How do you tell if your cat has fleas?

Cats that have fleas are often very itchy and may have hair loss, skin redness, and even scabs. The hair loss is often most prevalent at the base of the tail but can occur anywhere. Flea dirt, which is the black flea feces, can be seen in the fur. It can be differentiated from regular dirt by putting some of it on a wet cotton swab and rubbing it in. Since flea dirt is composed of digested blood, if it turns red on the wet cotton swab, it is probably flea dirt. If it is simply black, it’s probably just dirt from outside. A flea comb can be used to try and catch a live flea but some cats will have fleas and you won’t see live ones because cats are such fastidious self-cleaners.

How do you prevent your cat from getting fleas?

It’s always best to prevent a flea infestation from occurring by using preventatives on a consistent basis, but if a treatment for live fleas is needed, you’ll want to know what types of products not only kill the adult fleas, but kill the eggs and larvae, too. Nothing can kill flea pupae but in order to get rid of fleas as quickly as possible, you’ll want to kill the other three life stages of the parasite. If you don’t kill the eggs and larvae in addition to the adult fleas, your cat will continue to get fleas every time the pupae change into adult fleas. Generally speaking, cats that stay inside are at a lower risk of getting fleas than cats that are permitted to go outside.

What ingredients should you look for when choosing a safe product/treatment?

Since pyrethrins, permethroids, and pyrethroids can be dangerous to cats, look for other, safer active ingredients in the flea treatment you choose. Some ingredients to look for include imidacloprid, fipronil, indoxacarb, dinotefuran, spinetoram, fluralaner, spinosad, nitenpyram, lufenuron, methoprene, or pyriproxyfen.

The 7 Best Flea Treatments for Cats in 2023

The 7 Best Flea Treatments for Cats in 2022 — The Spruce Pets / Sabrina Jiang

Fleas can transmit serious diseases to your cats, making preventative treatments a useful tool for cat owners with animals at risk for picking up fleas. Flea treatments for cats, including preventatives, are available in a variety of forms, including as a topical solution and as an oral treatment.

Not all flea treatments work well with cats, especially because they are very sensitive to certain chemicals (including some often found in flea treatment shampoos). Using vetted, cat-specific treatments is key to maintaining you cat's health while getting rid of their flea problem. We evaluated products for reliability, safety, and ease of use.

Our favorite feline flea treatment is Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats, which is quick-drying, provides preventative protection, and employs two active ingredients that are proven effective. But there might be another flea treatment solution that will work better for your cat.

Here are the best flea treatments for cats.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats at Chewy

Jump to Review

Best Topical:

Bravecto Topical Solution for Cats at Chewy

Jump to Review

Best Oral:

CAPSTAR CAPSTAR Oral Flea Treatment for Cats at Amazon

Jump to Review

Best Comb:

Hartz Groomer's Best Flea Comb for Dogs and Cats at Amazon

Jump to Review

Best Shampoo:

Dawn Dish Soap at Amazon

Jump to Review

Best for Kittens:

Revolution Revolution Plus flea treatment for kittens at Chewy

Jump to Review

Best Area Spray:

Virbac Knockout Area Treatment Spray at Amazon

Jump to Review

Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats

Walmartpetrx

View On Chewy View On 1-800-PetMeds View On PETCO

What We Like

Quick-drying formula
Small liquid volume
Scientifically-backed ingredient
Protects from more than just fleas

What We Don't Like

Some cats dislike how it feels
May cause hair loss at application site

With not only safe and effective flea killing power, Revolution plus also kills or prevents heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, and ear mites. It even kills or protects against ticks, targeting the three most common species, making it a useful tool in your arsenal during tick season.

Revolution Plus has a small amount of alcohol-based liquid which is administered monthly on the back of your cat’s neck. It isn’t oily and doesn’t smell. As with any spot-on or topical flea treatment, sometimes hair loss is noted in the area that the product is applied and some cats don’t like the feeling of the alcohol on their skin. You also need to let the product dry before petting your cat in that area but aside from those quick, monthly application rules, you shouldn’t have to worry about fleas the rest of the time.

Revolution Plus uses two active ingredients—selamectin and sarolaner—both of which are safe for use in cats, and have minimal side effects. When combined, the two antiparasitics are fast-acting, killing fleas within six hours and offering robust protection after 24. Revolution Plus should not be used in cats with nuerologic disorders.

