Flea and worm treatment for those with indoor cats?

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KittyWitty
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Flea and worm treatment for those with indoor cats?

Post by KittyWitty »

for those of you with indoor cats, do you feel the need to keep up with monthly flea treatments and 3 monthly worming treatments?

For the past 9 months or so we haven't kept up with this for Comet and Whisky because it has seemed pointless, we living in a flat with no garden etc and they are indoor only and have had no problems with fleas or worms since we brought them home.

I've also found differing views online but want the views of you lot before I decide to start up with the regular treatments again or keep them on a semi-regular treatment plan.
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Lilith
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Re: Flea and worm treatment for those with indoor cats?

Post by Lilith »

Hi, mine are mainly indoor with access to a secured garden in fine (when has it been fine lol?) weather and I don't worm or deflea at all, don't see the need.

The last time I deflea'd was over 3 years ago when the current tenants in a house with a yard adjoining mine had dogs - and the fleas paid a visit through the fence.

If one of mine caught a mouse in her garden I'd keep an eye out for worms too, but in a flat you shouldn't have that problem.

Oh and my (charming - not!) brother in law used to bring himself and dog for tea...each time after that I'd have to shell out £20 for flea treatments! :evil:

But so long as the cats aren't in contact with other cats/dogs/prey I really don't see the need for putting unnecessary chemicals on them - just my point of view of course :)
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KittyWitty
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Re: Flea and worm treatment for those with indoor cats?

Post by KittyWitty »

Lilith wrote: But so long as the cats aren't in contact with other cats/dogs/prey I really don't see the need for putting unnecessary chemicals on them - just my point of view of course :)
They aren't in contact with any other pets apart from our surviving Gerbil, Whisky was always fine with the treatments but Comet HATED them - they really irritated him no matter what we used and I'd be left feeling incredibly guilty each month. Both are perfectly fine and fit as fiddles so I'd hate to overload them with chemicals that aren't needed (especially as I am trying to live a non-toxic lifestyle)
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Re: Flea and worm treatment for those with indoor cats?

Post by elastu »

It is wise to spray the home once year with something like Staykill, and perhaps treat occasionally. Us humans can bring in the fleas, we could for instance sit in a taxi and perhaps someone else sometime before has a pet with fleas and then they can be carried on their clothes and be passed onto our clothing or perhaps we have visitors who has a pet with them and they in turn unknowingly pass them on into our homes. I remember out Town Hall had to be closed once for a couple of days because their was a flea infestation. I also know of a 7 story office block who had problems on one floor. Also please remember a cat who has fleas will almost certainly have tapeworm.
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Mrs Kane
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Re: Flea and worm treatment for those with indoor cats?

Post by Mrs Kane »

Hi there. I have a housecat at the moment and I don't spray her for fleas of worm her. We haven't had a problem thus far but I'd like to point out for me:

I have wooden or ceramic flooring throughout the apartment we live in.
We don't ever allow other pets in the apartment. (Our cat tends to have a violent tendency towards other pets)
We don't ever allow the cat access outside (Yet. We're still working on getting a dealer to put up cat netting for a reasonable price so she can go on the balcony)

If you have carpets it's possible you could have a problem if you ever had a pet indoors that had previously been outside. Carpets can be a real breeding ground for fleas if left unchecked so I'd be careful on that front.
If your cat ever has access to outdoors it may be worth looking at.
Personally I'd say it's better safe than sorry. But then again I have never had a problem with indoor cats and not doing this, even in Britain.
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