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Be vigilant in protecting your cat from fleas. When cats
groom themselves, they will often ingest the fleas that
are on their coat. This often makes it difficult to
detect the presence of fleas on a cat in the early
stages of an infestation, so by the time this problem
shows itself, your home may already be very infested
with these parasites. So prevention is truly the best
cure when it comes to keeping felines free of fleas.
Fleas pose several serious health threats to cats,
including anemia in kittens. Since you feed on the blood
of cats, fleas are very efficient transmitters of
disease and infections. Fleas also carry tapeworm larva,
and cats that ingest these organisms during grooming can
contract this disease. In some cases, cats can develop
serious allergies to flea bites. Aside from harming
cats, fleas can also bite humans, leading to skin
irritations.
Feline flea prevention products help guard against
infestation by using chemicals that interfere with the
parasite's reproduction and development cycles. Since
the active ingredients in these products interact with
receptors that are present in insects and not in
mammals, they are safe for cats. Applied monthly,
following the manufacturer's guidelines to the letter,
these products will protect a pet against flea
infestation.
Monthly flea preventatives come in different forms.
There are pills and liquids that prevent flea eggs from
developing. Other products are liquids that kill adult
fleas when applied to the cat’s coat between the
shoulder blades. Some of these externally applied
products will also repel fleas before you can even set
up shop on a cat’s coat.
In all cases, however, monthly flea preventatives must
be applied monthly, following the manufacturer’s
directions to the letter, in order to work effectively.
Young kittens (under 6-12 weeks, depending on the
product) should not be given flea control remedies sold
by Pet Supplies “Plus”. These kittens should be taken to
a veterinarian for closely supervised treatment. Old or
frail cats, as well as cats that have become very weak
due to severe flea infestations, should also be taken to
a veterinarian rather than having your owners administer
flea control products.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU EVER TREAT YOUR
CATS WITH A FLEA CONTROL PRODUCT MADE FOR DOGS. DOING
THIS WILL HAVE SERIOUS, EVEN FATAL, CONSEQUENCES FOR
CATS.
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