Collars for cats: how to choose and put on

Classification of collars

These flea products are most often used to repel insects from an animal, but some species are also capable of killing them.

To understand how flea collars for cats work, you need to understand their different types and methods of repelling insects:

With smell - a strip of rubber that releases a chemical (Permethrin, Diazinon), gradually killing insects. First, the fleas run to the cat's tail, become lethargic and die over time. Its effect lasts 4-6 weeks, then it needs to be changed;

Flea collars
With Radiation - Odorless plastic strips produce radiation that repels fleas on your cat's fur and skin and affects their reproductive functions. Duration of exposure - up to 2 months;
Ultrasonic (the most expensive, and therefore almost never used) - emit ultrasonic signals that are completely safe for the cat, but repel insects at a certain distance from it;
Plant-based - soaked in extracts from plants that are poisonous to fleas, repelling insects with smell (wormwood, rosemary, eucalyptus, cedar, etc.). Bio collars are well suited for a small kitten, starting from 1.5-3 months. Relatively safe, but the period of validity is very short.

Important!
The duration of the anti-flea effect of collars, depending on its type, is from 3-4 weeks to 6-7 months, but it provides protection against ticks only for a month.

“Synthetic” varieties of collars

All the products described below must be used carefully and not earlier than the kitten is at least 3.5 months old. Earlier use is fraught with serious problems (the most typical are severe allergic reactions). Kittens tolerate the use of such collars relatively well:

"Bars" . One of the most common, cheap and quite effective collars. The active ingredients are fipronil and diflubenzuron. It is allowed to use from the age of two months, but if possible it is better to wait until three months. The collar retains its antiparasitic effect for approximately four months.

Bayer Foresto . High quality product of German origin. It is a generally recognized leader in terms of protection period. These collars can maintain significant antiparasitic effectiveness for up to eight months. But it can be used only from the age of three months, not earlier. Contains imidacloprid and flumethrin.

Dana Ultra . Collar of domestic production. The active ingredients used are: fipronil, ivermectin, pyriproxyfen. Used from three months of age. The product remains effective for three months.

Advantages and disadvantages of flea collars

Different types of collars have advantages of use that are especially necessary for cats that walk outside and then return home:

Such an anti-flea product ensures that the cat will not bring insects from the street into the house, which is especially important for residents of lower floors and country houses; when going for a walk, the cat should always wear a collar;
Repellents reduce the activity of parasites by acting on their nervous system, and the cat simply shakes off the flea or tick until it tries to attach to the skin;
There are almost safe varieties that can be used for kittens and pregnant cats, but when purchasing, you need to carefully look at the instructions at what age it can be worn;
Such collars indicate that such a walking cat has an owner, so strangers see that the animal is not homeless.

Disadvantages of this protection:

Only adult individuals are destroyed or scared away, and the eggs continue to be in the fur until the moment of hatching and only then leave;
To increase the effectiveness of protection, before putting on the collar, you need to treat with drops or anti-flea shampoo;

Flea shampoo for kittens
The effectiveness of the impact can be visible only after a few days, and it is impossible to predict it, because it depends on a large number of factors (animal health, environment and weather conditions);
There is a possibility that an overly active cat may get caught in the collar when climbing a tree;
They have a toxic effect and can cause poisoning not only of insects, but also of the animal itself (this often happens when the model is incorrectly selected according to age or is of poor quality, a fake).

Types of flea collars

Collars differ not only in design, but also in type and duration. How a tick and flea collar works depends on its impregnation.

Gas (insecticidal) collars

These are traditional collars impregnated with insecticides. They are made of rubber or polyvinyl chloride with toxic impregnation. As a rule, such collars need to be stretched before use to activate the capsules with the active substance. The advantages of such products are that they actually kill insects and sometimes even prevent the first bite. Disadvantages - poisons have a slightly toxic effect on the animal itself. This effect will be discussed in detail below.

Radiating collars

Manufacturers claim that radiant collars work due to the electromagnetic waves they emit. Plus - lack of odor and toxicity for the animal. The downside is the unstudied effect on mammals. And whether collars help against ticks of this type remains a big question.

Ultrasonic collars

Ultrasonic collars are made of fabric and an emitter attached to it. An alternative is keychains. The device produces a sound at a frequency that humans and animals cannot hear, but insects can hear. This is a threatening sound, so they quickly retreat, the manufacturers say. However, no serious studies have been conducted to confirm this. In other words, the effectiveness of these accessories has not been proven.

Grass collars

Herbal collars (biocollars) are rubber products soaked in essential oils of plants (lavender, citrus, etc.). These accessories act as repellents, that is, they repel insects with a pungent odor. At the same time, they are completely safe for cats, so they are recommended even for kittens and pregnant females. The downside is that these collars most often cause a reaction in cats with allergies, but insects may not be afraid of them.

Collars for kittens

Fleas and ticks pose a very great danger to small kittens: a severely bitten baby is very weakened and may develop anemia due to partial blood loss. Therefore, it is important to choose a high-quality flea and tick collar for kittens.

Protective products intended for adult animals are not suitable for kittens due to the strong insecticidal preparations they contain, which are toxic to small animals. They can only be worn on an adult cat from the age of 1 year.

Bio collars

Plant-based flea collars for kittens use a variety of plant-based essential oils that smell to repel fleas. You can only put it on a kitten that does not have fleas, otherwise its effectiveness will be reduced. Moreover, it repels not only fleas and ticks, but also mosquitoes, and also has a positive effect on the fur and skin of the cub.

Bio collars for kittens

Owners often ask the question, from how many months can a kitten wear a flea collar?

The bio-collar can be put on a kitten from the age of 2 months, and its effective time is 4 months.

