Complaint Review: Hartz Control Onespot

Kelly, would you put flea medicine on a pregnant cat?
In the original post, she thought the cat was pregnant.
She admits she knew she shouldn't use these products on a pregnant cat. She also says she has used them before on pregnant cats and kittens.
You mean to tell me there is no warning on flea products ? I use Hartz Advanced Care and it CLEARLY states not to use on kittens under 12 weeks old, pregnant,medicated, aged, if nursing, etc...It states HAZARDS TO DOMESTIC ANIMALS, then gives warnings and tells you what to watch your animal for.I started using this product when I first got my dog a few years ago and had aleady had fleas. I have always used it. I now use it on the kitten (abou a year old) that my old neighbor left when she moved. I read all the warnings before use and watched my pets carefully. To say there is no warning is absurd. I do understand your opnions, but I believe even though the cat was not pregnant, she still thought it was, and it was very irresponsible to put any product on this cat.The product I use also warns against use if your animal is sensitive to certain pesticides. That is pretty close to an allergy warning. I suppose if we all took our pets for allergy testing we would know what they are allergic to. I just thought the original post and her second post showed alot of irresponsibilty for someone who breeds cats.
And again, these products DO have warnings on them!!!!!

Wow, you're responses are all so kind to Diane who lost her companion, and part of her livelyhood.
I've read the posts and realize that I have given the wrong impression about declawed animals. I completely think it's a creul thing to do to any animal. One could never have an indoor / outdoor cat declawed, as it may need those very same claws to defend itself and I would never allow a defenceless animal to go outside. And in that thought, I will never own an animal that cannot wander around in it's natural enviroment, even from time to time.
Robert, you sure do take personal offence if someone disagrees with your opinion, and a simple search tells me you enjoy a good argument. I won't say that you've done anything wrong, only that I read your posts and you seem like you're picking a fight with people. I only wanted you to have some sympathy for Diane, who used a product as directed on the box and lost an animal through no fault of her own. The next time your using any product in your home, think about how a person could go into a store asking for advice and using the products as directed (not swallowing but on the surface) suddenly seazures befell you or someone in your family, and death shortly after, wouldn't there be questions? Wouldn't you wonder why there was no warning? Why would they recommend a product that kills, even if it only kills 10%? When is it enough? Or is this an acceptable loss for the companys? I am sad for Diane's loss as I too have suffered in the recent past. I am angry about the fact the product was not successful as other products in removing the fleas. I also accept that my poor animal is gone and if I had read this before or googled zodiac spot-on, he would not be.
Diane will never recieve any compensation for her cat, but this is a good way to get out the message that these products do cause seazures in small animals, do a google on these products that have been mentioned and you'll find all sorts of reports of animals (mostly cats, but some small dogs) being killed by products that don't even work.
Good Luck Diane, so sorry for your loss.

To everyone here who feels that it is Diane's fault for putting this on her cats, I suggest you do a search on the internet about these flea products. NUMEROUS cats have died from using them. There are full websites devoted to this topic. There is indeed NO warning on these products. Diane...I am very sorry for your loss. I am part of a non-profit animal organization, and believe me we see many cases of people seeking assistance for their vet bills after putting this stuff on their cats. It is not your fault, and you are not the only one this has happened to.

As for declawing cats...talk about being IRRESPONSIBLE. I suggest you do a search on the internet as to what this entails. Essentially it would be like cutting off a human's finger at the third knuckle. It is an amputation. I can't believe it has been posted here that it is a responsible thing to do! I have 4 indoor only cats and none of them are declawed and my furniture doesn't have a scratch on it from them. I took the time to train them to use cat scratchers and cardboard, and invest in having many items around my home for them to use to scratch instead of my furniture. Declawing a cat is inhumane and just about the laziest thing you can do. I can't believe people would blame Diane for something that was beyond her control yet you promote an unneccessary amputation of your poor animals. SICK!

