Spring is a time of year when our cats can become susceptible to flea infestations, however with the milder winters, infection can occur all year round. Fleas aren’t just an irritant, they can course an allergic reaction in some cats and may transmit disease.

Fleas are prolific and in just six months 200 fleas will have become ten thousand.

To avoid it becoming a problem it is important to treat your cat, though to prevent the fleas returning, the whole house should be treated and any areas that your cat comes in contact with. There are many products available for the treatment of fleas, but what are the ones to go for?

The options available to you:

The main types of treatment available for the treatment of your cat, spot-on remedies, collars, ‘electric shock’ combs, sprays and tablets. The type of remedy you use will largely depend on your cat:

Flea collars are an easy way to treat your cat and can offer protection up to four weeks. However, not all owners are comfortable using collars on cats.

Medicines that require the owner to put drops of the medication onto the back of the neck provide a very effective treatment plus on-going protection from fleas for up to 5 weeks, although this can be tricky on some cats. You will need to make sure you get the correct type, as some are designed for dogs and others for cats.

Special combs that send out an electric shock can be used to kill fleas. However, you’ll need to be diligent with the comb and repeat the routine over a long period to make sure you get all the fleas. The combs can also ‘buzz’ when being used, this may put some cats off.

Sprays that are designed to be used on your car are an inexpensive way to combat fleas, but cats need to be over 3 months of age, the ‘hissing’ noise may also be a problem for some cats.

Oral Tablets will kill all the fleas on your pet, but it can be difficult to get your cat to swallow a pill unless your well practiced!

Rob Tyrrell is pet owner that specialises in pet portraits. To commission a pet portraits from photos, go to his web site at www.robtyrrell-petportraits.co.uk.