Beaphar FIPROtec Spot-On Cat

The cat that never goes out is the one people quietly stop treating, and it is also the cat living alongside a dog, a pair of shoes and an open window. Beaphar make the same point on the pack: outdoor cats are more exposed, but an indoor cat still needs a routine.

This is a spot-on, applied to the skin, and there are four treatments in the pack. Beaphar say it kills fleas and ticks on the cat at the time of treatment and then goes on killing fleas for up to five weeks. It is cleared for cats over 8 weeks of age weighing more than 1kg. Their own instruction is to pair it with a household insecticide, because the animal is only ever half of a flea problem.

• Four treatments in the pack
• Kills fleas and ticks at the time of treatment
• Beaphar state continued flea kill for up to five weeks
• For cats over 8 weeks of age and over 1kg in weight
• Beaphar advise using a household insecticide alongside it
• Spot-on, applied to the skin at the back of the neck

Read the leaflet in the box before you read this. The information supplied to us does not name the active ingredient, the volume of a single pipette or the minimum gap between treatments, and all three are on the leaflet that comes with it. Two hard limits do come through and they are the ones people get wrong: over 8 weeks of age, and over 1kg in weight, which rules out a small kitten. It is licensed for cats, and a spot-on is not interchangeable between species, so do not reach for it because it is what is in the cupboard. If your cat is pregnant, nursing, unwell or on anything else, that is a conversation with your vet first.

Who it's for: owners of cats past the kitten stage who want an over-the-counter spot-on and are willing to do the house at the same time rather than treating the cat over and over.