Do Indoor Cats Need Regular Flea Preventatives?
I haven’t defleaed my adult female cat for eight
months because she reacted the last time by
excessive scratching that went on for several
days. I am concerned she may be allergic to the
flea med. She is an indoor cat and I haven’t
seen fleas around. Should I take her for a check
up and see what the vet recommends?
Carol
Eureka CA
I spend a lot of time on this blog harping about the importance of flea prevention. Fleas carry a number of animal and human diseases (such as tapeworms and bubonic plague, respectively). In pets, fleas contribute to skin rashes, ear infections and itching anywhere on the body. They have been implicated in syndromes, such as feline asthma, that are caused by an overactive immune system.
I often see pets with skin problems and recommend flea control as the first step. I can’t count the number of times that recommendation has been met with the following comment: “But my pet doesn’t have fleas!”
In these cases I recommend flea control nonetheless, because even an occasional flea bite can trigger skin or ear problems in a sensitive individual.
But the situation is different in your case, Carol. First, you don’t mention that your cat is experiencing any skin, ear, or other problems. And you have reason to believe that she has reacted adversely to a flea preventative in the past. Such reactions are rare, but they do occur.
In your cat’s case, I don’t think flea prevention is mandatory.
However, if your cat develops any of the problems I have listed above, or if you see any fleas or their feces, it will be time for a trip to the vet to discuss alternative flea control products.
You have questions. 
If she had a dog or another outdoor animal, should she use prevention then, even if the cat only stays indoors?
I use Frontline Plus on my dog but my inside only cat doesn’t get flea preventative. I adopted her about a year ago (she’s three years old) from the Humane Society. I haven’t seen any fleas on my dog or the cat. She likes her tummy rubbed, so I routinely check her for fleas and haven’t seen any as to date. My vet does a yearly fecal exam and both the cat and dog are free of parasites.
Flea eggs can be carried indoors on your shoes from outdoors, where wild animals roam. In the UK, foxes, badgers, squirrels and especially hedgehogs are heaving with fleas, so the eggs are likely to be in the grass somewhere. In the US you might pick up fleas from similar wild animals. They are tricksy insects and will hitch a lift from any passerby. And they are a bugger to get rid of from the house once they have moved in!
Incidentally, my dad picked up mange from my dog, who picked it up in the garden from where foxes play.. so watch out!
I have an indor cat - he never scratches himself and i am not aware of any fleas. Can a cat still have flees and not scratch? I looks very healthy and his coat is beautiful.
My adult cat Nyko is a 36 month old indoor cat. I had her since she was 3 months. She is very tempermental. You can not pet her, except short strokes with my feet. She hates for me to touch her with my hands. She won’t let me pick her up or stroke her at all. She will hiss, cough and make spit noices if I intrude to close to her, i.e., if she’s in the window. However, she will rub up against my ankles on her condition and loves to play will plasticfoil or any thing that makes a noice when you make it in to a ball. As strange as she is, she’s my pal, I just wish she was more affectionate, like my previous pets of past years.
I have 2 adult 7 year old indoor cats that I have had since they were both 5-6 weeks old. They are extremely affectionate and love to play. One is male and the other is female. I have worked for a 24 hour Animal Emergency Clinic for over 4 years now and new absolutely nothing regarding animals at that time. I live in Florida where it is humid and the fleas and mosquitos are ridiculous this season!!!!!!!!!! I always used Frontline Plus which works fantastic but about 3-4 years ago the vet stated that I need to get them both on Heartworm Prevention each month so I switched to Revolution. One statement I would like to share with all is even though you can’t SEE the fleas, doesn’t mean they are not there!!! I would suggest everyone who has a cat or a dog, please keep them on a month to month regimen of flea/heartworm prevention!!!! Remember that there is NO TREATMENT for Heartworm Disease in CATS, only dogs and it is quite EXPENSIVE!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!