Hartz Mountain Corp. will stop production of several flea and tick products that may have caused numerous deaths in cats and kittens, Local 2 reported Wednesday.

It includes the following pet product brand names.

Hartz Advanced Care 4 in 1 Flea & Tick Drops Plus+ for Cats and Kittens
Hartz Advanced Care Brand Flea and Tick Drops Plus+ for Cats and Kittens
Hartz Advanced Care 3 in 1 Flea & Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens
Hartz Advanced Care Once-A-Month Flea and Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens

Hartz agreed to relabel and then stop production at the insistence of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the agency said.

In the short term, the agreement calls for immediate relabeling of the products. The new labeling will state that the products are not to be used on the most vulnerable animals, including cats and kittens that weigh less than 6 pounds, cats older than 13 years, or kittens less than 5 months old.

Hartz will stop all new production of the cat and kitten products by Sept. 30, 2005, and not sell or distribute any affected product after Dec. 31, 2005.

"EPA is taking this action because there are safety concerns with these products,'' said Susan B. Hazen, principal deputy assistant administrator at EPA. "Pet owners should be alerted to these concerns, and may choose to transition to alternative products. We take seriously our obligation to ensure that pesticide products, when used as labeled, are safe."

The company agreed to a prohibition on any remaining retail sales by March 31, 2006. This orderly transition allows consumers and distributors to move to alternatives flea and tick products and will be strictly monitored.

Hartz will also be notifying their distributors and retailers of the changes in order to ensure a workable phase out.

More Information:

EPA News Release