You are correct about one thing. Wrong about another. I do declaw and neuter my cats. That's what we call "common sense". I do NOT antagonize all on this site". The stupid factor that eminates from some people deserves ridicule and scorn. "I put poison on my cat and it died"..."I sent all my life savings to a guy in Nigeria and didn't get my $Billions back in return"..."I write bad checks and the bank has the nerve to charge me for them"..."I souped up my engine and the dealership won't warranty my drivetrain"..."I bought a pitbull and it attacks everyone"..."My bedridden, deaf and blind mother in a nursing home can't get a credit card"..."I read about everyone else who got ripped off by (name of company) and took my cars there anyway and I got ripped off too"...and on and on. I am not perfect by any stretch, but I do know a scam when I see one, and I know a stupid move when I read about one. I generally stick to the automotive reports but sometimes something catches my eye and I think "this ought to be good". The vast majority of my missives are positive and either help the individual who complained(some have even faxed me info for me to look at so I can help them), or I hammer on the business that is jerking people around. I notice I am not the only one who sees this as a giant stupid attack on the part of Diane. As for your own flea problem, try Frontline. I know it works for my friends hunting dogs.

The dog does get plenty of exercise. the house is very large and he goes to a controlled environment weekly for the day to get groomed and ran. The Chow is very happy and healthy. And he has no fleas.

Bleach says not to ingest it (as in drink it)on the label. Do you drink bleach any how? If you had a problem with fleas why didn't you simply take the cat to the vet?
To the other person who's sister stud's out the chow- how does she exercise it if she never lets it out? Keeping a "animal protected" from the outside is not the answer to keeping them in perfect condition. It is a great way to create a mentally unstable animal (or person imagine if you only were allowed in your house and no where else, no anything) While I do agree that cats do not need to be outside as it is not necessary I can't say the same for dogs.

I too used a onespot type product. This one was called Zodiac Spot-On. My 2 cats got fleas and transferred them to alot of surfaces before we caught on. Both cats were treated and the house cleaned / vacummed daily for a greulling 2 months. When the second dose was due I gave it to the cats. About a week later I noticed one of the cats was walking funny. By the time we reached the vet the cat had violent seazures and died in my lap. The vet told me the seazure were caused by the spot-on, and she had seen dozens of cats come in with seazures this summer and only 1 had survived. In the past I had always used advantage, but my vet wasn't open the day I discovered the fleas and not wanting them to get worse headed to the local Pet Value. The man in the store RECOMMENDED this product, told me he used it on his own cats, worked wonders. Not only did this product cause my otherwise healthy cat to die, but there were fleas on him when he did.
The advantage is now on the other cat, my surviver, and not a flea to be found.
In closing, to Robert, who likes to antagonize all on this site. My cats are outdoor / indoor cats. Never had a case of fleas before this summer.(Could be because the advantage). I also live on a farm where there are animals of all types. Is it fair to keep a cat indoors? If you do then you better get yours neutered / spayed, unless of couse you want them in heat, urinating all over and screaching bloody murder. Of couse, everyone not breeding should have there cats fixed to control the population of unwanted cats. You also better get them declawed, if you've ever been in a house with an indoor cat not declawed, then the furniture and woodwork all suffer, sometimes to the tune of thousands of dollars, all because your feline doesn't get a chance to go out, run about, and let us not forget, lay in the sun.
So sorry for your loss, Diane. My only advice is to use vet recommended advantage as required.
Good Luck

Well, I got a call from the vet today, who did an autopsy on my pregnant cat, and he told me, she wasn't pregnant after all... Thank God.. So 50% of my cats died after using that stuff, so it wasn't me after all. But I do have to say that being told I'm a dirty person, when no one here knows me, is completly uncalled for... I have raised these cats for 15 years and have never experienced something like this.. I thought this was a place to complain about certain products, not have a person bashing... I'm sorry, I have bothered anyone here.. And good luck on your own complaints, I hope others will be just as polite...

Well, I got a call from the vet today, who did an autopsy on my pregnant cat, and he told me, she wasn't pregnant after all... Thank God.. So 50% of my cats died after using that stuff, so it wasn't me after all. But I do have to say that being told I'm a dirty person, when no one here knows me, is completly uncalled for... I have raised these cats for 15 years and have never experienced something like this.. I thought this was a place to complain about certain products, not have a person bashing... I'm sorry, I have bothered anyone here.. And good luck on your own complaints, I hope others will be just as polite...

