Last Updated: 16/06/2025
Best Flea And Tick Treatment for Cats
Looking for the best protection against fleas and ticks for your cat? Read our guide for answers.
Author: Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 24 minutes - medium read
Every year, more and more parasite preventative products for cats are released onto the Australian market. With this increasing number of products, it can be incredibly confusing.
Which products treat which parasites? What flea treatment is actually the most effective? How often does each product need to be given?
The truth is, the best flea and tick treatment for cats depends on a number of important factors, and what works for one cat might not be best for another. However, there are certainly some top contenders when it comes to effectiveness, ease of administration, and safety. We've broken these factors down for you and listed our Vets' top picks, so you can make the right decision for your cat!
When choosing a flea and tick treatment, it's important to consider the following factors:
- Is your cat at risk of tick exposure? This will vary depending on where in Australia you live, if you have other pets and if your cat has access to the outdoors. As a general rule, we recommend tick coverage for most cats in Australia to be safe, please note that tick prevention should be used in conjunction with daily searching and removal of ticks. Tick prevention alone will not entirely remove the risk of tick paralysis.
- Do you prefer topical or oral treatments? Topical refers to 'spot on' treatments - or anything that is applied externally on your cat. Oral refers to chewables or tablets, which are given internally via your cat's mouth.
- How frequently do you prefer to treat your cat? If you find giving parasite treatments to your cat to be a hassle, choosing a product with a longer period of time between doses than the typical one month interval might be the way to go.
- Do you want to use an all-in-one treatment? Combined flea, tick, heartworm and intestinal worm treatments are a great way to simplify your cat's parasite control regime.
In this article
How We Review Our Products
Our Vet team use their health and husbandry knowledge, along with their own personal and clinical experiences to evaluate each product and provide detailed, informative reviews, free of any commercial bias. We then collate this information into our 'best of' recommendations.
Top Flea and Tick Treatments for Cats in Australia [Vet Reviewed]
Nexgard Spectra for Cats
Pros
- Australia's first and only true all-in-one parasite prevention for cats
- Protects against fleas, ticks, mites, heartworm, lungworm and intestinal worms (including tapeworm!)
- Easy to use spot-on formulation
- Specially designed syringe-like applicator for complete and accurate dosing
- Kills newly acquired adult fleas before they can lay eggs
- Starts controlling newly acquired paralysis ticks after 48 hours of the first treatment
- Can be used on kittens from 8 weeks of age and weighing a minimum of 0.8kg.
- Suitable for cats weighing up to 7.5kg
- Safe to use during breeding, pregnancy and lactation
Cons
- More regular application (monthly) compared to other options
- On the more expensive side
Nexgard Spectra is a revolutionary monthly spot-on treatment that protects against all significant parasites of concern in Australia. It is comprised of three active ingredients: Esafoxolaner (an isoxazoline), Eprinomectin (a macrocyclic lactone) & Praziquantel (an anthelmintic).The efficacy of Nexgard Spectra after shampooing or wetting has not been assessed. This product starts controlling newly acquired paralysis ticks after 48 hours of the first treatment. In some cats, optimal control may take up to a week after the first treatment. As Nexgard Spectra may not kill all ticks attached when cats are first treated, any ticks present at the time of first treatment should be removed.
What our customers say: "YAY, a spot on for Cats that covers for paralysis ticks as well as everything else. Love the syringe style application as well. Thank you."
Bravecto Plus
Pros
- Protects against fleas, ticks, mites, heartworm, lungworm, roundworm and hookworm
- Easy to use spot-on formulation
- Safe for kittens from 9 weeks of age and weighing over 1.2kg
- Suitable for cats weighing up to 12.5kg
- Needs to be applied every 2 months
Cons
- Does not protect against tapeworm, so separate tapeworm-only tablet or allwormer product will be needed
- Safety during breeding, pregnancy and lactation has not been established
Bravecto Plus is a two-monthly spot-on that protects your cat against a range of commonly encountered parasites. It is comprised of two active ingredients: Fluralaner (an isoxazoline) and Moxidectin (a macrocyclic lactone). It is fast acting, providing effective control of pre-existing infestations of both fleas and paralysis ticks within 48 hours of application. Efficacy of this product after shampooing and wetting has not been assessed.