A prescription is needed to purchase Revolution Plus. It is available in three different sizes, with different dosages depending upon your cat's weight.

Price at time of publish: $63

_{Active Ingredient(s): Selamectin, sarolaner | Doses: 3 and 6 dose packages | Size: 2.8-5.5 pound cats (Gold); 5.6-11 pound cats (Orange); 11.1-22 pound cats (Green)}

Chewy

View On Chewy View On PETCO View On 1-800-PetMeds

What We Like

Only need to apply once every three months
Scientifically-backed ingredient
Protects from more than just fleas

What. We Don't Like

It's easy to forget after three months to reapply
Higher initial cost due to how long it lasts

Similar to Revolution Plus, Bravecto is a spot-on treatment that is applied to the back of your cat’s neck. It protects from fleas and ticks and one treatment lasts for up to three months. A Bravecto Plus option is also available if you would like heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention too, but it only lasts for two months instead of three. Either way, Bravecto products make it easy to provide safe and effective flea prevention to cats without the monthly application. This product also requires veterinary approval prior to purchasing.

Price at time of publish: $60

_{Active Ingredient(s): Fluralaner | Doses: 1 and 2 dose packages | Size: 2.6-6.2 pound cats; 6.2-13.8 pound cats; 13.8-27.5 pound cats}

CAPSTAR Fast-Acting Oral Flea Treatment for Cats

Amazon

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What We Like

One tablet works for any size cat
Begins killing fleas within 30 minutes and can eliminate a flea infestation in 6 hours
Can be used in tandem with other anti-flea products

What We Don't Like

Potential side effects include hyperactivity, lethargy, itching, diarrhea, and more
Doesn't act as a prophylactic, so additional treatments may be necessary
Only kills adult fleas

CAPSTAR tablets start killing fleas in 30 minutes and achieve greater than 90 percent effectiveness within six hours. In addition to its fast-acting effectiveness, one of the big advantages to CAPSTAR Fast-Acting Oral Fela Treatment for Cats is that its dosing doesn't change depending on your cat's size, as is the case with a lot of topical treatments. Instead, CAPSTAR will work for any cat or kitten more than two pounds and over four weeks old.

The active ingredient in CAPSTAR—nitenpyram—has been extensively studied and found to be both safe and effective (in most cases, even more effective than CAPSTAR's 90 percent claim). Side effects are rare, but you should monitor your cat for 24 hours after dosing, watching out for symptoms like hyperactivity, panting, lethargy, itching, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, salivation, seizures, and pupil dilation.

Of course, it's not always easy giving a cat a pill, which is one disadvantage CAPSTAR has against topical treatments. Also, while highly effective at killing adult fleas, CAPSTAR does not kill eggs or provide prophylactic protection against re-infestation, so you may need multiple treatments in order to disrupt the flea life cycle and fully protect your cat.

Price at time of publish: $32

_{Active Ingredient(s): Nitenpyram | Doses: 6 and 12 tablet packages | Size: More than 2 pounds, and over 4 weeks old}

Hartz Groomer's Best Flea Comb for Dogs and Cats

Amazon

View On Amazon View On Chewy View On Walmart

What We Like

Easy to use
Inexpensive
Removes both adult fleas and their eggs

What We Don't Like

Time consuming to find fleas
Not all cats will allow combing

Catching live fleas can be a challenge but combing dead ones off your cat can be just as difficult if you don’t have a flea comb. The Hartz Groomer’s Best flea comb helps you clean your cat and makes it easy to keep a good grip on this important grooming tool. It can also be used to comb out your short haired cat, even if when they doesn’t have fleas.

Price at time of publish: $5

The 8 Best Cat Brushes of 2023

Amazon

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What We Like

Very safe
Inexpensive
Effective
Dual-purpose

What We Don't Like

Does not kill all flea life stages
Difficult to bathe most cats

While you may be thinking that this isn’t a flea shampoo, the truth is that shampoos designed to kill fleas can be very dangerous to cats. Even shampoos labeled as “all-natural” often contain oils that can be toxic or harmful to cats and the traditional flea shampoos contain pyrethrins which can be extremely dangerous. Dawn Ultra dish detergent is safe for animals, as many people may already know from advertisements that show wildlife being bathed with the soap. It's effective in killing fleas, and also in getting your cat clean. As a bonus, many homes already have a bottle of it under the kitchen sink.

