Fleas can be a pesky nuisance to your cat, and can also cause your feline significant discomfort. There are a variety of different methods that you can use to battle fleas and keep them off your cat. By taking precautions, you will also be able to keep the fleas from invading your home on your animal and becoming an issue or spreading to your other pets.

Spot-on medication systems are an effective way to repel fleas, and even if the medication is only dabbed in a specific area it will still repel fleas from the whole body. This is because the drops work through a process called translocation. This means that the medication is spread over the body by the way of the oil glands and also by the cat's natural habit of cleaning itself. These medications can withstand water so swimming, rain, or bathing will not diminish the effects. The medication will typically last for up to a few weeks before needing to be reapplied.

Another popular flea-repelling tactic is oral medication. There are flea control pulls that can disrupt the life cycle of the fleas and eventually kill them off. The pills will not kill adult fleas on contact. One of the benefits or an oral medication is that you won't have to worried that children will get your animal and then get the topical medication on their hands. If you are thinking of pursuing this method, then you will want to hide the pills in cat treats to make sure that your cat will eat the medication. You will want to go to the veterinarian to determine which pills would be best for your cat, and make sure that you do not choose a medication that has dangerous or devastating side effects.

You can also try to oust fleas from your cat's fur by the use of a flea shampoo. These can be purchased at most pet stores or grocery stores and are specially medicated to get rick of fleas and ticks on contact. While this method is relatively inexpensive, it is not necessarily the most effective method. You will need to repeat the process every two weeks to try get rid of fleas and keep them from making your pet's fur your home.

You can also place a flea collar on your cat. These are collars that have a flea repellant on them in order to eliminate the bugs. The effectiveness of a flea collar will be determined by whether or not fleas are particularly invasive in your area. You will also want to make sure that you choose a collar that does not provide a choking hazard for your pet. There are also times that cats will have allergic reactions to these collars, so you will want to watch for this possibility as you use the collar.

Another option that you can explore is the possibility of a flea dip. Unlike a shampoo, a flea dip is not rinsed off after it is applied. Often the flea dip is a potent option and is applied with a sponge to a cat's fur. The chemical can lead to toxic reactions if it is not dealt with carefully. Flea dips can also harm to owners who are administrating the flea dip, so you will want to keep this in check as well.

Another flea-dismissing method is a powder or a spray that you can purchase. You will want to read the labels on these products, as some are dangerous and others may need to be applied every day. Some sprays can be irritating and eventually get into the animal's mouth and lungs and cause complications. A practical way to eliminate fleas is to continually keep your house clean. You may need to wash all of your cat's bedding and toys with arm water and may want to vacuum out any cars that your cat uses often. In addition, you will want to sweep everything down. You can even purchase household sprays or foggers to kill adult fleas and eggs as they hatch.

Typically if you choose this option then you will want to remove all pets from your house for at least 28 hours while the pesticide chemicals dissipate. Lastly, you can eliminate fleas by purchasing flea traps or making your own. Many times you can buy sticky-pads that will attract and then trap the fleas so that they will become eliminated. These traps typically won't trap the larvae or the eggs, so you may still want to make precautions against these "future fleas." If you want more information, then you need to contact a local vet to get an informed opinion regarding what avenue you should take.