Cats get fleas.

No matter how rich are rarefied you and your cat may be he or she will at times be host to numerous fleas.  Whether your cat is a house-cat and outdoorsy type cat, a rural cat or an urban feline out on the town they will meet fleas and no doubt they'll bring them home to you too.

There isn't too much point in worry about it. They are nasty and annoying, they do cause health problems for cats but they are easy to control so long as you use an effective cat flea treatment, and most importantly you use that flea medicine regularly.

Flea drops or 'topical' or 'spot on' flea medicines offer complete flea control. They don't wash off and they're long lasting. Most brands offer at least 30 days of flea killing power and Frontline offers up to six weeks protection.

With so many cats being so dramatic about the use of sprays, an awful lot of cat owners choose topical flea medicines. As long as all the liquid is placed directly onto the skin of your cat they are very effective at killing fleas.

It is worth checking what you're buying though. While the big brands such as Frontline PLUS for Cats and Advantage for Cats are able to destroy adult and juvenile fleas, some of the cheaper names do not. That doesn't mean you should rule them out. But, if you buy a product that only destroys flea eggs for example you will need to use an additional product such as Frontline Spray to kill adults on those occasions when your cat finds a large new flea population to bring home.

Flea drops such as Hartz Ultra Guard only need one active ingredient 'methoprene' which is not an insecticide but merely an insect growth inhibitor. This makes it extremely safe for our animals to be in contact with. And, it is extremely good value for money at only around $7 for three months treatment. But it won't kill adult fleas so if your cat meets fleas regularly it won't be that much use.

As well as flea drops, you can also choose oral flea control tablets.  They are also based on modern safer forms of insect control.  By being ingested they are able to reach your pets bloodstream and offer flea control protection from there.

The two big brands are Capstar and Program. 

Capstar is really the quickest way to kill fleas.  Looking at customer reviews on the big retail sites such as amazon you can see they start killing fleas within 20 minutes.  These a great way to sort out a problem flea infestation particularly for a pet suffering flea dermatitis and so needing immediate relief from fleas.  The tablets only offer flea control for 24 hours but are safe enough to use daily if required.

Most pet owners chosing daily flea control tablets do so because their pets do not suffer from fleas on a daily basis though.  They are also chosen to provide flea protection when taking pets somewhere with possibly large flea numbers, such as when going to cat shows or before visiting the vets office.

Program flea control tablets are taken monthly but only destroy flea eggs and larvae. Again another product may need to be used initially to ensure all fleas are destroyed.  But they will effectively kill off the flea population in your cat's home once the adults die off.

Flea shampoos are effective but their power is short-lived. So while they can offer a cheap method of flea control they are only practical if your cat does not come into contact with fleas too often or you enjoy bathing him or her regularly!

Flea sprays can be really good value for money. But, firstly lots of cats really aren't too keen on being sprayed all over with something wet and noisy, and many of the older products have lost their potency. They are worth considering if fleas are not a massive problem and your cat has a relaxed outlook on life. But, in areas with large feline and therefore flea populations be prepared for the cheaper products to be less than 100% effective. This is simply because flea populations have built up resistance to many of the older flea killing chemicals used in such sprays.

But, since flea populations vary from locality to locality you may be lucky and find them good value for money AND effective.

One cat flea spray which DOES work is Frontline Spray. Because it uses the same modern active ingredients as its flea drop namesake it doesn't allow fleas to build up resistance to its use. It will destroy flea eggs, larvae, adults and ticks too.

It doesn't matter what sort of flea medicine you use, it won't solve your cat's flea problems forever. Of course if the flea count is relatively low it can be worth extending the periods between treatment to save some cash, but you will need to watch out for new flea infestations as their numbers can grow very quickly.

In the colder months of winter fleas are less active outdoors. If you've used a product which eradicates eggs and larvae you may find you can use it much less often than during the summer

Or maybe you would like to save some more pennies with discount cat flea treatments? Always keep a reliable cat flea treatment in store so you can react to infestations quickly. .