What our customers say: "I really like Bravecto after having used other spot ons for decades. The chemical smell is not there and my cats settled more quickly after application. I also like the 2 month protection as it means less fights with the furry army."
Revolution Plus
Pros
- Protects against fleas, ticks, mites, heartworm, hookworm and roundworm
- Easy to use spot-on formulation- low volume, non-oily and quick-drying
- Can be used on kittens over 8 weeks of age and weighing more than 1.25kg
- Suitable for cats weighing up to 10kg
Cons
- Does not protect against tapeworm, so separate tapeworm-only tablet or allwormer product will be needed
- Safety during breeding, pregnancy and lactation has not been established
- More regular application (monthly) compared to other options
Revolution Plus is a low volume, non-oily monthly spot-on covering fleas, ticks, heartworm and intestinal worms (excluding tapeworm). It is comprised of two active ingredients: Sarolaner (an isoxazoline) and Selamectin (a macrocyclic lactone). It's fast acting and starts to kill adult fleas within 12 hours of application.
What our customers say: "We used to use blue Revolution for our cat and during recent vet trip, I was advised to upgrade to Revolution plus for more protection for our cat from parasites etc. we use it on our cat monthly and she has been very healthy and no fleas or any parasites etc."
Bravecto
Pros
- Long-lasting: protects against fleas, ticks and ear mites for 3 months
- Easy to use spot-on formulation with 'twist'n'use' tube
- Safe for kittens over 9 weeks of age and weighing at least 1.2kg
- Suitable for cats weighing up to 12.5kg
Cons
- Does not cover heartworm or intestinal worms, so additional prevention is needed for these parasites
- Safety during breeding, pregnancy and lactation has not been established
Bravecto is a long-lasting 3 monthly spot-on that protects your cat from fleas, ticks and ear mites. It contains one active ingredient: Fluralaner (an isoxazoline). It is fast acting and starts to kill fleas within 12 hours of application. Paralysis tick infestations are controlled within 48 hours of application.
What our customers say: "I've tried many other products and paid thousands in vet bills due to ticks on my cats before trying this product and I've never looked back. Apart from never ever having fleas, I have found numerous dead ticks on my cats but my cats have remained unharmed by them. The fact that it lasts for 3 months is fantastic and means I don't have to worry about having to remember every month to re-apply."
Advocate
Pros
- Protects against fleas, mites, heartworm, lungworm, hookworm and roundworm
- Easy to use spot-on formulation
- Can be used in kittens from 9 weeks of age and weighing at least 1kg
- Suitable for cats weighing up to 8kg
Cons
- Does not protect against ticks or tapeworm
- More regular application (monthly) compared to other options
- Safety has not been established in pregnant or lactating cats
Advocate is a good option for cats that are not exposed to ticks. It contains two active ingredients: Imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid) and Moxidectin (a macrocyclic lactone). After application of Advocate, adult and larval flea stages in the cat's surroundings are killed, and the unique mode of action means that fleas don't need to bite your cat to receive a lethal dose.
Advocate remains efficacious following shampooing, swimming or exposure to rain, though we recommend waiting until it is fully dry before letting your cat get wet.
What our customers say: "My little girl was a rescue, and getting medication into her mouth is total struggle and distress for both of us. These little things make life much easier. She's covered ( they seem to work really well without any nasty side effects), and I'm happy that she's protected."
Frequently Asked Questions
Further Reading
Want to read more? Check out our other articles:
Tick paralysis in dogs and cats
How to treat fleas on your cat
History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Fri Mar 28 2025
Edited by Dr Teagan Lever BVSc (Hons)Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Veterinarian
Dr. Carla graduated from the University of Queensland in 2013 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and worked for a number of years in small animal clinics across South East Queensland. While Carla enjoys most facets of clinical veterinary work, she holds a special passion for feline medicine, pocket pets, and nutrition.