Well, I got a call from the vet today, who did an autopsy on my pregnant cat, and he told me, she wasn't pregnant after all... Thank God.. So 50% of my cats died after using that stuff, so it wasn't me after all. But I do have to say that being told I'm a dirty person, when no one here knows me, is completly uncalled for... I have raised these cats for 15 years and have never experienced something like this.. I thought this was a place to complain about certain products, not have a person bashing... I'm sorry, I have bothered anyone here.. And good luck on your own complaints, I hope others will be just as polite...

Well, I got a call from the vet today, who did an autopsy on my pregnant cat, and he told me, she wasn't pregnant after all... Thank God.. So 50% of my cats died after using that stuff, so it wasn't me after all. But I do have to say that being told I'm a dirty person, when no one here knows me, is completly uncalled for... I have raised these cats for 15 years and have never experienced something like this.. I thought this was a place to complain about certain products, not have a person bashing... I'm sorry, I have bothered anyone here.. And good luck on your own complaints, I hope others will be just as polite...

If you knew not to use it on pregnant cats and kittens, and did it anyway, what difference would a warning about possible allergic reactions have really made??? You would have used it anyways. You can say you wouldn't have, but you would have. I'm sorry, but this is your fault. Take some of the profits you make breeding these poor cats, and bring them to the vet before you kill them. I do not breed cats or any other animal, but common sense would tell me if it says not to use it, DO NOT USE IT!!! I don't mean to be rude but I have no sympathy here and I really hope you learned a few things from Sherri. As far as reimbursement goes, you're kidding right??

One genius buys a Pitbull and is shocked to find it is aggressive and hostile. You put a POISON on a pregnant female, while KNOWING it can, and probably will, kill her. Then, when it happens, you are stunned by it. Hello?! The big issue here isn't even the pesticide you used. It's WHY you had to use one in the first place. You claim these cats are bred for profit. Who would want to buy an animal with fleas? Is your house a mess? How did this cat get fleas? Don't say you let her outside. Nobody with functioning frontal lobes would let an animal outside where it could get harmed, and yes, fleas are harming the animal, if the purpose of the animal was to breed and make a buck. My sister studs out her Chow. She lets it outside for the brief amount of time it takes for him to defecate or urinate. No other time. He is a beautiful dog and is very well cared for. Get it? The animal is protected from the outside. Try it. Use a litter box. For the record, I have owned cats. They never went outside. They also never had need of flea collars or treatments either. Duh.

Yes, I did use a flea product on a queen, and yes, I know that a person shouldn't do this, but when you have allergies to fleas, it's the only thing to do.. And however, not all my cats died, 2 out of 4 so that is 50% of all animals, pregnant or not will die also... My animals just happened to be alllergic to the stuff, according to the vet..There is no warning on the box about allergies and cats... And there should be... I take responsibility where I need too, but I think the people who put the product out should also take theirs... I have used many different products over the years on pregnant cats, babies, and never had this problem... Had I known, or been forwarned about possible allergies to cats, I never would have spent that kind of money on something that would have killed them, like it did..Thank you...

WHY?? As a professional breeder, you should know that you never, ever, ever use any kind of pesticide on a pregnant queen..EVER. I don't use the OneSpot,as I usually buy Advantage for mine, and very clearly on the label, it says NOT to give to pregnant queens or kittens under a certain age. You should also not administer to the mother cat until she has weaned the kittens. Do your flea treatments BETWEEN breedings. Other tips regarding flea treatments:

Always, ALWAYS carefully read and closely follow label instructions.
NEVER use an OTC product intended for dogs on a cat!
Do not use any flea control products on very young kittens, pregnant cats, very old cats, or sick cats, without your veterinarian's supervision.
Avoid products containing organophosphates, including permethrin.
Closely watch your cat for adverse reactions after administering topical flea products.
If adverse symptoms appear, such as drooling, tremors, ataxia (difficulty walking), or seizures, immediately wash the application area with mild soap, rinse with water, then get the cat to the veterinarian right away. If "after hours," go to an emergency clinic.
If your cat goes outdoors, avoid the use of organophosphates in yard and lawn sprays.

I'm sorry you lost your cats, as I love my four very much. But I can't help noticing that your first statement concerned loss of the money you would have made.