the scoop, I am on week 9 and I still vacuum up 1-3 live fleas a day upstairs and 1-3 live fleas downstairs. What have a I missed? Any new suggestions?
Should I have the cat dipped? Shaved?
I am getting tired of fighting this infestation…..
Hey Debi, will send you some info, please check your inbox.
Hey! Love the article! But I’m concerned about my cat. I’m a first time cat owner and all this is really new to me and he has fleas and I just washed him and sprayed this spray I got at petco that kills fleas and bugs but I’m not sure how effective this will be. Is there any safer and better ways to kill them around the house beside vacuuming weekly?
Hi Libbt! Check out my article on DE and flea traps, those are good ways.
hi I have a problem every year with fleas, I live in an apartment and my neighbors has three small dogs and I have a cat that never goes out.. My neighbors don’t treet there dogs nor do they bath them , they keep them in the laundry room witch my laundry room is with there’s.. I keep my cat out of there but we continue to get fleas. My cat has a breathing problem anyway but when she gets fleas its keeps her sick..I use frontline plus but it seems not to help. I bomb every year .. Please help me I have done all that I know to do .. I’m now using a flea comb and dawn detergent ..
Hi Penny, just keep doing those washes with dawn (no more than once a week though) and try something like advantage, different products often work better for certain regions / pets.
Hi Natasha,
Just discovered fleas on my daughters 7 month old cat. I’ve seen them mainly on his face…above his nose and cheeks. I’d like to try the Dawn, but afraid to get it near or in his eyes when we rinse him. How do recommend dealing with them on the face? We just moved into a brand new house (just built) 2 weeks ago and I scared to death they are all over the house now. He’s strictly an indoor cat. What would you start with?
Thanks for your article and advice!
Hi Melinda, I am sure it will be fine, just rinse it off quickly after scrubbing him.
Any suggestions on how to calm my male Siamese before bathing him in Dawn and warm water? I know he will freak out! Also , we used a spot treatment ( Sergeants) only a couple of weeks ago and it did not help at all, so I want to get a better one ( Frontline or Advantage) but I am afraid to apply it too soon. What is the general rule on that? He weighs 15 or so pounds, and the one I applied was for cats over 12 pounds ( so I think he did not really get maximum effect anyway, and he has a very thick coat..although we did get it into his skin). I just do not want to apply another treatment too soon. Thanks for your helpful site!!
Hi Kay, wait about two weeks between treatments and make sure you get the product that matches his weight. No idea on how to calm him down sorry, maybe wear a full armor outfit before trying 😛
I’m curious about brewers yeast and garlic for cats. I know garlic isn’t good for cats, but I see it sold, and it’s very cheap. What do you think?
Hi Linda! I don’t recommend it, even if it is cheap.
My cat Markey does have fleas but I do have a flea and tick spray but the problem is I can’t keep him still and growls and starts to his because he doesn’t like it so is there something else I can use?
Hi Noreen! Try using a spot on, I think don’t that a spray would work very well either, Frontline usually works well.
Which do I do first? Give the cats/dog Dawn baths or spread out the DE? I don’t want the wet animals on the DE..
Hi Sue! Put your animals outside and do the DE. Then give them a bath (outside). Hope that helps.
Hi i have a kitten who has about 10 fleas i used advantage and have been vacuming is that going to be enough i have small children and would hate to have to bomb the house if i do need to bomb do i have to wash everything or is it safe once dtied
Hi Megan! No, what you have done should be sufficient.
Well, I live in the redwoods and with this long drought out here in northern california, the flea situation on my 2 cats is making both me and them crazy. A few years ago the fleas in this area developed a resistance to frontline, and it stopped killing them. Then I switched to advantage 11, on the vets recommendation about 1 1/2 years ago and now that has also stopped working all over our area.The latest thing that the local vets are suggesting is a very expensive monthly pill only available from a vet.( I cannot recall the name) I am reluctant to use this as I already had one bad experience with the topical treatment advantage with one cat when she was younger, about 5-6 lbs . She had foaming at the mouth, and small seizures after I applied the chemical treatment. I rushed her into the bathroom and easily washed her off several times with baby shampoo until I was sure there was no chemical treatment agent left on her skin . She was so ill from this flea chemical that she submitted to being washed repeatedly with no resistance. ( At least with topical treatment, if your pet has a reaction you can wash it off of them & with the pill there is nothing you can do to get it out of them) Early this am I remembered I had this diatomaceous earth by Lumino which was sold at the health food store in my area as a flea treatment for dogs and cats.I had not used it as I never knew whether it was actually safe, but was so desperate for flea relief for my scratching cats, I tried it.( My vets had said that they had never heard of it) The container said to use by massaging into the animal’s coat, avoiding the eyes and nose, and that it could be used in this way weekly or as needed, and that the topical treatment could take up to 72 hours. It also suggests using 1/2-1 teaspoon daily for cats or puppies daily as an organic wormer or for internal parasites. Now I just saw your site after I put the diatomaceous earth on my cats and am a bit freaked out that I should not have put the Diatomaceous earth on them after all.I really would love to help them as they have been really scratching. I keep washing the bedding they have . I will try the flea traps tonight. Do you have any further information about whether or not I should use the diatomaceous earth on their fur/skin?? I know I could never successfully bathe either of my cats without a crew of folks suited up in protective clothing unless both cats were seriously ill, so I need something more practical for cats.Thank you for this informative site .
Hi there! The DE on their skin will not harm them, it might just make it a little dry that’s all. I know you might need body armor but washing your cat in dawn soap and warm water is GREAT. Let me know how the traps go, sorry you have had to deal with so much!
I’m going to the vet on the 1st to get my cat flea treatment. I’ve read articles that say Advantage and Frontline aren’t really effective, so I’m going with Comfortis. Have you heard anything about it? I’ve used spot on treatments and they’ve worked in the past but they’re starting not to work, so I’m looking for long term. Also what can I use on my couch and mattress for fleas? Will DE work? If so, how do I effectively use it?
Hi Andrea! Comfortis is a good product definitely give it a try. Yes, DE does work, check my article on that subject 🙂
I applied a spot flee medicine on my cat last week, I still see some flees on her, can I put some flee powder on her to take care of the rest of them, I am using something on my carpet and her cat tree, but if she still has them, I feel I am defeating the process,
Hi Kelly! Yeah sure, you can do that. Good luck!
