Insects that parasitize a pet’s body can cause inconvenience not only to the animal, but also to humans. During a bite, bloodsuckers can cause an allergic reaction or infect the victim with various infections.
Cat flea spray helps to quickly and effectively deal with the problem even in conditions of highly infested areas.
Despite all the advantages of choosing, the drug is toxic and needs to be used correctly, so before purchasing you need to carefully read the instructions and contraindications.
General information
Before you start figuring out which flea spray for cats is best for fighting parasites, you need to understand how these products differ from each other. The main difference between the drugs is that they can be conditionally divided into two groups. The first will include those intended for processing animal hair, and the second will include products intended for treating premises.
Preparations belonging to the first group should use ingredients that are as safe as possible for the animal. However, at the same time, the flea spray for cats should destroy all the parasites that your pet has in one go and as quickly as possible. By the way, manufacturers try not to use permethrin in this product, since cats are much more sensitive to it than dogs.
For thin and sick animals, specific sprays can also be used, since due to their thin skin, some drugs may be too toxic for them.
Flea treatment products are usually sold in high concentrations and must be diluted. You can spray such preparations using a regular spray bottle.
You should not experiment and use these two types of sprays for other purposes. Otherwise, either your budget or your pet may suffer, whose health could be harmed.
Features of using flea sprays
Flea spray for cats is usually very effective and safe for the animal. If the treatment is carried out correctly, then toxic substances will not enter the pet’s body and will not cause side effects. But the treatment has a detrimental effect on fleas: they either die or leave the animal within a few minutes.
The standard application and action time of the spray is from half an hour to an hour, after which the cat should be bathed. It is recommended to select the drug depending on the age and size of the animal. They may differ in the concentration of toxic substances.
After the treatment, it is better to take your pet for a walk or distract his attention so that he does not lick himself or wash himself. After the required time has passed, the drug is washed off with running water, sometimes resorting to bathing with shampoo.
As practice shows, there is no need to re-apply the spray; fleas leave the animal’s body after the first treatment. If this does not happen, then there is a possibility that the drug was of poor quality or you did something wrong.
Flea spray "Bars" for cats: instructions
Nowadays, the choice of products for treating pets against parasites is quite large. The consumer has a fairly wide selection of the same sprays of different brands and manufacturers, produced in different countries of the world. Flea spray for cats "Bars", reviews of which are mostly positive, is gaining immense popularity among livestock breeders. The owners of their four-legged friends say that this is due to the high quality of the drug and its reasonable price. The effect is achieved literally after the first use. A can of spray lasts a long time, so this again saves your budget.
Popular means
Although the market offers a huge range of sprays, there are some of them that are the most popular.
Let's look at their features and advantages:
Plus
A fairly effective drug that provides maximum protection against parasites. It can be considered universal because it has a wide spectrum of action. The composition contains fairly strong insecticides. Can be used for animals from the age of 1 year.
Leopard
Perhaps the most popular spray, there are reasons for this. It does not pose any danger to cats, but at the same time provides maximum protection. It contains active components that allow you to protect against almost all parasites. With high performance and a wide spectrum of action, it has a fairly low price, which is certainly a big advantage.
Bars Forte
Refers to modern insecticides of the latest generation. In this case, the latest formulas and technologies are used. These sprays provide complete and reliable protection and at the same time do not harm pets. Regarding the cost, its price remains affordable.
Blokhnet
The composition contains active components that have a strong and fast effect. In one application you can get rid of not only adult fleas, but also larvae and eggs. It is completely safe for cats and has only positive reviews from owners.
Flea spray for cats: instructions for use and recommendations for use.
Treatment should be carried out outdoors or in a very well ventilated area. At the same time, cages with birds, aquariums, etc. are removed from the room.
Avoid allowing the animal to lick the drug. For example, you can use a special muzzle.
You need to shake the bottle with the drug well, and then start spraying its contents onto the pet’s body from a distance of 30 cm.
The spray should be applied as evenly as possible. This way the maximum effect will be achieved.
One press on the head contains approximately 0.5 ml of spray. This amount is enough to process 1 kg of animal weight.
20 minutes after spraying, the cat can be combed. Repeated treatment can be carried out no less than a month later. In addition to the cat itself, this drug can also be used to treat its bed, bedding, etc. Flea spray for cats “Bars” will reliably protect your pet from annoying parasites.
Universal flea sprays
Many of those who have already faced the problem of choosing an anti-parasite drug for their pet noticed that they were also offered a flea spray for dogs and cats. Before choosing any of them, you need to know exactly for what purpose and under what conditions you will use it.
Perhaps you just want to carry out effective preventive treatment, or perhaps your pet has a mild degree of parasite infestation.
It is much more difficult if the infection is already severe. In this case, you will have to resort to using strong insecticides. But strong drugs should not be used for pregnant or lactating animals, as they can harm their health. The exception is when the animal's life is in danger.
Many pet owners take their pets out of town for the summer. In this case, you should worry about purchasing flea spray for cats and dogs in advance. You can also stock up on other preventive measures that can help prevent parasite infection.
