According to Wikipedia, "'Flea season' is traditionally at the end of summer and in the early fall, but in warmer areas can last year  round." For anyone that has a carpet or knotty old wood floor, you know  how futile this battle can be! They lay their eggs in the carpet, bite  you when you're sleeping and drive your cat or dog into violent  scratching fits that make their legs go like this for hours! The little blood-suckers are more stubborn than Mariah Carey's backstage demands. There are myriad ways to keep your cat or dog flea and tick free, but how do you know which way is safest?

The East Bay SPCA says that "flea collars, powders and sprays are ineffective and are not recommended. DO NOT use anymedication or flea-killing agent not recommended by your veterinarian". In fact, on the insistence of the Environmental Protection Agency,  Hartz, a popular brand for flea and tick preventives, "has agreed to  cancel uses of several flea and tick products that may be associated  with a range of adverse reactions, including hair loss, salivation,  tremors, and numerous deaths in cats and kittens." It's comforting to  know that the EPA has steppedup on this issue. Hopefully Hartz will be able to develop non-toxic alternatives to their current line of flea and tick control products.

The widely reputed safe alternative to flea collars and drops is Advantage topical solution. Highly effective and veterinarian-recommended,  Advantage has become one of the most popular methods offlea control for  dogs and cats. The East Bay SPCA supports it, saying "Advantage works  best for fleas". This kind of effectiveness, however, doesn't come  cheap. If you buy Advantage from your veterinarian, you can end up  paying hundreds of dollars for a several-month supply (especially if  you have multiple cats or dogs)!

If you haven't visited the Pet Stores page at Ebates, take a moment to peruse the deals! You can find great  bargains on Advantage that will likely be a lot cheaper than the prices  offered by your vet. Most of these stores offer Cash Back through Ebates. Be sure to look at the coupons for each store to compare prices!:

• 1-800-Petmeds: 10% Cash Back
• PETCO.com: 8% Cash Back
• PETsMART Coupons Only
• drugstore.com 5% Cash Back
  
  

These are the dogs and kitties of Ebates staffers- click on each one to see a different deal on Advantage!