Hi Natasha,
Thank you so much for this article. I have two indoor cats who only go out on the deck of our apartment and this is the first time in 13yrs that we have had fleas. I’ve tried a cheap flea treatment that hasn’t worked. I tried the vinegar thing and all that did was piss them off and make one sick 🙁 So, I’m going to try the Frontline and the dawn soap bath and hopefully that will work. Also, in regards to a flea bomb, you recommend RAID? I live in an apartment, should I take the cats out if I decide to go this route?
Hi Alicia! Its a pleasure! Yes raid is a good one and yes, please take your pets out the house before bombing.
Found your article while looking up DE. Came home with a (supposedly 9 week old kitten yesterday). Friend who adopted from the same person went to the vet and was told their cat was likely much younger (around 5 weeks). Of course they both have fleas.
While I have a vet appointment bright and early tomorrow, I’m very interested in your point of view on young kittens and fleas (mostly because of loads of disinformation that I feel the need to put an end to).
I’ve been told to use a flea comb a few times a day, possibly bathe her (not with any kind of flea meds) in the gentlest kitten shampoo possible–but only if I pay strict attention to air temp/water temp and really dry her after, and then really work to keep the environment flea-free via vacuuming (with one of those scary anti-flea collars INSIDE of the vacuum bin), cleaning, and one of those sticky warm flea catchers (just heat, light, and stickiness–no chemicals.
So is the above right? I know that we very carefully treated our ferrets (bless their furry souls) with advantage (the one for small cats and only 1/2 of the dosage). My ferret girl Miso was never that large, so is it both the kitten’s size and age that play into this? We also will be treating out other cat with advantage, so how long should they remain fully separated? How old/big does my kitten need to be to use the DE on the rugs and do you ever recommend using it directly on the cat?
I really appreciate anything that can help get us through ’till tomorrow (esp. as when I sat up from writing this there was a flea on my neck–Eck!). I’m hoping my kitten is 9 weeks, as I would not have gotten her that early otherwise but I am giving her full attention and she’s purring, eating, drinking, using the litter box, and playing–She’s just meowing constantly. Thanks so much for your educated POV on these interwebbies.
Hi Vi! Your methods are correct, keep it up! After applying Advantage, you don’t need to keep them apart for more than a day or two. Food grade DE is natural and safe (but just apply it carefully) so give that a try. I don’t usually recommend direct application to pets (check my article on this). You will be fine, keep it up.
My neutered male 15 year old, indoor only Cat has for the first time in his life-fleas. He AND I are miserable for him. Took to Vet, he has flea allergy causing loss of fur, a scraping shows no flea bacteria,etc., thank goodness! I had put FRONTLINE on him and after 11 days, fleas were worse. Vet says they have had many complaints about FRONTLINE NOT controlling fleas(good for ticks). They highly recomment Advantage and put it on my cat-all symptoms have improved. I have been flea combing and vaccuming every-other day(removing bag). I have not experienced any fleas on me and have no other pets in the house. Flea must have “ridden” in house on me or friends who also have outdoor cats. I have sprayed yard with a flea treatment spray. I will deffiniterly stick with Advantage!
Hi Cathy! Thanks for your lovely feedback, I really appreciate it.
Our cat has an ear problem, always shaking and scratching his head, there is no fur left on the back his neck. Jewels is around 12 and is a long hair Rag Doll. He has been at the vet more then I have ever been to a doctor. They say no mites and always add something in his ears that does not help and some expensive flea once a week tubes that dose not work either. Good thing I love him! What do you recommend for ears? I’ll try the Avantage for fleas since nothing else seems to work and try a bath which is a real danger, he’s big about 16 pounds. Mary
Hi Mary! If you cannot wash him with dawn soap and warm water, definitely give the Advantage a try. Good luck!
I had a cat with a similar ear problem – she had been scratching at it for years, the vet could never find anything wrong with it, but would give me drops to put in which of course never helped. Poor cat was miserable and would scratch herself open repeatedly. It wasn’t until 2 (3?) vets and some years later that I learned she had polyps (skin growths/tags) deep down in her ear that when they grew to a certain size, they would irritate the inside of the ear. I know the post was from 2 years ago, but hoping this helps you or someone else who has a similar situation. God bless the vet who takes time to investigate the problem!
Hi Kelly, thanks for your wonderful contribution and for helping Mary.
Hi Natasha. What do you think of the soresto flea collar for cats?
Hi Denny! I don’t recommend the use of any flea collars, check out my article on the subject.
Hi,
Along with all the good advice on flea riddance, I thought I would add to this the water in a bowl with a drop or two of dawn liquid, and set on the floor with a light over it trick. Even without the light, it works. Just put a bowl of water in the area where the fleas are bad, add some dawn dishsoap, and watch the fleas jump right in. Don’t want the animals to drink it, so out of their way, and it is an effective way to kill alot of the fleas.
When we lived on an old farm, we would be infested with fleas in the house, when the farmers would plow the fields. We had wood floors and the fleas came thru the floors. To get rid of them in a hurry, I would oil my floors really well. An old floor in need of a sealant is an easy way for them to get in, and if the floors are oiled down, they can’t move around. Add a bowl of dawn and water to the floor in various places, and the ones that do jump around will jump in the water bowls and drown.
Keep in mind, oil doesn’t do well for wood you may want to stain later. If you have bare floors though, it does condition the wood, as well as bring out the natural beauty of the wood.
Hi Terri! I appreciate the suggestion, thanks for your contribution to the community!
Two days ago my house was free of fleas, or so I thought. I rarely wear shoes in the house and never had a flea jump on me. Now. my place is , seemingly, a flea breeding on steroids !!! I plan on making traps and using Diatomaceous Earth, and using Advantage on the cat.
I stumbled on to your blog and enjoyed the factual way in which you describe what needs to be done, without trying to push a particular product. Thank you.
Hi Donald! Its a pleasure, I always try to be vender neutral hehe. Good luck and hope you visit again soon!
Hi Natasha, My kitten has fleas and I was told to put Borax on the rugs to try and kill them. When that didn’t work I got an exterminator and gave her Frontline along with Capstar. I was finding the black poo droppings you spoke about, but now I have white ones. Is this dander? Since the Borax incident she won’t walk on the rugs, but takes the furniture to get to her food. Can I do anything about this or will she come around on her own?
Thank you
Hi Marie! I am not too sure what “dander” is, please elaborate on that? I suggest that you give the floor a good vacuum and she should come to her senses eventually, nothing to worry about.
