If you put the medicine at the base of the neck just above the shoulder blades, they can't lick it off. Check with your vet if you need tick medicine in addition to the fleas. I think Advantage Multi covers fleas and several kinds of worms and earmites but not ticks. I think you have to get Frontline to do fleas and ticks. But the Frontline doesn't do the other things.

I've never had a kitty that has had to have a cleaning. There are several here that have though.