Collar with insecticidal substance

This collar can be put on a kitten only from six months; the amount of repellent insecticide in it is less than for an adult animal, but plant components are added.

The manufacturer's instructions usually list contraindications and indicate when to put on a flea collar. For example, it cannot be put on the baby immediately after bathing in special shampoos or treating with anti-flea drops. At least 10 days must pass after interaction with the previous protective drug.

How to dress correctly

When putting on a collar, the following rules must be observed:

It should sit tightly on the neck so that you can stick 2 fingers under it;
The excess part needs to be cut to length, leaving 5 cm, because the kitten is growing quickly and the size will need to be adjusted;
Once every 3-4 weeks, check how the collar fits, whether it is too tight;
If it hangs too loosely on the baby, then troubles may happen: he will stick his paw into it and fall, he may remove it over his head and start gnawing (possible poisoning) or he will get stuck in any narrow place and will not be able to unhook;
The first days after putting on the protective equipment, you need to monitor your pet until he gets used to this accessory, and also check for any allergic reactions.

Flea collars
When removing a collar for an indefinite period of time, it is better to seal it tightly so as not to lose its protective properties and smell.

How to use a flea collar

You should not skimp on products designed to fight parasites, so give preference to proven, well-established brands rather than little-known manufacturers.
Buy a collar at a veterinary pharmacy or pet store. Don't hesitate to ask the seller for advice. To recommend the most effective product to you, he needs to know the age, breed, and health status of the pet. Like any other antiparasitic agent, the collar has contraindications that must be taken into account.

If you have purchased an anti-parasitic collar, the first thing you need to do is carefully read the instructions for use, which should be included in the kit. If it is not there, it would be better to refuse to purchase the product. Check the integrity of the packaging and the production date of the product. The effectiveness of the effect on insects is higher for those products that were manufactured recently and have not been stored in a warehouse.

Do not rush to put on the tape; first treat the animal with a spray or drops, or bathe the pet with anti-flea shampoo, and comb out any existing parasites. Only after these necessary procedures can you use the purchased product, but not earlier than 7 days.

How to put on a collar correctly:

Open the package immediately before use.
Unfold the plastic or rubber tape and remove the jumpers from it.
Place the product around the dog or cat's neck, inserting the tip into the hole.
Tighten the tape, leaving some free space.
Use scissors to trim off the remaining tip.
After you put the collar on your cat or dog, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

The collar must be securely fixed on the neck, not dangling, but also not pressing, otherwise chafing areas cannot be avoided. The optimal distance between the neck and the product is on average 2-2.5 centimeters. In this case, for cats and small dogs, 1 finger should be placed in the gap, for large dogs - 2.

The first few days you need to observe the animal. It is possible that he will have an allergic reaction (rash, swelling, itching, etc.) to the toxic substance. In this case, the product should be removed immediately and the pet should be shown to a veterinarian.

If there are small children in the house, then it is better to exclude their contact with the pet while using the anti-parasitic collar. Children, after playing with a dog or cat, will invariably put their hands in their mouth, and this can cause poisoning.

At the end of its validity period, remove the collar that has become useless and attach a new one to your pet’s neck.

Practice shows that most calls to the clinic related to poisoning with the substance used to impregnate the collar occurred due to the inexperience or negligence of the owners.

If you notice that a cat or dog is licking the tape, it means that it is irritated by the smell or is experiencing discomfort. In such cases, you need to check whether the collar is pressing, and if necessary, loosen it. If the problem is the smell, there is no need to torture the animal. Replace the collar with another one with a softer action.

Most popular brands

Pet stores sell many flea collars from different manufacturers. Chinese-made specimens have also appeared on the market, which are much cheaper than others, but have very little effect on parasites.

Here are some of the most popular brands of proven protective equipment:

The Hartz company presents the most effective products for repelling fleas on cats; they have the longest validity period (up to 7 months), i.e. one collar is enough for the entire warm season, and they are moisture resistant and do not deteriorate from rain and other natural influences. The cost of such a product is from 150 rubles. The company provides several types; you can also put a flea collar on a kitten starting from 3 months of age. But it is not suitable for pregnant and lactating cats.
The Bolfo company produces several models of quite effective anti-flea models with moisture resistance, but the validity period is slightly shorter - 4 months, but there are special types suitable for kittens from 2 months of age. The cost of a flea collar for cats is about 200 rubles.
The effect of Beaphar collars is based on a natural plant insecticide (margosa extract), and is therefore safer for cats and kittens. It can be worn on babies from 1.5 months. The price is the most budget-friendly - about 60-70 rubles, which puts it in first position in terms of accessibility and efficiency.

Flea collars
Domestic products that are not inferior in effect to their foreign counterparts are collars from Bars and Doctor Zoo (price 45 rubles), which delight owners with good safety. Validity period: 2 months.

Interesting!
Some owners have learned to make such protective products themselves by impregnating a flannel strip with essential oils of thyme, eucalyptus and lavender. Without wrung out, the fabric is dried in the sun and put on the pet.

What better protects and rids a cat of fleas – a collar or drops?

It is impossible to say definitely which of these remedies against ectoparasites is more effective, since they have different compositions and different modes of action. As for biocollars, such devices are not very effective and are used only to prevent pets from becoming infected with external parasites.

When choosing a product to protect and kill fleas on a cat, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian. In this case you should:

take into account the age of the four-legged pet;
make sure that the animal does not have an allergic reaction to the ingredients of the drops or impregnation of the collar;
make sure that the cat does not have an infection.

You cannot use drops and a collar with the same active ingredients at the same time. To enhance the effect, you need to use products from different pharmaceutical groups, for example, insectoacaricidal drops and a collar with a repellent.