How To Treat A Feral Cat For Fleas
Treating a feral cat for fleas can be a challenging task or a rewarding one, depending on the approach. The simple fact is that we are not trying to make all feral cats into pets. Instead, we want to care for all of them. I have included some thoughts on how this affects what you do with the cats and how you treat them. There are many issues surrounding feral cats that get people upset as well, but that is beyond the scope of this article. The purpose of this article is to help people, who want to help feral cats survive better by teaching Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) methods and proper flea control
Keeping ferals is a controversial matter. There are people who will say it is cruel and you should let them go but then there are those who help feral cats and keep them at home because they know the perils outside. If you want to do something good for a feral cat, you have to take care of his/her health as they may have diseases and infections that affect other cats/animals in your household. Here we will talk about fleas in feral cats.
How To Treat A Feral Cat For Fleas
Treating a feral cat for fleas is not as simple as treating a domestic cat. Domestic cats are generally more comfortable around humans and are less likely to run away when they are being treated for flea problems. Feral cats, on the other hand, may not be so easy to catch! This means that if you do manage to catch your feral cat, it will probably try its best to escape from you when it sees that something is going on with its body. You should always have another person help hold down the feral cat while you apply treatment because this will allow both of you to keep track of where the feral cat is at all times during treatment time (which is very important).
Treating fleas is simple and easy, but you need to be careful to use the right products.
First, you will need to choose a product to kill fleas on your cat that is safe for use on cats. There are many different brands of flea treatments available and there are some that are better than others. The best way to find out which one will work best for your cat is by asking your vet what he or she recommends.
Once you have picked out a brand of treatment, it’s time to apply it! Most flea treatments come in either a liquid form or as an aerosol spray that can be sprayed directly onto your pet’s fur or skin (if they allow). You’ll want to follow the directions carefully when applying these products so that you get them where they need to go without getting any on yourself or in areas where people spend time (like bedrooms).
It may take several applications over several weeks before all of the fleas are gone from your cat’s coat due to how quickly they reproduce themselves (they lay eggs almost constantly).
How To Treat A Feral Cat For Fleas
Feral cats usually have sturdier immune systems than indoor cats, but when they do need medical treatment, the challenge for caretakers is to find ways to treat them without using stressful and traumatic restraint. Cats often break with illness from stress alone, so you want to make sure the method of treatment doesn’t hinder or delay recovery. Using the least invasive treatment available is always recommended for medicating feral cats, but when treating feral kittens during the taming process, you especially want to avoid treatments that require stressful physical restraint to administer. Forcibly restraining any kitten or cat for treatment can embed a fear of being handled that won’t easily be forgiven.
What follows are some of the more common conditions that feral cats and kittens develop, along with some simple treatment options.
Fleas
You can forget about a flea bath when safe handling of a feral cat or kitten with fleas is impossible! A safe and effective flea treatment for cats and kittens four weeks and older is to add crushed Capstar to the cats’ food. For kittens four to eight weeks old, the dose is a half-pill. You do not need a prescription for Capstar, and you can purchase it online at any of the pet medication websites, or even from some pet supply stores. Capstar has no unpleasant taste and it kills fleas in three to six hours.
However, Capstar does not kill flea eggs that may be on a cat’s body, so it is important, when you can handle the cat safely, to follow up with a long-acting topical treatment such as Advantage, Frontline, or Revolution (which requires a prescription, but also helps treat ear mites and roundworms as discussed below). Apply one of these products to the skin between the cat’s shoulder blades and it will continue working for one month.
Capstar has no lasting effect, so a cat treated with it must not be re-exposed to fleas. For a follow-up treatment that does provide long-term flea control and that works well with adult ferals, you can use Program tablets, which are readily eaten when crushed in food and are an excellent noninvasive way to provide flea control to an outdoor cat when the dosing can be controlled for each individual cat. Program is designed to be the long-term followup to Capstar for flea control when handling the cat is not possible and administering oral medication in food is the only option.
Here’s another tip: If you find you can handle kittens, a bath with Dawn dishwashing detergent kills fleas on contact. Sometimes a flea comb dipped in the soapy water is enough to comb out a few fleas. Be sure to put a soapy ring around the cat’s neck and anus at the start of the bath to prevent the fleas from escaping into ears and you-know-where.
