Itchy cats: Don’t give anti-flea treatment first

THE DEVILISH CAT FLEA — Image: MERSEYPEST – Pest Control Liverpool
Because cat fleas are such a predominant feline health issue, there might be a tendency among cat guardians to presume that their cat has fleas when they start scratching themselves because their skin is itchy. The advice is to stop, think and check for the reason for itchiness because (a) flea treatments are insecticides, which are poisonous, nasty chemicals that can harm cats especially if e.g. dog treatments are used on cats – potentially fatal and (a) there are many other causes of itchiness in cats requiring entirely different and sometimes safer treatments.
I would rather a veterinarian explain the other causes of itchiness in cats but, as it happens, I have a page on cat skin problems and a long list of alternative reasons for itchy skin in cats. PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE THE LIST (it opens a new tab or page).
I’d like to take this opportunity to present some more links to pages on cat flea treatments. This is a very important topic because sometimes, regrettably, cat guardians are not guardians but careless owners and they use the wrong flea treatment or the treatment that they have used is unsafe despite being commercially available.
HERE ARE SOME MORE PAGES ON FLEA TREATMENTS – THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE. THERE ARE MANY MORE. PLEASE USE THE CUSTOM SEARCH OR CLICK ON THE TAGS BELOW THESE LINKS.

Can cats get fleas in the winter?
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Are flea collars safe for kittens?
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Cat and dog flea treatments harm river life
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Fipronil in Frontline Spot On flea treatment only 48% effective
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Killing cat fleas by drowning and using soap
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Do cat fleas live on dogs?
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Cat and Dog Flea Treatments Are Polluting Rivers
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Should I shave my cat to get rid of fleas?
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