May I simply say what a relief to discover a person that really knows what they
are talking about on the internet. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light
and make it important. A lot more people ought to read this and understand
this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular since you definitely possess the gift.
Thanks for your kind words 🙂
Thanks for the good advice! I started using the DE and my two rescue kittens and my roommates’ adult cat have all decided they enjoy the attention!
Hey Lofi! Hehe, its a pleasure. Hope the removal process goes well, thanks for stopping by!
I am considering using Sentry Fiproguard Plus for cats. Having used Frontline and Frontline Plus and finding out this Sentry product has equal active ingredients, is it truly “equal”. I have a question about it’s safety due to the manufacturer being Sergeants. I cannot find the information on what the other ingredients are. I do not want any adverse reactions from ingredients that may be to absorb the liquid.
SENTRY Fiproguard Plus has the same active ingredients as FRONTLINE® Plus — but costs less!*
It contains fipronil, the No. 1 veterinarian-recommended active ingredient,** and (s)-methoprene to protect against fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks and chewing lice. SENTRY Fiproguard Plus helps protect the entire family from illness by killing ticks that may transmit Lyme disease. Fast acting and long lasting, it stops the reinfestation cycle by killing flea eggs and larvae.
SENTRY Fiproguard Plus is for dogs over 4 lbs. or cats over 1.5 lbs. and 8 weeks of age or older and is available in 3- or 6-dose applications at pet specialty retailers nationwide
Do you believe it’s safe and effective? Thank you for any advice.
Suzanne
Hey Suzanne! All these products are not great for your pets but flea bites can often cause more damage. I havnt tried Sentry to be honest but let me know how it goes, if it works well I can recommend it to the community 🙂
Hi, I have an indoor/outdoor cat that we have had for about a year and half. I always used frontline plus on him, but my husband got a generic brand once, and that’s all it took and now I am infested. I have went back to frontline and it’s not working. I think I will have to go try Advantage. I just did the DE thing, but I forgot to vacuum first. Do you think that it will still work.. and I think I applied too much DE… but I will deal with that tomorrow:). I used the Frontline and I use the flea comb and I am still getting tons of fleas everytime I use it on him.. I just saw bites on my son’s leg, so now they are starting to bite us. I sure hope the DE works. I live in Southern Oregon and a friend said her vet said the fleas are especially bad this year, since we never really got a hard freeze this winter. The DE sure makes a mess, it feels like everything has a film on it.. as I am typing I can feel it on my computer keys.. like I said, I think I spread too much.. I took a jar with no lid and spread it. I have to find something to work on my cat, since he is going to be bringing fleas back in from outside. I would keep him in, but he is such a good hunter, he is always getting rats, moles, mice etc and we live in a rural area with lots of livestock. How often should I re apply the DE?
Hey Susan! Yes it will still work and I recommend giving Advantage a try 🙂 Its a good idea to apply the DE (you can do it as often as you like) in specific places, not just anywhere as it can create quite a dust storm (check out my article on DE for more details). Lastly, try using a flea trap (and make sure your cat doesn’t knock it over), I have an article on that as well that will help 🙂
Natasha, when you bathe with Dawn, it works BEST when you leave it on for about 5+ minutes in order to really kill the fleas. I’ve seen some fleas rouse and jump away if cat is rinsed to quickly.
I put my Merlin in his carrier for five minutes.
Hey Dusty! Thats a great suggestion, thanks for sharing it 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I was reading through your article and a lot of the comments. Thanks for taking the time to write this and to respond to everyone! We had two cats and a dog, all indoor/outdoor. We’ve had good luck with Frontline until the last few months, when we got a third cat. We brought home a stray kitten. I believe she is part ragdoll and she has that fur that is very thick and fine and sort of repels water. We have applied Frontline and done a good job of getting the chemical under the fur and onto her skin, but within a week or so when I use a flea comb, I’ll find adult fleas again. I’ve been wondering if it’s possible that her type of fur prevents the chemical from spreading – what are your thoughts on that? Should I use something other than a topical?
But now after reading the comments, it sounds like other people have been seeing not-so-good results with Frontline recently, or also that it’s possible the fleas have built up a resistance to it – is that true as well? Just for background, we treat all the animals at once and simultaneously wash all their bedding, and as a rule we vacuum the house weekly. We haven’t really done any outdoor treatment (other than our regular lawn care that includes some basic insect treatment) because the fleas have only been a problem this winter and the animals have spent only minimal time outside. Thanks for your help!
Hey Kris! Its a pleasure, glad to help. To be honest, I think its more about the pet, sometimes certain animals react better but I suppose its possible that fleas are building a resistance as well, haven’t dived into any research lately so I can’t give you a definitive answer hehe. I would suggest giving your cat a warm bath with dawn dish washing liquid but you might not escape with your life 😉 Try using a decent brand of flea pills, if you can get your cat to swallow them, they sometimes work pretty well. Good luck!
I have 3 cats. We have been struggling with fleas since spring. We have used salt which freaked out the cat with allergies to the fleas. We are now using orthro spray and i believe it advantage. I get it from PAWS, an agency that helps people on low incomes take care of there cats. No one can tell me how long it takes a flea to go from egg to adult flea so we are always behind. The treatment silica ( cant spell the name of the product) scares me cause we have a furnace and all the dust from the house goes into my room. I believe the borax would freak the cat out like the salt did so dont wish to use it. In the past i have used raid with good results but the can says you cant have the cats in the house for several hours and I have no place to put them. I am handicapped so cant vaccum daily. Any suggestions?
Hey Cathie! Sorry about the situation you are in, I think the best bet would be to get a spot on treatment for your cats and have your house treated by an exterminator. Its been awhile but if you would like a couple free quotes from a couple companies in your local area, let me know 🙂
my male cat has dust on his skin and i find this article very useful. thanks alOt..
Hi SaHar! It’s a pleasure 🙂
Natasha –
I found your site very informative and helpful. I read most if the comments and your replies. All were “spot on”. There is one thing that bears mentioning, however. All your readers with I door flea issues who vacuumed their homes did not mention whether or not they emptied the vacuum immediately after cleaning. Eggs will hatch inside the vac if not emptied right away. Just my contribution to your already informative replies.
Anyhow thanks for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us. Hope you have a fabulous day!
Hey! Thanks for the tip!
