[Andyrose]

Does an indoor cat need to receive topical flea treatment if he spends a lot of time on a fully enclosed screened porch? The porch also has screening underneath the floor. He never goes outside of the porch. Thank you.

[labman]

Bet cats work just like dogs. Pull the fur back at the base of the tail. If you see or feel dark reddish specks, the cat has fleas. You might try some of the over the counter stuff, but if it doesn't clear up the problem along with treating the house, get the good stuff from a vet. Be sure what you buy is meant for cats and follow direcdtions.

[nymphetamine]

But would it be safe to put that sort of thing on a cat? Don't cats bathe all over themselves unlike a dog? Maybe a flea collar would be safer. Just wondering.

[labman]

Not owning a cat, I haven't looked at stuff for cats that carefully. But I do know some of the modern, effective stuff is available for cats. That is why I carefully specified making sure what you buy is meant for cats. Unfortunately, the same fleas infest both.

[Andyrose]

My cat has no fleas. I'm just curious if flea preventive treatments such as Frontline are necessary(as a precaution) for an indoor cat that only goes onto a screened porch? Is it a necessary expense? The porch is fully screened, including underneath the floor. Thanks again.

[nymphetamine]

Fleas can get inside the home too. Do you have carpeting? You may not need to worry about it unless you are sure you may have fleas in the house wich I think you would know by now because you'd be pretty itchy by now.

[labman]

Again dog knowledge may not transfer to cats. When I only had one young dog in the house, I went years doing almost nothing about fleas. My dogs seldom had a problem, and when they did, I was usually able to clear it up with flea spray. It was not just my opinion they didn't have fleas. I attended meetings every month where a trained person examined my dog for any signs of neglect. If I was caught bringing a flea infested dog to the meeting, it wouldn't have been pretty. That is where I was trained to examine the base of the tail.

I would keep an eye on the base of your cat's tail and other signs of fleas. Act fast if you find any sign of them. I have had good luck with Vet-Kem Ovatrol Plus, labeled for use on cats too. It kills flea and their eggs before they can hatch. No medication is entirely safe. No sense abusing your wallet and maybe the cat with unneeded Frontline.

The last 2 summers now that Aster lives with us, I have used Revolution on both dogs. Aster developed a flea allergy before the good stuff was in common use.
Oops! I just remembered I forgot to switch back to Heartgard Plus on the first.

[Andyrose]

Thanks. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry, so I'll use a preventative flea treatment on my cat.