WE SAW ONE PERSON MENTION DOG DOSE and split it?

NO, NO, NO. Never use OTC dog products on a cat. It could very well kill the
cat.

Don't use flea collars, either. At best, they are ineffective, especially for
ticks. At worst, they are lethal. Besides the chemical dangers, most flea
collars aren't break-away safety collars, and not at all safe for outdoor cats.

Really, I would suggest a consultation with a vet. Explain to him your need for
tick control that's both economical and safe. Could be he can sell you a
product in bulk.

You know that Advantage doesn't work on ticks, right? (It's great for fleas,
though)

in southern NH. FOr a large bunch of cats.

I use tweezers, and grasp the tick near the head. It's important to pull
evenly, and not jerk or twist. Don't do things like try to burn it with a hot
needle, or other misc. old wives tales. Wear gloves and either flush the tick
down the toilet or drop it in a jar of alcohol. They are hard little buggers to
kill.

Sherry

Frontline is really the only safe and proven method of killing ticks that
the vet I work for sells.  I talked to the Merial Rep, and he said yes, you
can use a large dog frontline and split the dosage for cats. (or if you have
a large cat, you should probably use a small dog dose).

If a tick is embedded, get a pair of tweezers, Grab hold as far down on the
base of the tick as you can, and pull.  If the head is ripped off, don't
worry, it will work itself out. Cats are pretty adept at removing ticks
themselves, except around the head and neck.

I can not recommend highly enough that you stay away from OTC products.  The
hartz products have been proven to be toxic to some cats.    and as to the
effectiveness of the earmite meds, Im going to assume that they were pretty
useless.

Southern NH hun?  I actually work for a vet that does a lot of work for the
shelter in southern maine. Im not sure about the rescue groups in your area.
We do a lot of work with the friends of feral felines in Maine.. they might
be able to refer you to someone in your area.

http://home.maine.rr.com/feralfelines/

Good luck!

OOPS, if anyone tried to respond it's
HelpTheCuteKitties@yahoo.com, not kittys
and REMOVE, REMOVE in header if replying, THANKS

ONe of you said ADVANTAGE, no good for ticks, One said OK
???????
which is it?
SO, are flea/tick collars definatly BAD, or Don't Work?
or any better than others?
ONLY problem is vet wants to see cat for drops, being their are SOOO
many, and at a farm that's difficult and expensive.
We appreciate any more input,
AND IF YOU WANT CATS in SOUTH, CENTRAL, NH
Here's CORRECT EMail, Thanks

Stay away from Hartz drops! A couple years ago both of my cats began foaming
at the mouth within hours after the drops were applied. I later did an
Internet search regarding that product and discovered that other owners made
the same observation, or far worse.

The Bansect flea/tick collar retails for only about US$1.50 and is supposed
to last 4 months. Surely there is no cheaper solution. to the problem of
ticks and fleas. It certainly has a powerful odor, and I can testify that
not a single flea or tick has been found on any of my four cats ever since I
put those collars on them (12 days ago). However, although I haven't yet
found anything negative specificly published/posted regarding Bansect, I'm
concerned about the hazard of Bansect fumes not only to cats, but to people
who cuddle those cats. I'm guessing that it might be possible to reduce
Bansect's hazard by simply limiting its use to perhaps only as often as one
day out of every three. I will try that...

Almost all flea and tick prevention treatments involve some form of
poisonous or toxic substances.  The question for pet owners is what is the
right balance between the risk of toxic effects on your pets and your family
(especially long-term effects) compared with the risks associated with fleas
and ticks.  If you have children, remember that flea and tick treatments are
toxic chemicals that should be kept away from children.  If a pet has
recently been treated with a powder or spray, don't let a young child hug or
touch the pet.

Products that warn against use on puppies and kittens contain those warnings
because they typically contain toxic chemicals that can injure or kill
animals with low body weight and/or high growth rates.

Flea and tick collars, powders and sprays all rely on poisons to kill
insects.  The phosphate-based poisons typically found in these products are
also toxic to the pets they are used on, and to humans.  Any flea and tick
product that recommends being spread over the pet's entire body should be
used with extreme caution, and the pet should be carefully watched for
reaction - tremors, shock, listlessness, et cetera.  I have personal
experiences that led me to conclude that liquid flea and tick sprays are
extremely dangerous when used over more than a small area of a pet's body.

This brings us to the subject of "drops" - the flea and tick products that
call for a drop or small vial of liquid to be placed on the pet's skin,
usually on the back of the animal's neck.  Whether or not these products are
safe for long-term use is quite controversial, and there is little or no
independent research available on which to rely.

Products such as "Advantage" claim to be safe, but have never been subjected
to independent long-term research.  The items on the product's package that
indicate Advantage is a toxic, poising-based product are:  caution against
using on kittens, or on debilitated, pregnant or nursing cats; warnings for
treatment if gotten into user's eyes or on skin; and advice to call a doctor
and poison control center if swallowed.

In the simplest terms, flea and tick "drops" work by making your pet's skin
so toxic to fleas and ticks that they drop off.  If you think making your
pet's skin toxic is a good idea, then rock on.  I, for one, wouldn't use
that kind of stuff on any animal, much less a pet I love.

So what do you do?  Never use flea and tick products on kittens, or on sick,
elderly, pregnant or nursing cats!!  Clean up the area your pets roam in to
drive away and kill the fleas and ticks that are getting on your pets.  Only
use flea products on the pets that are infested, and then use as directed to
prevent re-infestation.  Use products that minimize toxic exposure to your
animal - particularly avoid broad, direct contact with your pet's skin -
thus, collars and powders are likely safer than sprays.  Don't be afraid to
remove ticks by hand, or spot treat ticks with powder or spray.

Check on herbal treatments.  I understand that various scented herbs tend to
keep fleas off of cats.  Vitamin B-1 is known to drive away insects (it
smells and tastes obnoxious) and is commonly used by bee-keepers.

Good luck!

Most ticks are easily bribed. Have you tried paying the little
blood-suckers off?

Why do you have cats, if you have no dogs to feed them to?

Hartz is the number one OTC brand collar for pets. I love their
products. I have never had a problem with any of their products, other
than the occasional foaming at the mouth by a couple of cats, but it
is survival of the fittest right?

I prefer Kerosene, K-1 works the best just don't use the type with dye
in it.

Hartz brand products are cheapest and safest, but k-1 keosene works
best.

A propane blow-torch works well for me. It removes the tick with the
head still attached to avoid Lyme disease and infections.