My indoor only cat had his first flea infestation 2 years ago. The vet gave us Advantage and we used it with success during the warm months and thought the fleas wouldn’t be a problem in the winter. We were wrong. He has fleas again and is in agony. We treated him with over the counter flea medicine on his fur and he is starting to feel better but I can’t figure out where the fleas are coming from. We have no other pets. My cat doesn’t go outside. I set up two home made traps and got no fleas in the traps. What would you suggest? Should I set traps in every room to see where they are coming from and then treat that room? I have a mixture of carpets and hard wood floors if that matters. Thanks for your help.
Hey Karen! Yes, thats a great idea. As it seems you know, they must be coming from somewhere and my bet is that its from another part of the house. Let me know what you find and I will help you further if needed 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for all the info. My cat has had a flea issue for over a month now. We treated her with frontline and comfortix from the vet, cleaned the whole house very well washing all bedding- human and pet, pillows, etc., bombed, and used borax. My cat just had her second treatment of frontline and she is still acting like a maniac. It looks like she is being bitten constantly. We had her quarantined in our in-law apartment and just brought her back into our completely clean house and are feeling very discouraged that they will infest the house now. We never got bit by fleas ourselves and only ever saw two so it didn’t seem like the house was really infested but we wanted to be really proactive about it. My concern is that the cat is being driven completely insane by it. We took her to the vet and asked them to give her a flea bath but they said that those aren’t effective as the fleas just run and hide in the cat’s orifice’s. I can’t imagine giving her a bath myself. Should I try getting her a bath somewhere else and combing her? These are the only two things I haven’t done yet. It seems like the frontline isn’t working. Should I try something else next time instead? Thanks, Hillary
Hey Hillary! Its a pleasure! My recommendation is that you get your cat bathed, immediately apply Advantage (since Frontline isnt working, even though its a great product) and follow up with daily combing. If you find any fleas on her, make sure you kill them and maybe use my flea trap in your home to check if there are any lurking in the carpets. Let me know how that goes!
Im desperate! We are all itching like crazy. The cats got frontline a few days ago but the fleas must be hatching so fast they are still infested. I had the carpet cleaned but didn’t know about the borax. I’ll get that tomorrow. Thanks so much!
Its a pleasure, let me know how it goes and if I can help in any way, I will 🙂
Hello, Natasha!
We have three indoor cats, and one outdoor cat. We are getting ready to use the spot-on treatment, but I’m concerned about two of our cats grooming each other after they are treated. They are good friends, and it will be hard to keep them separated. Will the grooming hurt them if they come in contact with the treatment? Thanks for your help!
Hey Jacki! I recommend that you keep them separate for at least a day or so because most spot on treatments will make them extremely ill if consumed. I would also make sure that you place the stuff directly on their skin (don’t let it sit on their fur) for maximum results and safety. Hope that helps!
Thanks for your response, Natasha! I did keep them apart for a day, and they are now together again, grooming each other and just enjoying each other’s company!
Awesome stuff, sounds like everything went well 🙂 Let me know if you need any further assistance!
Hi Natasha. I treated my indoor cats about 3 weeks ago with Advantage and I don’t see them scratching anymore. I haven’t seen any fleas on the flea comb. However, I still have them in my carpet! I bought some Fleabusters RX powder and dusted that into the carpet with my broom. It feels like it might be working. Fleabusters says it is non-toxic, but the cats should be out of the room while it is being applied because of the dust. What about DE? If I do a section of the room at a time, do you think the cats can stay in the same room? I hate locking them up in another room because I have had to do it several times already. I have been vacuuming vacuuming vacuuming and I empty the vacuum cleaner in a ziplock bag and trash it outside. I have a bunch of old flea bites, but I don’t think I am getting any new ones, so hopefully I am making progress. Can you suggest anything else that I am not thinking of? Amazing how such little things can cause so much anxiety! Thanks!
Hey Julie! I highly recommend using DE, I actually have an entire guide on how to use it for fleas, check it out and let me know what you think! You can let your cats do their thing, DE is none toxic and won’t affect them. Just keep them out the room when you are putting it down that’s all. Otherwise you seem to be doing fine, keep me updated!
Hi I just stumbled on your article after a frantic web search to find out what the coffee grind looking stuff in my 1.5 year old tabbys fur was and discovered it is flea dirt! I’ve never ever seen a flea in our apartment. And I have one other cat (4 year old) who has recently been in and out of the vet. I searched both cats and didn’t find any fleas and only have the dirt on the younger cat. I’m FLIPPING out now though. They are strictly indoor cats and have never had a problem before. . And I’ve seen NO fleas but I’ve seen their evidence apparently… what do I do?? I’m planning on getting frontline or advantage in the morning and treating both cats… just to be safe. Because we are moving into a new home in 11 days and I don’t want to bring any fleas or eggs. Should we throw out our mattress and couch? They’re memory foam n I don’t know how to clean them to get any eggs out that might be in there. Save us!
Hey Kath! I encourage you to grab that spot on treatment as you mentioned, just to be safe. You don’t need to throw anything away. I suggest that you check out my guide on using my custom flea trap. Its completely DIY and will give you an idea if you are dealing with a flea infestation. Please feel free to keep me in the loop, really would enjoy helping you sort this problem out.
Thank you I have saved this site in my favorite and on my phone. Its a big help and very informative. I loved it and my kittens thank you as well 😀
Hey Shelby! Thanks so much for your kind words. Please give your kittens a cuddle for me 😉
Hi Natasha,
Do you know if you can kill flees and/or eggs carpets by putting them outdoors for a couple days as it freezes overnight?
THanks, LB
Hey Lucia! Fleas are extremely resilient and while they will die in sub zero conditions, its not a guarantee that it will kill all of them, especially their eggs. I would rather recommend giving your carpets a steam clean as very high temperatures kills them instantly.
I’ve also heard that Joy is also a mild detergent that you can use to bathe cats for fleas.
Hey Becky, thanks for sharing 🙂 I have not personally used it but if its not toxic and works well for fleas then that is awesome!
Thank you for your article Natasha! We deal with a flea problem every year (must be the area). We have 2 indoor cats and 2 large dogs. 2 weeks ago we fogged the house, sprayed the yard, dipped the animals, and put flea collars on the dogs. Unfortunately we are still having a problem 🙁 In the past I have used Adam’s flea products and have been pretty happy with their results except that I notice that one of my cats seems to lose her fur when I put a spot on treatment on her (allergic reaction maybe). My questions for you are: does it have to be Dawn dish detergent (I heard that any detergent with lavender in it works)? I tried to find your article for spraying the yard with Boric Acid and couldn’t. What is the mixture ratio? What about the rooms with no carpet? I seem to have an issue in the kitchen where my cats spend most of their time. Bleach? Amonia?
