Are flea collars safe for my 13-year-old cat? What are better options?

lHello, thank you for using PetCoach. There are are oral flea pills available, however, you also cannot take back an oral pill once you give it...... A 19 year old cat may have an underlying kidney or liver problem (actually this is very likely) that is making her more sensitive to these medications. If she has not been to the vet recently she should be examined and have some blood testing run. If you continue to try things and her organs are not functioning properly you may really put her over the edge. Luckily she recovered after the Seresto Collar incident. I suggest you: 1. Treat the environment (ie: the house) as the fleas will be constantly hatching and continuing the problem. I strongly recommend Knockout Spray ES. This works better than any foggers or other home treatments and can be used on all carpeted and upholstered surfaces. ( https://www.chewy.com/virbac-knockout-es-area-treatment/dp/53855 ) 2. ALL animals in the house much be on some type of flea prevention as well or the fleas will continue to thrive. 3. If you have a yard, you need to treat that too as part of the environment even if she does not go outside. ( https://www.chewy.com/vets-best-outdoor-flea-tick-spray/dp/45163 ) 4. To treat her specifically, without using the traditional flea medications, you can use this waterless mousse - it is only a temporary fix though. No real lasting effects like the topical/oral treatments so depending on the severity of the infestation, you may have to use it every day or every couple days. Also depends on how she reacts to the product. Please read the directions fully before using as they recommend a spot trial first. ( https://www.amazon.com/Vets-Best-Waterless-Treatment-Plant-Based/dp/B084PZSR8J/ ) 5. Whatever you do, DO NOT use any Hartz or Adams products on her. They have a high rate of causing serious reactions and even death in dogs and cats (even young and healthy ones). Again, at her age, I strongly recommend she see a vet before you try anything else on her body. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Frontline is very safe and well tolerated in cats. So is Advantage Multi- not Advantix- but Advantage Multi- (which also protects your cat against heart-worm disease and intestinal parasites as well)- these products are very safe for cats and they do very well for fleas and a little for ticks. Frontline does not not work for mosquitoes or no see ums. For that you need a product like a Seresto collar- whenever you get into these products the safety is a little less but Seresto is very safe and pretty well tolerated by most casts. It is not like the old flea collar that had Amitraz (those are NOT safe!). I would suggest a Seresto collar and an oral Feline Heartgard chew or topical Advanatge Multi for your cat (combo of both). But you should check with your vet for more info for your particular cat.

These flea collars are extremely toxic and one should not use them anymore. Tetrachlorvinphos toxic to the nervous system and likely to cause cancer. The collar could indeed have caused these signs in your kitty. There are quite a few flea and tick medications on the market, such as spot-ons that are not detrimental to the health of your cat. Here are safe flea products: Spot-ons and/or chews Advantage, Advantix Advantage Multi (Advocate in the UK) Frontline (ticks as well) Bravecto spot on (ticks as well) - for cats, Simparica, Nexgard Revolution (stronghold in the UK) Tablets: comfortis (will only kill fleas once) Collar: Seresto (ticks as well)

Bravecto is a good topical that last for 3 months but is a prescription. The change in duration helps control the environment and get ahead of the life cycle. The majority of a flea problem comes from the environment so it is essential to treat that area also. You may also look in to a Seresto collar that is not a prescription and it can last up to 8 months.

Cats that are sensitive to topical flea treatments usually do OK with a flea collar. Not any old flea collar, specifically the Seresto Collar. I suggest you try it. One collar lasts 8 months and we have had really great success with using them. It is also the cheapest considering it lasts 8 months. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/seresto-flea-and-tick-collar-for-cats ) Indoor cats can get fleas... ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-ways-your-indoor-cat-can-get-fleas/ ) Hope this helps Gary. Best wishes to you and Patches.

The only flea collar that appears to work well is the Seresto collar. And even then, I can have a slower rate of kill for the fleas. The top products on the market our oral products such as some Perica and next guard. For most pets, these are good options that I recommend to call your veterinarian first and doublecheck. Also, you will need to treat all the pets in the household for six months to make sure you get through the entire fleet lifecycle. Best of luck.

Unfortunately, there is no evidence that any of these "natural" alternatives work well for fleas, and I have never seen any of my clients have much success with them. If you want to use a flea collar, I would recommend the Seresto collar - it's safe and non-toxic, and is usually quite effective for both fleas and ticks.