u/SequenceGoon

Hi AskVet community,

tl;dr: Topical preventative flea treatment (Bravecto - 250 Mg Fluralaner and 12.5 Mg Moxidectin 4.6kg cat)

It kills fleas when they bite the cat, but does it deter them from biting? Is there something that does?

This is in regards to a cat I have recently adopted, he is a senior (about 14.5 years old), DSH, neutered, bit of arthritis but otherwise good health.

He is a former street-cat I've been keeping tabs on + feeding for over a year, adopted 2 months ago when it was clear he needed more care (it hadn't been possible sooner)

I don't have another cat, but my housemate has 2 who are inside/outside, they rarely interact.

He is inside & adapting well, however for his sanity I've occasionally allowed him an outside day. I plan to build him a catio.

I don't have much history on him but have known him to have scabs - the vet highly suspects flea allergy.

He's been on a standard round of steroid treatment for 5 days so far & has had a rapid improvement already

At the time of the vet visit I was surprised to learn it was flea allergy, since I had seen no sign of fleas, the vet told me that it only takes one bite to cause a flare-up.

He's now on the aforementioned broad-spectrum flea treatment.

There are no signs of fleas in our home/other cats.

My question is at the top of the post, does the Bravecto treatment prevent the fleas from biting? If not, is there something that does?

I forgot to ask the vet this at the time of his appointment.

I know a lot about cat behaviour, but haven't had a cat I'm responsible for, so the more medical side of things is new to me

Cheers from Australia!