Side effects
If used incorrectly, anti-flea spray for cats can cause intoxication in your pet. Poisoning occurs when particles of the sprayed product are inhaled, when they fall on the mucous membranes or penetrate the stomach.
In this case, the animal may experience:
- Vomit.
- Loss of appetite.
- Drowsiness.
- Weakness.
- Diarrhea.
- Deterioration in the quality or loss of the cat's fur.
- Loss of coordination.
- Allergic manifestations in the form of rash, itching.
Anti-parasite sprays for cats, unlike other products, can be used even in areas heavily infested with fleas. They quickly and effectively deal with insects without requiring re-application.
The disadvantage of this group of drugs is the toxicity of the mixture, which makes their use inappropriate for prophylactic purposes.
Sprays designed to control fleas and ticks
If your pet often goes outside or you live outside the city, then in addition to fleas, there is also a threat of ticks. These parasites, in addition to sucking animal blood, also carry various types of dangerous diseases. Some of them can be fatal. To prevent trouble and preserve the health of your pet, it is better to carry out treatment in advance. Flea and tick spray for cats can help control many types of parasites. The owners of their four-legged friends say that it is these drugs that have the most effective effect and are most popular among livestock farmers. According to cat owners, due to its wide spectrum of action, they eliminate the need to buy several medications. This saves not only money, but also time and nerves, which is important for animal lovers.
Currently, the industry produces universal sprays that can fight both fleas and ticks. However, they should be selected especially carefully, taking into account the weight and biological characteristics of the animal. It is important to pay attention to the fact that he does not have allergic reactions to the components indicated in the composition of the drug.
As a preventative measure, you can treat not the animal itself, but its habitat, with such a spray. However, this is only if the pet does not live on the street.
Flea spray for cats, the reviews of which are positive, is produced by “Clandestine”, “Bars”, etc.
Benefits and Features
There are a lot of effective flea remedies for cats in pet stores.
Such drugs are available in the form:
- Drops.
- Tablets.
- Shampoo.
- Sprays
- Collars.
Each form has its own advantages and disadvantages in relation to flea sprays. The latter have the necessary concentration of the active substance, which can kill not only fleas, but also ticks.
Unlike drops and collars used to prevent infection and repel bloodsuckers, sprays are considered a means of completely eliminating parasites. Once on the flea's body, the substance penetrates the body and kills it from the inside. The medicine inside the bottle is in liquid form.
When you press the valve, the particles of the drug create a kind of cloud under pressure, which is distributed evenly over the entire treated surface. This method of disinfection helps to transport the mixture to the most inaccessible places. Therefore, the method is effective when the premises are heavily infested.
At the same time, sprays are more dangerous due to their toxicity than drops and collars. This is their significant disadvantage. The drops only treat the pet's withers, but the aerosol covers the entire body of the animal and it is difficult to exclude the possibility of licking off the composition.
Shampoo is also applied to the cat’s entire body, but it is washed off at the end of bathing and the risk of the product entering the stomach is minimal.
The spray wins in this case if the pet does not accept water procedures or it is necessary to treat not only the animal, but also the room. Collars do not kill fleas, they only repel parasites. They should be worn after pre-treatment with other substances.
Important. If the spray is used for prophylaxis, then the dosage must be calculated correctly. Otherwise, the animal may be harmed.
When infestation is minimal, it is better to use drops and collars.
Allergy to flea spray
Flea spray for cats can cause an allergic reaction in an animal if it is intolerant to the components of the drug. If after treatment you notice changes in your pet’s behavior, redness on the skin, itching, scabies, you should contact a veterinary clinic and consult for allergic reactions in the cat’s body. If the assumptions are confirmed, the doctor will prescribe treatment and give an injection, but in the future you will need to carefully select the composition of anti-flea medications and avoid those that contain an allergen.
An allergy to flea spray can also occur in a more severe form, so during the first treatment you need to be very careful and monitor the slightest changes in the animal’s usual behavior.
Indoor flea spray
If your pet has become infected with parasites and you have treated its body with special preparations, you should not stop there. The fact is that, most likely, the parasites have already managed to migrate to the habitat of the cat or dog, and perhaps even lay larvae there. In order to finally get rid of this scourge, it is necessary to treat the room.
When choosing a spray to treat a room, you need to pay attention to qualities such as composition, toxicity, and method of application. However, price will also play an important role in the final choice. There is no need to overpay extra money, however, there is also no need to choose the cheapest flea spray for cats, because it is more likely to save on quality.
It is known that fleas, similar to linen lice, are very hardy and are able to hide in inaccessible places. That is why it is advisable to use a spray to treat the room. In this case, processing is carried out in several stages.
First, general cleaning is carried out, as a result of which some insects are removed. After this, animals and people are removed from the apartment. You should also remove food and laundry.
Before using flea spray for cats, be sure to read the instructions for use. If necessary, shake the can and begin processing. Particular attention should be paid to the floor and surfaces near it. Also, you should not ignore hard-to-reach places (cracks, baseboards, etc.).
