Hi, I’m new to this group & looking for a little help. I have to explain the back story a little so it makes sense, so sorry this might be long!
I have 2 cats brother & sister who are 9 years old. They were Feral kittens & spent 1st year of their lives in a rescue centre & were unhandled. I took them on 8 years ago to live at home with me & my husband. Denny the boy within 6 months had adapted well & is the most loving cat & easy to deal with. His sister however has never come around & whilst she lives at home with us she won’t be touched & is incredibly weary of humans! We let her do her own thing & she is very happy coming & going as she pleases. We have a Cat Flap so they can come & go as they wish.
Now for the problem! As catching her to do topical spot on flea treatment is both challenging & stressful in all honesty I have been lapse about this only doing it once in a blue moon!
August last year one of them bought fleas into the house, so we had to catch them both to treat them & the house. After this she spent the next 4 months outside & would only come in for food at night when we’d gone to bed! As it was not possible to catch her again to do routine monthly on treatment I decided to use an oral flea treatment which she ate in her food, meaning I didn’t have to catch her! I gave this to her once a month.
After 4 months she decided it was safe to come home & all was well. However just a few months later she has bought fleas back in the house again!! I am sure it’s her as I found evidence of them where she sleeps.
in the short term I know what to do to get rid of the flea issue.
However my long term options to stop this continually happening I feel are limited!
I either need to try to somehow catch her every month to do spot on treatment, however knowing that she’ll never feel comfortable at home again if I keep doing this & will probably move out permanently. Which would be very upsetting, to watch her live outdoors in the garden afraid to come in the house!
Or do the oral treatment which I can sneak in her food, but perhaps use it more frequently over a course of several days, once a month plus also treat the house with flea spray monthly. However I’m not sure that her eating the drugs so regularly & the chemicals around the house are much good either!
Does anyone have any experience or suggestions on this at all? I am in the Uk (in case of product suggestions)
Many thanks in advance
Hi Kate,
From my perspective, I think using a once monthly oral product is going to be your best bet for flea control since it requires the least amount of interaction.
I’m just not clear on what product you had been using. You mentioned giving a product monthly but later you indicated you might use that product for several days in a row once a month. Perhaps this was something like Capstar? If so, Capstar (nitenpyram) is only intended to kill adult fleas for 24 hours. It doesn't address other flea life stages like eggs and pupae, so it rarely provides consistent flea control.
Two monthly products that will last for a full 30 days and control all flea life stages include Credelio Cat and Nexgard Combo. I believe both are available in the UK. If you had been using one of these, they will be effective at controlling fleas and infestations but they have to be given continuously every month.
It sounds like topical products are out as you’d have an increasingly negative interaction every time and this might also make the application of the product itself a problem too.
Advantage Treatment Spray for Cats made by Elanco is a product that can be used both directly on a cat as well as in the environment. Although you won’t be able to use it on your cat because of her fear of getting close, you could use it in the home as an environmental treatment and still feel okay about your cats coming into contact with it.
Diatomaceous earth is another consideration, at least for environmental use, as a natural/non-chemical alternative. I think there are some precautions you have to consider with its use, but you can read more in our article on Diatomaceous Earth for Cats.
Hope those thoughts are helpful.
I see the dilemma. If worse comes to worse and you're really concerned about her condition (or bringing fleas inside), you could try a Havahart trap to safely and humanely collect her for a vet visit without you being directly involved in capturing her. Cat rescues use them all the time to catch feral colony cats so that we can provide them sedated care, vaccination, etc. If you can manage to do it once a year even, she could get a sedated exam, shots, and a prescription. Might be an option.
@chris-vanderhoof many thanks for the info & suggestions they are much appreciated.
Yes I was using the Capstar product. It is the only oral flea treatment I can get in the UK without a vet prescription.
The Credlio product unfortunately requires a veterinary prescription in the UK, meaning I’d have to catch her to take her to the vets to get this product.
So it just makes treatment options in the UK hugely limited as I can’t take her to the vets.
I will definitely try though the spray option around the house & bedding.
Thank you again for the reply.
@chris-vanderhoof thanks so much for your reply.
Yes I was referring to the Capstar product as that is the only oral treatment in the UK I can get without a vet prescription.
Unfortunately the Credelio product requires a vet prescription, so I can’t get this item unless I catch her & take her to the vets.
I will continue with the Capstar product & will also try the spray around the home/bedding.
Thank you again for your help