The best flea prevention and treatment for cats

• Fleas can pose serious risks to your cat's health.
• With the right flea treatment for cats, you can keep your cat or kitten safe from fleas.
• Effective over-the-counter flea control products are available in the form of topical preventives, collars, shampoos, sprays, and oral options.
• The best flea control product for cats is Bayer Advantage II, a monthly topical preventive that guards against fleas in all life stages, is highly effective, easy to apply, and completely waterproof.
• Before starting your cat on any flea treatment or prevention, you should consult your veterinarian.

If your cat has fleas, you want to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Cats that go outside are more likely to pick up fleas, but even indoor cats can get fleas, either from the family dog or when they go to the veterinarian or a boarding facility. Fleas can even hitchhike indoors on your clothes or shoes.

Signs of fleas in cats include scratching, skin irritation, and the presence of dark red or black specks on your cat's skin, fur, bedding, or furniture. These specks, about the size of grains of black pepper, are called "flea dirt" and are flea feces (or digested blood). To confirm that what you are seeing is flea dirt, place some on a damp paper towel. If the paper towel turns red, it is flea dirt.

To check your cat for fleas or flea dirt, run a flea comb (a small, very fine-toothed comb) through their coat or part their hair with your fingers to examine their skin. If you find live or dead fleas or flea dirt, you can be assured your cat has a flea infestation.

Fleas are more than just a nuisance; these parasites can pose a threat to your cat's health. A severe flea infestation can seriously damage your cat's skin and could even induce an allergic reaction or cause them to become anemic from blood loss. Fleas also have the potential to transmit diseases like Bartonella henselae bacteria, which can lead to cat scratch disease, and are responsible for cats contracting parasites like tapeworms.

Types of over-the-counter flea control products

When it comes to flea control, prevention is always the best medicine. Not all flea control products are created equal though. Here's a breakdown of the most common over-the-counter (OTC) flea control products for cats:

• Topical preventives are usually applied to the skin, typically in one spot on the back of the neck, once a month.
• Flea collars are worn around the neck, where they deliver flea preventive medication to your cat's skin and coat.
• Flea shampoos kill fleas that are currently on your cat and are different from other medicated shampoos.
• Flea sprays are applied to the skin and coat but are generally less effective than other flea prevention treatments.
• Oral flea control: Oral flea control products, or "flea pills," are given to your cat by mouth to kill fleas.

Important note: No matter what flea control product you choose for your cat, never use a product that is labeled for dogs. Cat flea control products and dog flea control products are not interchangeable. Using a product labeled for dogs on your cat can make them extremely sick; in some cases, it can even be deadly. Read labels very carefully before using any flea control product on your cat.

We've done the research to find the best OTC flea control products. Below you'll find our top picks for flea products for cats that do not require a prescription.

Here are the best OTC flea prevention products and treatments for cats you can buy:

• Best OTC flea control product for cats overall: Bayer Advantage II
• Best flea collar for cats: Seresto Flea and Tick Collar
• Best flea shampoo for cats: Natural Chemistry De Flea Pet Shampoo
• Best natural flea spray for cats: Jasper Flea and Tick Spray for Cats by Mdx Concepts

Prices and links are current as of 7/17/2020. Added related guides to last slide.