Medicines & remedies · cat safety
Can I use my dog's flea spot-on on my cat?
Deadly
No — never use a dog's flea or tick spot-on or spray on a cat. Many contain permethrin, which cats can't clear: even small amounts cause twitching, tremors, seizures and death. A cat that cuddles a freshly treated dog is at risk too.
Why deadly: Permethrin in dog products causes tremors and seizures in cats — even a small amount.
- Name
- Dog flea and tick spot-onsalso Permethrin, Dog tick spray, Pyrethroid flea products
- Hindi
- कुत्ते की पिस्सू दवा · kutte ki pissu dawa
What counts
Permethrin (and other pyrethroid) spot-ons, sprays and shampoos made for dogs.
What's in it
Permethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide — cats lack the liver pathway to break it down.
Where it hides
- Spot-on pipettes and sprays labelled for dogs
- Anything listing permethrin or another pyrethroid
- Look for 'for cats' on the box — and ask your vet
Symptoms to watch for
- Drooling
- Paw flicking, ear twitching
- Over-sensitivity to touch
- Wobbliness, muscle tremors
- Seizures; death
What to do — now
Go to a vet now — don't wait for tremors. Vets wash the product off and control the tremors.
- Take the product box.
- If you can't leave at once, International Cat Care's advice for a contaminated coat is to wash it with warm soapy water — then go.
- Keep cats away from a freshly treated dog.
Where Indian cats meet it
Multi-pet homes: the dog's spot-on put on the cat to save money, or a cat cuddling a freshly treated dog.
Myth or fact
Myth“The dog's spot-on works on the cat too”
Fact'Dog flea products should never be used on cats' (International Cat Care) — even small amounts of permethrin cause severe signs. Use only cat-labelled products from your vet.
Sources
- ISFM / catvets: Permethrin poisoning and cats
- Pet Poison Helpline: Pyrethrins and pyrethroids
- International Cat Care: Cats and poisons
Facts last checked
General information for cat parents, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. The facts come from ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline, International Cat Care, the Merck Veterinary Manual and the other sources listed on every page — and we say so when the evidence comes from dogs or people. If your cat may have eaten something harmful, call your vet.