Thank You,
Courtney
Hey Courtney! Its a pleasure, I am happy that you found your way onto my blog 😉 I recommend changing your cats spot on treatment as she obviously has a sensitivity for an active ingredient, have you tried using something like Advantage? It doesn’t have to be dawn but make sure that you do not use anything that contains lavender around your cat (dogs are fine) as its highly toxic to them. You can search this blog for “borax for fleas” and you will find it 🙂 I usually a couple squirts of it (not an exact science) to about 3-4 liters of water. If your floors are tired, using amonia or bleach will definitely work. Hope that helps, dont forget to share this info with your friends 😉
I have a cat that has asthma, a heart murmur and is Diabetic. Another who has a class 3 murmur. I can not fog the house, use powders or heavy use of anything that produces a vapor, gas or cloud. Other than wet mopping (hard floors) and vacuuming I have no other option expect the use of topicals. One cat had a terrible reaction to Frontline, and I prefer Advantage (have they changed at all?)
Hey MK! Sorry to hear about the medical conditions of your cats but glad to see that you are still looking after them, it shows great strength 🙂 In your case, I recommend a light wash using dawn soap and warm water. It will not aggravate any of those problems and gets rid of fleas fast. Hope that helps!
Hi Natasha Youre advice is awesome!! i have a 20 lb maine coon cat who loves maine summers,ie he shows up to to eat and on a mission again. It seems after fogging with raid and using Hartz guard drops and shampoo(a very dangerous time in tub as he will sit outside in T storm but is claws and teeth when washed!!) It seems like Im on the losing end of the flea and egg cycle. This is my third attempt and its wearing on me and nevermind Im ready for a blood tranfusion from our tub time!! HELP!!!
Hey John! I appreciate your kind words, its always nice to hear when someone appreciates my guides so thank you. I always wear a full suit of armor when bathing cats 😉 Haha, here is what I recommend. Since your cat is on its own mission during the day, its probably going to be best to get a spot on treatment (stay away from flea collars please) that will last an entire month. When the colder seasons arrive, this may not be necessary, When applying it, make sure you part your cats thick and long hair to reach the skin so that you reap the maximum results. Good luck!
Hi Natasha,I have been using frontline combo for years on my cats,and now it is not working!When I mentioned to my vet that perhaps the fleas are immune to this,all he said you could be right (not very helpful).One of my cats has dermatitis(the fleas I am aware)I have treated the house with the spray as prescribed by the vet! The cat with dermatitis has been having six monthly injections which supposedly makes the fleas infertile a very expensive treatment.When discussing my problem with a friend she said her vet now won’t prescribe frontline any more as it doesn’t work now.I know there must be a better product out there as recently spoke to a lady who has a cat sanctuary and she was in full agreement re frontline and uses something else and I can’t remember what it was called ,of cause it costs more but if it works my cats will be happy.
Hey Sandra! I personally recommend that you use Advantage, not because its necessarily better then other products but rather because I have had excellent results with it, especially when Frontline stopped working. In addition, its would be a good idea to get your house treated for fleas otherwise your cat is going to keep catching these pests. There are a number of natural methods for this and you can check two of them out in my DE and borax articles. Let me know how that works for you and if there is anything else I can do, let me know 🙂
Hi ! My kitty is one year old she is a skynni and with urinary track problems.. She goes outside every day for a couple hours.. I would like you can tell me what could be a good product to her 🙂 thank you so much
Hey Janet! I recommend using a natural flea control method if possible. If she currently has fleas, use a mixture of dawn soap and warm water when it gets a bit bad otherwise simply use a flea comb (check my article on this) on a daily basis to keep her free of fleas. Let me know how that goes 🙂
Hi there. Just read the last comment and was wondering, isn’t borax bad for your cats? I have a terrible flea infestation with three indoor cats and four inside/outside dogs and was planning on dusting carpets and furniture with 20 mule team borax, but thought that I had read it was bad for the cats. Other than with the spot on what else can I do? Thanks
Hey Cheryle! 40 mule borax in small amounts, especially when its dusted into the carpet and rubbed in with a broom, only to be vacuumed up a couple hours later is definitely not going to cause any danger. However, you are correct in saying its a little toxic but using this application method, they will be fine. I suppose you could keep them locked up for the day and release them once you are done. Since borax will not leave any chemical residue (like foggers, etc.), this will be completely safe. For an even better option, check out my article on DE, I have used it recently and it works wonders.
I just purchased a flea product for carpets it is fleabuster rx, I understand that it is safe to use even around baby’s. what r your thoughts on this product?
Hey Lily! I havnt personally used the product so I cannot give it a personally recommendation but from what I have just researched for you, it seems like a decent purchase for flea control. However, even though its safe for use around young children, I suggest keeping your baby off the floor when possible, just to be extra safe. Hope that helps!
Hi, Natasha (my favorite female Russian name!). I’m a real fan of Russian Blues and have a four-year old female named “Kisa.” Just discovered that she has fleas and did a spot-on treatment with a vial of Hartz “InControl,” which I had leftover from a year or so ago. Anyway, I’ve ordered the latest Advantage treatment and DE from Amazon. Here’s my question: will it harm Kisa or be overkill to treat her again with the Advantage as soon as I get it? Thanks!
Hey Bob! Haha thanks, although I am not from that country I have had similar comments before 😉 I recommend waiting 30 days between spot on treatments and while it may not cause any harm, its the safest thing to do. In the meantime, perhaps use a couple other flea control methods, especially the natural ones to pass the time before using the Advantage.
Thanks, Natasha. Well, I did not get your recommendation in time. In fact, I just applied a tube of Advantage about an hour ago (and, she is still mad at me!)! I did contact Bayer support and was told that, although they did not have specific research findings that addressed how long to wait between applications, they did not foresee a problem after waiting two weeks.
Hey Bob! If they have advised you to proceed in that manner then that is perfect! Let me know how it goes and if you still have a problem in the future, please feel free to let me know 🙂
Hi I just got done reading your blog and all the comments. I have 3 indoor cats around a year old and a dog 12 years old I’ ve been treating them with Pet Armor early this summer and didn’t have a problem until we had a heat wave. I suspect the dog has been bringing in the fleas but I heard that humans can also carry them. I’m going to sprinkle 20 Mule Team Borax on the carpets wait a couple of hours to see how that works and then comb the pets using Dawn detergent and then spray them with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, warm water, salt and baking soda. If this doesn’t work I’ll have to go with Advantix but I was trying to avoid chemicals. Thanks for the tips.
