A flea infestation can happen at anytime, even when your cat is pregnant. Knowing if it’s safe to use a flea collar on a pregnant cat is a very important question to cat owners since it may affect the health of the kittens. So, to answer the question. Can a pregnant cat wear a flea collar? According to this verified vet, most flea collars are not considered safe for kittens and not recommended to use on a pregnant cat. Many of the chemicals and ingredients that are found in flea collars tend to be too harsh for a pregnant or nursing cat.
If your cat is suffering from a flea infestation while pregnant, there are other alternatives that may be safe to use on a pregnant cat. An effective method that will not harm your pregnant cat or future kittens is a flea comb. A flea comb is free from chemicals and is the safest and preferred method of removing fleas from a soon to be mother cat.
In the next few sections I go over a few commonly asked questions as well as common flea treatments for cats to help you have a better understanding of flea treatments on a pregnant or nursing cat.
Is It Safe to Use Flea Treatments on a Pregnant Cat?
Aside from flea collars, there are also other flea treatments that are available for use. Many of these products are also not safe to use for pregnant cats. Be sure to read the warning labels on all products before purchasing. It is required that all approved treatments have a warning label to let consumers know the risks before purchasing for their cats.
You can even check the websites of the flea treatments you are interested in to read the labels or have a quick look at their frequently asked questions to see if their product is safe to use for pregnant or lactating cats.
If you are still weary and unsure of certain products then the best advice is to consult with your local veterinarian on what would be safe to use on your cat.
Can Frontline Be Used on Pregnant Cats?
Frontline is a commonly used flea treatment among cat owners. There are many different formula types of this medication and it is very important that you do your due diligence before purchasing one that you think may be safe for your pregnant or nursing cat.
To answer this question, yes Frontline can be used on pregnant or nursing cats. As of writing this article, Frontline Plus for cats is approved for pregnant and nursing cats, and as well as kittens 8 week and older. This is the official label for Frontline Plus from the US EPA website that states that it is safe to use.
Frontline is a topical solution that is usually applied in between your cats shoulder blades that must be applied to the skin directly and not your cat’s coat. This is very important. The solution must absorb into your cat’s skin in order to be effective.
There may be other Frontline formulas that are safe to use, but this is the specific one I found after doing research. With any other Frontline product, be sure to read the entire label to see if it is safe to use for your pregnant cat.
Can You Put Advantage on a Pregnant Cat?
Advantage for cats is another brand that is considered safe to use for pregnant cats. This question was actually answered on a Q and A section of their website. Advantage is a fast acting flea treatment that is simply applied to your cat’s skin. It kills existing fleas within one day and re-infesting fleas within an hour for up to an entire month.
Advantage is a spot-on solution which means that it kills on contact and doesn’t require the fleas to bite in order to die.
As with all flea treatments with a pregnant cat, be sure to first talk to your cat’s veterinarian for the best advice before applying any form of flea treatment on your cat.
Final Thoughts
According to vets, flea collars are generally not safe to use on pregnant or nursing cats because they contain products that are not considered safe. Even on non pregnant cats, flea collars have very harsh chemicals that can cause hair loss and even irritate your cat’s skin. Check out my article here where I go more in depth about flea collars.
A better and much safer alternative to using a flea collar is using a topical ointment or drop like Frontline Plus or Advantage. Both of these products are considered safe to use on pregnant or nursing cats, as well as with kittens that are 8 weeks and older. They are drastically less harsh then a flea collar due to them being lightly applied to your cat’s skin.