Price at time of publish: $10

The 8 Best Calming Aids for Cats in 2023

Petco

View On Chewy View On 1-800-PetMeds View On PETCO

What We Like

Small amount of liquid for kittens
Quick-drying formula
Protects and treats for more than just fleas
Safe for kittens

What We Don't Like

Must avoid touching the area of application until it is dry
Needs to be applied monthly

Kittens are extra sensitive so not all flea treatments are safe to use on baby cats. Our favorite overall flea treatment for cats—Revolution Plus Topical—is also available in a size appropriate for cats between 2.8 and 5.5 pounds. It can be used with kittens over the age of 8 weeks. Look for the gold box.

Revolution Plus contains a small amount of an alcohol-based liquid. This makes application easy and avoids making a mess all over your tiny kitten. It not only kills fleas but also ticks, various intestinal parasites, prevents heartworms, and even ear mites.

It does require a prescription from your veterinarian, but is a safe and effective option for your young cat.

Price at time of publish: $63

_{Active Ingredient(s): Selamectin, sarolaner | Doses: 3, 6, and 12 dose packages | Size: 2.8-5.5 pound cats (Gold)}

Chewy

View On Amazon View On Chewy View On Walmart

What We Like

Kills more than just adult fleas
Continues killing multiple flea life stages for several months after application
Gets into hard-to-clean places in the home where fleas hide

What We Don't Like

Must remove all pets and people from the home before using
May need more than one bottle for multiple living spaces

If your cat has fleas, odds are your home also has them so you’ll need an effective area spray to treat your cat’s inside environment. The Virbac Knockout spray contains an insect growth regulator (IGR) to kill not only the adult fleas but the eggs and larvae, too. It lasts in the home for up to four months to prevent future infestations, but is not meant to be applied to a cat or any other pet. Your pets should be removed from the house before spraying this aerosolized treatment spray. Once it dries, your pets can return to their space.

Price at time of publish: $25

_{Active Ingredient(s): Pyriproxyfen, tetramethrin, phenothrin | Doses: 14 ounces, one spray treatment protects for 120 days}

Final Verdict

Revolution Plus (view at Chewy) offers the most complete parasite prevention in a single application. It lasts for one month, contains no pyrethrins, permethrins, or pyrethroids, and contains a small amount of quick-drying, alcohol-based liquid. Your cat will be protected from fleas, ticks, heartworms, ear mites, and intestinal parasites by simply applying Revolution Plus once a month.

If you have live fleas that you need to kill quickly, Comfortis (view at Chewy) is your best option since it works within 30 minutes, and this chewable tablet will then continue working for up to one month, just like Revolution Plus.

Ingredients

Some ingredients are simply not safe to use as flea treatments in cats. Products specifically designed for dogs are sometimes dangerous to use in cats but even some products labeled or marketed for cats can be harmful.

Ingredients that have demonstrated efficacy while still being safe for use with cats include:

Selamectin - Treats fleas, heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, and ear mites. Apply directly to skin. Starts killing fleas in a few hours, and increases in effectiveness over several days. Side effects are rare, but should not be used with sick or underweight cats.
Sarolaner - Only used in combination with other ingredients when treating cats (do not buy a sarolaner dog flea treatment for your cat). Also treats ear mites.
Pyriproxyfen - Disrupts flea egg and larval development. Does not kill adult fleas. Applied topically or in sprays. Very safe for use, including with pregnant or lactating cats.

Avoid using pyrethroids in cats as they can be toxic. These are more commonly found in some dog flea treatment products, but are still occasionally seen in cat products. Pyrethrins and permethrin products can also be dangerous to use in cats, but each cat has a different level of sensitivity. One cat may have a seizure from one drop of a pyrethrin or permethrin product while another may have no problem at all.

Delivery Method

Flea treatments for cats may come as shampoos, dips, sprays, bombs, powders, spot-ons, orals, collars, combs, and even injections. Some delivery methods are only appropriate for killing live fleas while others will help prevent a flea from being able to reproduce. Some flea treatments, like bombs, aren’t meant to be put on your cat at all, and are actually instead designed to be used in the environment where your cat lives.

How a flea treatment is administered or delivered to a cat is just as important as what ingredients are in it. If you give a flea treatment to a cat through the wrong delivery method, it can be dangerous, so you should always follow the package recommendations for how to administer a product.