Hey Jean! Its not just as simple as sprinkling borax and waiting for instant results. My recommendation is that you dust all your carpets, brush it into the fibers with a broom and after about 6-10 hours, vacuum it up. Repeat daily for a couple days and that should kill the fleas in those areas 🙂 Good plan you have though, I am positive you will get good results, keep me updated and feel free to ask any questions if you get stumped along the way. Cheers!
Hi, if I use Borax, do I have to remove the cats from the house or can I just lock them into a separate room, like my upstairs bathroom. Also, can I use Borax to wash all my blankets and what not that my cats have been laying on.
Hi Lori, yes that should be fine. Wish you best of luck!
I highly recommend the flea traps, we have two cats and a dog, the dog is outdoors mostly, we have cleared out all the flea now I hope using flea traps, spray, frontline and lots of vacuuming.
Hey Tony! I am sure that after completing those steps, you will not any any further problems. However, if you do, please feel free to drop me a message and I will help you further.
I have a long hair indoor cat that has suddenly gotten a pretty bad case of fleas. Ive giveen him frontline, it seemed to work for a week, and now is pretty covered again. I got some all natural spray and sprayed the entire house done (vets best flea and tick home spray) it seemed to kill the live fleas but how do its killed the eggs? Ive also just bathed the cat in dawn and warm water and gotten a ton of fleas off in the tub and with the comb, but he still has some on him. should I shave him? I am terrified my house is going to get infested!
Hey Shyla! I recommend the use of a product that contains an insect growth regulator. This prevents the eggs from hatching and since this stops the flea life cycle, they won’t hatch at a later stage. Shaving shouldn’t be necessary, it sounds like he is just catching fleas again because there is a problem in the house. Once you get rid of the source and use that natural method for flea removal, he shouldn’t get any more in his lovely fur 😉
Hi Natasha, I have three indoor cats. I have been giving them Revolution (what the vet recommends) for the last six months and am now ready to repurchase. Revolution is extremely expensive so I am looking for an alternative spot on flea control. Is Front-Line or Front-Line Plus as effective as the Advantage and Revolution for preventing fleas, or is there another spot on flea treatment you could recommend that is less expensive. One of my cats is over 16 lbs. The other two are close to 14 lbs.
Hey Coleen! Revolution is a good product but as you mentioned, it is rather expensive. Unfortunately, most of the decent spot on treatments that actually work are a bit pricy but if I had to make a choice, I recommend the use of either Frontline or Advantage. Alternatively, I recommend giving a few of the natural DIY methods that I outline on this blog for getting rid of the fleas as they are very effective and have worked for hundreds of my readers. Good luck!
Hi Natasha: Thanks for your article: I have used Revolution and it works great, just really expensive. I have 2 cats that are indoor cats. Never had a problem until recently because I have moved in with my sister who has 2 dogs. She keeps them protected but they are carrying the fleas inside….so my cats now have them and they are also using me for dinner as well. I heard that Frontline Plus works but you have to reapply every 21 days instead of 30 like they say. Do you think I should get tick control as well, or just flea control. I have never used Advantage. I just know I need to get something quick. How long does it take to get rid of them completely?
Hey Debbie, its a pleasure, glad that you enjoyed it 🙂 Unfortunately, its almost impossible to keep fleas out the house if your pets have them, trust me I have experienced the same thing in the past. Frontline plus is great, I highly recommend it after you have tried the natural options I discuss in my flea articles (check a couple of the rest out for more tips on dog fleas, etc.). If you make the necessary effort, you can get rid of them in about a week or less. Good luck!
The Frontline isn’t working. My cat goes outside daily. Can the monthly products be used more often. She is constantly licking and scratching herself.
Hey Marcia! Since you have experienced this, I recommend giving Advantage a try as you may see better results. This is not because Frontline is a bad option, its just that sometimes fleas can become immune to certain types of products. When you use any spoton treatments, make sure that you place it right behind the neck, under the fur otherwise your cat may reach the flea insecticide. Hope that helps 🙂
We don’t have dry seasons. The soil remains moist year round. Any other suggestions? I have beneficial nematodes in the ground to try and kill the fleas. Will diatomaceous earth kill the nematodes? I wanted something in addition to the nematodes.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
Thanks in advance!
Hey Sarah! Sorry for the late response, still having net problem at work. Anyways, unfortunately it will probably have a negative effect on those nematodes and since you don’t really have any dry seasons, you are not going to be able to use DE or borax effectively. I recommend calling your local exterminator and asking them for an eco friendly yard treatment product that you can apply yourself, there are a couple in my country but they are local brands. You will see results after a couple days, let me know if you don’t and we can continue to think about our alternative options.
Natasha, thank you for trying to help!
Its a pleasure Sarah, hope things go well for you!
What do you use to treat the yard? My yard has shady moist areas. We have 3 cats and a HUGE flea infestation. I use program and capstar now because frontline didn’t work.
Hey Sarah! If you are experiencing a dry season, I know that DE works great but make sure it doesn’t get wet. Otherwise, borax will also yield positive results but you will also need to make sure it is a dry day. I have had a few people that plant a load of lavender bushes around their garden as this will keep all sorts of insects at bay but thats not always an option for everything. I recommend trying the DE or borax first 🙂
My two cats are about 7 or so, can I use frontline on them. Won’t they try and ” clean ” each other or is this going to be ok. They have not had fleas since birth and I kid you not. Always indoor and we moved to a place where a cat and dog visit the front screen door is open. Is this going to be an issue from now on or just keep them away from the door…
Hey Chuck! I also have two cats and I havn’t had an issue with using things like Frontline on them. Its placed behind their neck, under their fur and directly on their skin so it wont be easy to reach. 🙂
Well, the first dose of Frontline failed. More baths with dawn. vaccumed daily still have them. Tried Advantage and here it’s a week later and they are scratching again. Read on another site that steeping lemon rhines in water and letting it set overnight and using that as a spray can work. I think re-read your article about how citrus can harm them. Can I use the dawn dish soap and distilled white vinagar as a bath mixture? I am sick of seeing them scratching. Damn neighbors who now have two dogs along with the cat that roam the yard & never keep up the flea treatments.