List Of Product For Treating A Feral Cat For Fleas
Advantage II 6-Dose Large Cat Flea Prevention, Flea Prevention for Cats, Over 9 Pounds
Price : $59.98
Features :
- 6-month supply of advantage II topical large cat flea prevention
- Easy-to-apply and pre-measured flea treatment application tubes, fragrance-free and waterproof after 24 hours
- Advantage II large cat flea prevention kills fleas through contact, meaning fleas don’t have to bite your cat in order to die.Avoid contact with eyes or clothing
- Starts working within 12 hours and protects your cat for up to 30 days. Kills fleas in multiple life stages; Eggs, larvae and adults to break the flea life cycle
- Vet recommended, fragrance free and designed specifically to treat and prevent fleas on cats
Additional Info :
| Color | Blacks & Grays |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 4.25 Inches |
| Width | 1 Inches |
| Length | 6.5 Inches |
| Weight | 0.05 Pounds |
CAPSTAR Oral Flea Treatment for Cats 2-25 lbs, Fast Acting, 6 Doses
Price : $36.99
Features :
- FAST-ACTING FLEA TREATMENT: One oral flea tablet starts killing fleas within 30 minutes.
- TACKLE FLEA INFESTATIONS FAST: Give Capstar oral flea treatment and watch dead fleas fall off your pet.
- TREAT RE-INFESTATIONS FAST: If your pet gets re-invested with fleas, simply give another dose as often as once a day.
- WITHOUT A VET PRESCRIPTION: Flea treatment without needing a veterinarian prescription, administer this cat flea tablet orally to kill adult fleas fast.
- KILL ADULT FLEAS: Capstar oral flea treatment tablets (11.4 mg) are safe for cats and kittens from 2-25 lbs., four (4) weeks and older.
Additional Info :
| Color | Pink |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 2.99 Inches |
| Width | 0.79 Inches |
| Length | 4.92 Inches |
| Weight | 2.508E-5 Pounds |
Rocco & Roxie Stain & Odor Eliminator for Strong Odor – Enzyme-Powered Pet Odor Eliminator for Home – Carpet Stain Remover for Cats and Dog Pee – Enzymatic Cat Urine Destroyer – Carpet Cleaner Spray
Price : $19.97 ($0.62 / Fl Oz)
Features :
- CERTIFIED GENTLE AND SAFE Chlorine free and color safe. Safe to use around pets and children. No hazardous propellants, no residue left behind. So gentle it’s been Certified Safe for all carpets, earning the Seal of Approval by the trusted Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)
- ELIMINATES STAINS, ODORS AND RESIDUE If it’s gross, it’s gone. Not just the stain, but the stink. From stinky yellow pet urine and feces to vomit and other organic spills, our professional strength formula tackles them all.
- EVERY SURFACE, EVERY TIME For use on carpets, floors, furniture, clothing, litter boxes, kennels, carriers, all pet living and sleeping areas—anywhere stains happen.
- ENZYME ACTIVATED The key is getting to the problem deep-down. This spray contains natural enzymes that are activated on contact with odors and stains, feeding on ammonia crystals and organic matter until they are completely eliminated.
- 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED An Amazon best seller—for a reason. If your stains and odors aren’t gone, neither is your money. We’ll refund it in full.
Additional Info :
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 10 Inches |
| Width | 2 Inches |
| Length | 5 Inches |
| Weight | 2 Pounds |
ANGRY ORANGE Pet Odor Eliminator for Strong Odor – Citrus Deodorizer for Strong Dog Urine or Cat Pee Smells on Carpet, Furniture & Indoor Outdoor Floors – 24 Fluid Ounces – Puppy Supplies
Price : $19.97 ($19.97 / Count)
Features :
- Powerful – A little goes a long way with the Angry Orange pet odor eliminator for home use. It’s a carpet deodorizer that targets strong, lingering smells at the source and destroys them.
- Citrus Scent – Derived from fresh orange peels, our carpet cleaner for pets smells like heaven and works like hell on stubborn odors.
- Ready to Use – This bottle of urine odor eliminator can be used directly on cat pee or dog waste. No mixing required!
- Convenient – For best results, remove pets from area, clean excess mess, shake well & spray, let dry completely. Do not apply product directly to your pet or use in a diffuser. Cats & Birds may be sensitive to concentrated levels of certain ingredients.
- Multipurpose – This pet carpet cleaner can also be used to eliminate odors from tile, couch upholstery, garbage cans, car interiors, and more.
Additional Info :