How do I know if my cat has fleas? 

It can be difficult to see fleas on your cat, as they’re often swallowed when your cat is grooming. The only signs you may notice are your cat scratching more than usual or flea bites on your ankles.  

Another way to find out if your cat has fleas is to take a fine-toothed ‘flea comb’ and brush your cat over a clean white surface, such as a large piece of paper. Fleas and flea dirt may fall onto the surface - place any debris onto some damp cotton wool; if it’s flea dirt, it will slowly dissolve, leaving red/brown marks. Even if you can’t find any adult fleas, this will confirm that your cat has a flea problem.  

Note that cats also contract worms from fleas when they ingest them grooming – another reason to treat your cat! 

How do I treat my cat for fleas? 

There’s a wide choice of flea treatments available, and knowing which is best to use can be daunting. Always speak to your veterinary team for advice if you’re not sure what the safest and most effective treatment is for your cat. Some of the products available ‘off the shelf’ from supermarkets and shops may not be safe for use in cats – particularly those containing permethrin – and may be less effective than products from your veterinary clinic. You may also need to consider the safest product to use in kittens, pregnant and nursing cats. As there’s so much to consider, we’d always recommend taking your veterinary team’s guidance on flea control - they’ll know the safest, most up-to-date and effective products to use.  

You’ll also need to think about the type of flea product you want to use. We’ve listed the various options below: 

• ‘Spot-on’ products (placed onto the back of your cat’s neck) – widely available but vary with safety and effectiveness. Never use a dog product on a cat - it’s not safe to do so and may poison your cat 

• Tablets – if you’re able to give your cat a tablet, this can be a simple form of treatment. Ensure it’s a product recommended by your veterinary team and licensed for use in cats 

• Powders – only tend to be active for as long as they’re on your cat’s coat, so are not a good choice for treatment. We don’t recommend the use of flea powders as there are safer and more effective products available 

• Collars – in general, collars aren’t very effective, may cause skin irritation, and can lead to injury if they don’t use a safety snap-open device. Some newer collars containing specific chemicals may be far more effective and safer to use. We don’t advocate the use of flea collars unless specifically recommended by your veterinary team due to risks of collar injury 

• Aerosol sprays – many of these use older, less effective, less safe products. In addition, many cats find the ‘hissing’ noise frightening. We believe there are safer, more effective, and easier to administer flea control treatments than using aerosol sprays 

• Pump action sprays – these may be suitable, and the pump action minimises any distress to your cat, but the product can be groomed away so must be safe for cats 

As well as being present in some spot-on preparations or household sprays, flea growth regulators may also be available as an injectable product or as a product that can be given by mouth. These may be easier solutions for some cats but should always be combined with a product that kills adult fleas.