Hey Chuck! While lemon water is great for flea control (I recommended it for dog flea treatment), there are a few cases where lemon has adversely affected casts and I don’t want to be the one who endangers anyone’s pet. However, please feel free to give it a try and let us know your results! I recommend just sticking with the dawn and warm water, no need to add anything else to the mixture unless you want to experiment. I know this entire process is a bit tedious but I will help you as much as I can, looking forward to your response 🙂
what should you do if u have all hardwood floors u can’t put powder on them
Hey Diane! If you have hardwood floors it actually makes flea control even easier. My recommendation is to simply use that powder on your couches and other fabric based items and give your floors a good mop. You can get a variety of decent floor cleaning agents that will assist you with this task. Coupled with these two steps, if you treat your pets properly, you will win the battle against fleas. Good luck!
I am baffled…we just noticed a flea problem on both our cats. They are strictly indoor cats & we never had a problem, even when we had dogs (which we haven’t for 4 years now). Thanks for your tips. We have a two-level home with a mix of wood floors & carpet. Where the bulk of the problem is (our bedroom), I have vacuumed all carpet (moved all furniture) & closed doors to the rest of the bedrooms. Would it be safe to take the cats out, fog the first floor family room, then do the D. Earth stuff in our bedrooms (I don’t really like the idea of fogging the bedrooms). Alas, this will occur tomorrow, along with dealing with treating the cats. I am hoping the Frontline will be enough, as I KNOW neither cat will allow us to bathe them.
Hey Mary! Its a pleasure, glad you like the guide. Your steps are perfect, sorry that my response has come a little late but hopefully you can still use it. Glad to hear you are keen on trying DE, its a great method and it has worked well for me. Good luck!
Natasha: I have been reading your advice and would like to add one tip, especially for indoor cats or cat owners with carpeting…I buy a LARGE DOG FLEA COLLAR and cut it into approx. two inch strips. I keep them in a baggie and put a cut strip into a new vacuum bag each time I change the bags so the piece kills vacuumed up fleas – it works very well. I buy the dog collar as it is longer and I get more pieces to use that way. FYI.
Hi Pati! Fantastic tip, thank you very much for sharing!
I just tried Borax rubbed into my carpet 3 times, then Adams flea bombs (super toxic) twice in each room, then prof chem-free carpet cleaning and advantage 2 on my cat and kitten, and still I cannot believe all the fleas and eggs I comb out of my 11 week-old kitten and 11 yr old cat, both short hair orange tabbies. I am covered in bites head to toe. I cleaned all of my bedding 3 times in 2 days… help me please. I only have a one-bed small cute super clean Bungalow apartment.. I can’t sleep!
Hi Meeshell! Based on your description, its unlikely that your cats are getting that amount of fleas in their fur from your apartment, do they venture outside to play or hunt? Sometimes gardens and yards can develop a massive flea problem (especially when there is lots of shady, moist areas) and your cats may be bringing them back into your apartment on a regular basis, definitely something you want to avoid. If this is the case, you will need to get the yard treated. Let me know your thoughts 🙂
Hello Natasha. Thank you for your research and shared info. I have an outdoor cat that doesn’t come indoors. We recently moved from Colorado (he didn’t have fleas there) to Northern Florida. I now noticed he has a flea problem. He is 12 years old and has always been an outdoor cat, so bathing him every week would be dangerous for us. What would you suggest we do for him so that the fleas stay away from him, seeing he stays outdoors all the time? Or, is he totally out of luck due to the outdoor fact? His name is Babycake. He’s a blonde ragdoll.
Hey Jackie! Its an absolute pleasure, glad you found it useful 🙂 You wont need to give him a bath each week but since he is an outdoor cat and there is obviously a flea problem where he likes to explore, you will need to have a more preventative plan for flea control. Instead of using a flea collar (please don’t use these), use a monthly treatment of Advantage. I know its a bit pricey but if you can add it to your monthly budget (you can get them in packs that will last 30 days) and use it on him, he will never have a flea problem, neither will he bring them into your home. Good luck!
Hello thank you for the article, what do you recommend for a fogger?
Hey Tony! I personally use RAID at the moment but there are many other decent brands out on the market that are really affordable and effective. I have an article that discusses this topic in much more detail, include how to use them, check it out when you have a chance. Good luck!
Very helpful! Thanks for the article..we do not have an infestation but found a few on my cats after getting them shaved for the first time, for summer. It’s making me itchy thinking about it!! My 3 cats have the run of the house and it really worries me about our beds etc. I am going to find this diatomateous earth stuff and use it on my carpet. It is a brand new house and I cant stand the thought of those nasty fleas being on my babies or in my house! (house is in a new sub division-still way in the country) We also have a dog who is an indoor/outdoor dog..Im afraid he might have brought them in to the cats! ugg! What do you think about boric acid for the lawn? My dad used to use that when we were kids and we had animals all the time.
Hey Nikki! Your cats couldnt have been too happy with that but it was a good move 😉 Boric acid actually works very well for your lawn so definitely give that a try. I have some more information on that topic on this blog, you can find it by clicking on the “fleas” category at the top of my blog. 🙂
Nematodes can be purchased at a garden supply & sprayed on your lawn…they kill fleas by getting inside them & laying their eggs.
Thanks for helping Nikki 🙂
Thanks for the article.
Its a pleasure John, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and I am glad that you enjoyed the content of this guide. I hope you have a fantastic day!
What is the best flea bomb to use?
Hi Heathet! I personally use RAID but that’s just me. Chat to the local retailer and read the cans to determine what is a good match for you.
I can highly recommend Precor Plus Fogger from Zoecon. It is by far the best, most effective flea fogger I’ve ever used. One use and they were gone for well over a year before a feral added to my household brought them back in. Follow the instructions very carefully, and especially do not use around open flames due to the combustible nature of the aerosol. It does not leave a bad odor and the only problem I had was I forgot to cover the sprinkler head sensors in my condos’ ceiling and got a visit from the fire department : ) I bought sprinkler head covers on Amazon and it is fine now.
Hi Wade, thanks for your suggestion 🙂
hi how are you doing i have used pet shield on the cats shoulder blades and foggged my house do i being the cats back in and where do i leave them beacause there are still fleas on them and i dont know what to do.
Hey Moe! If you want a spot on treatment for your cats, I recommend using Frontline or Advantage. I also suggest bombing your house (check out my article on this blog about this subject) and using the pet flea treatment on the same day to make sure that they dont bring in any new fleas after the fog has settled. Lastly, make sure that your flea bomb has an insect growth repellent to prevent flea eggs from hatching and you should be able to win the war against fleas! Hope that helps, have a good one!
Does RAID have insect growth repellent?
