Advances in pest control are making cat flea collar options more effective than ever before. Traditional cat flea collars, infused with insecticides, are ineffective if used alone because they kill fleas only on parts of the body near the neck, and during only part of the flea's life cycle. New cat flea collars, infused with non-toxic chemicals called Insect Growth Regulators, or IGRs, are proving less problematic and more effective.
How Cat Fleas Reproduce
The cat flea life cycle consists of egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages. Females lay eggs in a host, which then roll off onto your floor or yard. After hatching, larvae feed on fallen scraps of feces and blood. Adults then develop from pupae in cocoons made from nearby materials. Whatever the color of your carpet will be the color of the cocoons, for example. Insecticides used in whatever form cannot reach fleas in these protective cocoons.
New IGR Flea Collars Interrupt Flea Life Cycle
Virtually non-toxic to pets and people, cat flea collars made with IGRs offer a better, safer way to help prevent and control flea infestations. Basically, IGRs, which are used also in topical spot treatments, prevent flea larvae from turning into adults. (Your vet may also prescribe an oral medication containing chemicals called Insect Development Inhibitors, or IDIs, which prevent flea eggs from hatching.) Ask your vet about the full range of safer on-pet and in-home flea control products.
Cat Fleas Are Dangerous to Dogs ad Well as Humans
Cat fleas can cause more than pain, itching and infection, which can be fatal. Cat fleas may transmit tapeworms to other other cats, dogs and humans. Moreover, cat fleas are suspected of transmitting typhus to humans. So, using cat flea collars made with IGRs can certainly play an important role in protecting the health of your entire household.