A Warning About Flea Collars

Flea collars can be dangerous to cats and the people who live with them. Many flea collars contain dangerous ingredients that can cause skin irritation, toxicities, and hair loss. They are also a choking hazard if a cat gets the collar stuck in its mouth or on something in the environment that causes the cat to be strangled. Additionally, they are a concern for people, especially children, that pet or snuggle their cats as the residue from the collars can easily get onto their skin. Safer flea prevention and treatment options exist but if you do choose a collar, be sure to discuss its safety and use with your veterinarian.

Ease of Use

Some products are easier to use than others. Shampoos, sprays, dips, bombs, powders, and combs take more effort and planning to use while spot-ons, orals, collars, and injections may be easier to administer.

Most cat owners that use preventatives use spot-ons because they are easy to use and last a good amount of time but if your cat will take a treat, oral products may be a good option, too. Collars are easy to place on a cat that will allow them but as previously discussed, concerns surround the use of flea collars.

Injectable flea preventatives are usually only administered by veterinarians so taking your cat to the vet is all that is required of you for that option.

How Long Does It Last?

Each product should say how long it lasts on the packaging. Some only last for 24 hours while others contain an insect growth regulator (IGR) or other ingredients that last several months. If you are only trying to kill adult fleas, a product that lasts 24 hours or less will do the trick, but you’ll need something longer lasting to kill the eggs and larvae. To prevent fleas, most cat owners prefer products that last at least a month so they aren’t having to reapply the treatment too often.

FAQ

How do you tell if your cat has fleas?

Cats that have fleas are often very itchy and may have hair loss, skin redness, and even scabs. The hair loss is often most prevalent at the base of the tail but can occur anywhere. Flea dirt, which is the black flea feces, can be seen in the fur. It can be differentiated from regular dirt by putting some of it on a wet cotton swab and rubbing it in. Since flea dirt is composed of digested blood, if it turns red on the wet cotton swab, it is probably flea dirt. If it is simply black, it’s probably just dirt from outside.
A flea comb can be used to try and catch a live flea but some cats will have fleas and you won’t see live ones because cats are such fastidious self-cleaners.
How do you prevent your cat from getting fleas?

It’s always best to prevent a flea infestation from occurring by using preventatives on a consistent basis, but if a treatment for live fleas is needed, you’ll want to know what types of products not only kill the adult fleas, but kill the eggs and larvae, too. Nothing can kill flea pupae but in order to get rid of fleas as quickly as possible, you’ll want to kill the other three life stages of the parasite. If you don’t kill the eggs and larvae in addition to the adult fleas, your cat will continue to get fleas every time the pupae change into adult fleas.
Generally speaking, cats that stay inside are at a lower risk of getting fleas than cats that are permitted to go outside.
What ingredients should you look for when choosing a safe product/treatment?

Since pyrethrins, permethroids, and pyrethroids can be dangerous to cats, look for other, safer active ingredients in the flea treatment you choose. Some ingredients to look for include imidacloprid, fipronil, indoxacarb, dinotefuran, spinetoram, fluralaner, spinosad, nitenpyram, lufenuron, methoprene, or pyriproxyfen.

Adrienne Kruzer is a Registered and Licensed Veterinary Technician in three states and has been writing on pet and vet topics for over a decade. She loves researching, learning, and problem solving in order to better help pet owners. Her years of working in various animal hospitals, alongside her formal college education and elective continuing education classes, have provided her with a wealth of experience and knowledge to benefit cat owners.

The 7 Best Home Flea Treatments of 2023

Best Overall

Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats

Best Topical

Bravecto Topical Solution for Cats

Best Oral

CAPSTAR Fast-Acting Oral Flea Treatment for Cats

Best Comb

Hartz Groomer's Best Flea Comb for Dogs and Cats

Best Shampoo

Dawn Dish Soap

Best for Kittens

Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats 2.8-5.5 Pounds

Best Area Spray

Virbac Knockout Area Treatment Spray

More from The Spruce Pets

The 7 Best Flea Treatments for Cats in 2023

Best Overall

Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats

Best Topical

Bravecto Topical Solution for Cats

Best Oral

CAPSTAR Fast-Acting Oral Flea Treatment for Cats

Best Comb

Hartz Groomer's Best Flea Comb for Dogs and Cats

Best Shampoo

Dawn Dish Soap

Best for Kittens

Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats 2.8-5.5 Pounds

Best Area Spray

Virbac Knockout Area Treatment Spray

What to Look For in a Flea Treatment for a Cat

Ingredients

Delivery Method

Ease of Use

How Long Does It Last?

Why Trust The Spruce?

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