Hi Kayla! RAID has a wide product range so I cannot guarantee it. However, it is very easy to find out. If the package doesn’t say anything about an IGR (insect growth repellent), then look for another product that does.
Hi I have about a year , year half cat she doesn’t go outside and I found three fleas I live in a mobile home I feel that can be a problem please tell what to do I have only one rug what’s best house cleaning stuff and cat treatment I have Lil kids something’s that’s effective and works.fast pleas let me know
Thanks
Hi Susan, I suggest you read my article on DE, it will be perfect for your situation!
Hi Natasha,
First of all, thank you so much for all these insightful articles on flea control. I had so many questions on flea control in the house and you’ve answered all of them to the T. While I’m going to follow your suggestions and use diatomaceous earth to get rid of fleas in our carpet, I want to know if you have any suggestions for removing the fleas on the cats themselves other than a spot-on treatment. I have been using Frontline and Advantage but the fleas seem to have grown immune to these treatments. I tried bathing the cats with Dawn but both of them are really difficult to handle in the bath and I can never rub the Dawn into their coats properly. Can I rub the diatomaceous earth on them (the food grade one, of course)? I regularly flea comb them and every time catch about 15-20 fleas on each. Also, someone on a pet forum has suggested using a dehumidifier in the house and lowering it to 40 degrees. Do you think that’ll kill the fleas on the cats too and more importantly is safe for the cats? By the way, both of them are indoor-outdoor cats. Please let me know what the best solution for my situation is?
Hi Saee! Thanks for your kind words, I enjoy helping out 🙂 You can use DE directly but I don’t really recommend it honestly, spot on is unfortunately the only real long term solution. I have never used a dehumidifier for flea control, I don’t see how it could help honestly, not for fleas on your cat at least.
I, too, have been using Frontline and Advantage. Neither seems to be working this year. Has the formula been changed to make it less effective?
Hi Kathy! Not to my knowledge, but I have heard about them becoming less effective due to fleas being more resistant to them. I suggest that you try another brand, you might have some more success. Hope that helps!
I lived with my two indoor cats in Colorado for several years. We had no fleas at all. It is very low humidity there. Now living in humid Arkansas, we have them even though my kitties never go outside. So, yes, you might try the dehumidifier. Let me know if it works!
Hi Jennifer! Appreciate you helping out Saee, she should have received an notification of your comment. Have a good one!
Hi Natasha, I’ve been reading everything I can about fleas which are infested on my indoor cat! She’s 11 years old and has recently been losing weight. She has flea dirt all over her. She’s a very nervous cat (was feral and I found her at 2 weeks old and bottle fed her, she’s now MY BABY). I’m going to try washing her with soap and real lemon juice in the water. I’m scared that she’s going to destroy me with her claws but will do my best. She’s going to freak out I’m sure. Anyway, thanks for your informative articles. They are really great. I do have another issue with her that I need your help on. When I found her as she grew up, I saw that one of her eyes was cloudy. Over the years now she has formed cat herpes in her eye. I took her to the vet and he gave me an ointment to put in her food. It has done nothing. This started in one eye with it draining every day and crusting up (like pink eye in humans), now it’s spread to the other eye and I have to daily wash her eyes which she hates. Is there anything that will get rid of this? She’s had it for over 8 months now and nothing is helping. HELP, I’m so afraid she’s going to go blind. Both eyes are somewhat cloudy now. What can I do???
Hi Mandy! It is a pleasure, glad I could help you. Regarding your cat’s eyes, sorry I am not a vet so I cannot advise, definitely get the advise from a couple professionals though as it sounds serious.
We have a cat with herpes virus and FIV. She recently started to have massive problems in one eye. Stress is a major factor in flame ups, the new kitten is what caused hers. Even tho they love each other now, the initial week introductory phase hit her immune system very hard. She is now blind in one eye. It clouded over, the conjunctiva inlammed and surrounded the eyeball, the third eyelid totally engulfed the eye and a white blobby crust with a weird tentacle hanging out of the eye grew on the cornea. The vet refused to do anything and referred us to a specialist which we have to wait TWO weeks to see. If the eye ruptures, the local ER vet can remove it … but only the specialist can disgnose and try to save it.
The ointment your vet gave you is probably L-lysine which prevents viruses from multiplying in the kitty. Or at least it lessens it, nothing will stop it. You may have to give her more of the lysine if the current dose isn’t helping but I don’t know if there is a toxic threshold for lysine so i would ask your vet. Antibiotics for secondary infections might be needed, but will do nothing at all for the herpes directly.
She was in so much pain. Now, a week later, she is acting normally but the white cloudy growth is still there, im sure she cannot see out of it.
Hi Tamara! Thanks for helping Mandy, I am sure that she appreciates it.
Hi there, I know that this is a late reply about your cat’s eyes but maybe I can offer an idea that could help anyone else who may be experiencing the same or similar situation. My oldest daughter was a bit of a foster mommy to various strays that needed a helping hand to find their furever home. The very first cat that she rescued(and subsequently kept!) was rescued from a garbage bin and seemed to be pretty healthy despite her rough start at life. The only noticeable issue was her eyes as they had a red tinge surrounding her eye on her eyelids. That was 4 years ago and it was only during this last year that her eyes were starting to cloud over and we were very worried about her losing her sight which was happening. I’m in favor for natural products whenever an ailment arises for both animals and people. Long story short; about 2 years ago I came across colloidal silver and when she was treated with this, her eyes returned back to normal. Colloidal silver is very beneficial in so many ways and I encourage anyone and everyone to research this natural product.
Hi Amanda! Thank for helping Mandy, your comment will also help the community 🙂
In response to bathing a cat, I volunteered at a cat rescue center and discovered the “easiest” way to bathe a cat is to place a towel in the bottom of the vessel used to bathe the cat. This gives them something to hang on to with their back claws, then take both front paws in your hand and bring your hand up just under the cat’s chin. The cat will almost be in a position of standing on their back feet. This keeps them off balance but not feeling like they are falling with the back claws grasping the towel. This worked for us but it can be difficult to bathe a kitty.
Hi Linda, what a fantastic tip, thank you very much! I will definitely give this a try!
I use topical applications on my cats, but after about a year….they no longer work. My vet says
that the fleas adapt to it and find a way to survive. Do you recommend a topical that may be
new and trustworthy?
Hi Kate! Yeah that happens, but it’s usually regional and they often work again after a couple years, etc. Anyways, try using Frontline or Advantage. They are your best bet.