A few hours after the treatment, the room is thoroughly ventilated and cleaned again. After a week, it is recommended to carry out another treatment of the room. It will help get rid of those parasites that were hatched after the initial treatment.
Premises treatment
In most cases, it is not enough to simply treat the animal and forget about the parasites. The fact is that these insects feel great in the body of an animal, which interests them only as an object of food. Most often, when a pet becomes infected with fleas, he brings them home, then they begin to move around the apartment, lay eggs in crevices and hard-to-reach places, and after a while we have a fairly large population at home.
This situation cannot be allowed to happen. Firstly, all the treatments that you will carry out on your pet will not give any result, since it will continue to become infected. Secondly, the owners will soon feel the presence of fleas on themselves, since they will also bite people.
As a means of treating a room, owners often prefer sprays. It is this form of release that allows you to easily and quickly perform disinfestation, in which it is important to pay attention to hard-to-reach places.
The procedure itself should be carried out in several stages:
- Be sure to clean the entire room. It is necessary to vacuum the floors, carpets, and upholstered furniture. Wash your pet's bedding.
- Move furniture away from the walls.
- Carry out wet cleaning. This way you can get rid of most of the eggs and larvae.
- Since a spray is used and a toxic substance is applied, it is imperative to protect the people living in the apartment. You need to hide all food, wash bed linen, hide dishes, towels, personal hygiene products, personal items, toys.
- Remember about safety; at the time of the procedure, there should be no people or animals in the apartment. Take out the aquarium or close the lid; the birds must be taken out of the room.
- Do not forget that you will be working with poison and it is dangerous not only to insects, but also to people. Be sure to use protective equipment. Wear clothes that completely cover the body. Wear gloves on your hands. A respirator is used to protect the respiratory tract from toxic fumes. It is advisable to wear safety glasses to prevent contact with the mucous membrane during the spraying process.
- After the procedure, you must leave the room for several hours.
Upon returning to the apartment, you need to ventilate it well, you can create a draft. Next, be sure to do wet cleaning. It is necessary to thoroughly wash all surfaces; the aerosol remains only in those places that are inaccessible to people and animals. For example, on baseboards behind cabinets, refrigerators, radiators. As practice shows, it is not always possible to get rid of parasites at once, since some of the eggs remain untouched. Therefore, a repeat procedure is required; it is carried out no earlier than a week later.
Safety rules during processing
In order to protect yourself from the effects of insecticides, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment against chemicals. You should also avoid direct contact of poisons with the skin, eyes, nose, mouth, etc. This can cause significant poisoning. You should try to inhale the spray as little as possible and not be in the treated room. After carrying out all activities, wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
When carrying out treatment, you need to ensure not only that the poison does not enter your animal’s body, but also your own and your loved ones. It is for this purpose that the listed safety rules should be followed. Some sprays have a high concentration of toxic substances, and therefore can harm health and cause changes in well-being. In case of severe poisoning, it is better to consult a doctor or call an ambulance. Under no circumstances should you ignore the corresponding symptoms; the consequences can be very, very negative. If you notice changes in the behavior of your household, you should also not ignore this: perhaps they simply do not attach importance to the onset of serious poisoning.
Basic compliance with safety rules will help preserve the life and health of you and your pets.
How to properly process
Regarding the effectiveness of sprays, they show quite good results and, if the procedure is carried out correctly, one treatment is enough. They are safe for the animal and cannot harm their health. But here it is worth considering one point: they are safe only when the product is correctly selected and used according to the instructions.
The drugs differ in the concentration of active components, which must be taken into account. After all, if a cat has any disease, his body is weakened and the use of potent drugs that are intended for healthy animals can greatly harm him.
The average exposure time after treatment is about 1 hour; during this period all parasites die. Therefore, after the substance is applied, the cat must be distracted in every possible way and not allowed to lick itself, so that the poison does not enter the gastrointestinal tract. Then the spray must be rinsed off well, you can bathe with shampoo.
If the spray is of good quality and the procedure was carried out as a rule, then one treatment is enough to get rid of fleas. There are several reasons why parasites can again plague cats. Perhaps the procedure itself was carried out incorrectly, there is a possibility that the drug was ineffective. A situation may also arise that fleas have taken up residence in the apartment, and disinfestation of the premises will be required.
Treatment:
- The room in which the treatment will be carried out must be well ventilated.
- The can must be shaken before use.
- Spray the spray at a distance of 30 centimeters from the animal’s body.
- There should be no aquarium or bird cages in this room.
- Do not allow the substance to come into contact with mucous membranes. If you have assistants, you need them to prevent you from licking the substance and make sure that it does not get into your eyes, nose or mouth. For an independent procedure, special muzzles are used.
- Try to apply evenly, do not apply too much spray in one place.
- After 20 minutes (the time is set according to the instructions, it is individual for each drug), after application, rinse well with water.
According to the veterinarian's recommendations, sprays can be reused, but not earlier than after a month.
