iv discovered little black grains right next to his skin, of what look like grains of sand, are these flea eggs? iv not found any fleas, my other cat doesnt have fleas and my kitten has never been outside. i assume he must have brought them with him from where i brought him.
if these are flea eggs is it safe to use the spot on treatment? i use this for my older cat.
2007-10-02 23:11:55 · 17 answers · asked by turtles 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Best remedy is give the kitten a bath in luke warm water. Wear strong gloves and old clothing as you have to be prepared for a scratching frenzy. The kitten will cry and scream and it may appear cruel at first but trust me they will forget and forgive. Hold the Kittens body under water for at least 2 minutes as it can take a while for the fleas to drown. Also dunk the kittens head under water for about 5 seconds and afterwards when the fur is still wet run a flea comb through it to rake out the drowned fleas.
Forget powders or lotions - most are expensive and totally useless although a flea collar is known to slighly reduce flea infestation around the neck and head.
If you bathe the cat every 2 months from a young age then eventually they get use it. Ours is now 8 years and no longer scraches or crys when we take him to the bath.
2007-10-02 23:28:50 · answer #1 · answered by jeff hall 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The black grains are flea "dirt" or excrement, not flea eggs. You wouldn't be able to see a flea egg.
You CAN use Advantage on a kitten if they're infested. Just put a small dab behind their neck against their skin and all fleas will be dead in a short time. Do NOT use the cheap stuff!! I used to work at a vet, and some cats would have severe reactions to the cheap flea treatments. Since kittens are more sensitive, it's worth the money to buy Advantage because it's safe.
2007-10-02 23:37:31 · answer #2 · answered by Wintergirl 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The black grains that you found is flea waste. So the kitten does have fleas. The kitten could have gotten the fleas from his mother. Most flea treatments say that you can treat from 8 weeks up. If you are buying from a store the box will tell you the age and weight for treating the kitten. Good Luck.
2007-10-02 23:18:43 · answer #3 · answered by Jodie L J 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hi,if they were fleas they would be moving,to test to see if they are flea poo comb your kitten with a flea comb then wipe the black things out of the comb into a damp tissue/kitchen towel,then press on them hard.If they go red it's flea poo because the red is blood. One of the best flea treatments available is frontline it's recommended by vets and you can buy it over the counter from any vets.I have used this for 4 months now and since then my kitten has not had a single flea on him,it's brilliant.
2007-10-03 07:46:09 · answer #4 · answered by Kerry 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're not flea eggs, they're flea dirt (poo). Flea eggs are microscopic, you can't see them. Flea dirt is the sure sign that fleas are present so yes, you do need to treat him, and your older cat because he will get them too. Unless the infestation is severe, it's usually this flea dirt you see rather than actual live fleas.
Veterinary spot-ons can be used on cats from 8 weeks of age. The same can not be said for store-bought spot-ons, which should never be used even on adult cats due to their ineffectiveness and possible toxicity, just in case you don't already know.
Chalice
2007-10-03 00:43:00 · answer #5 · answered by Chalice 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
chances are ... yes they are flea eggs ... check with where you got the poor thing from to see if they have a flee problem or if it could actually be something else (trust me ... if they are flea eggs ... you don't want them to hatch ... had a kitten that that happened to because I didn't know better ... took forever to get rid of them and almost lost the poor thing) ... as for the spot treatment ... check with your vet ... would probably be best to give it a a full bath and wash them all out before they/it what ever it is becomes a problem.
2007-10-02 23:18:53 · answer #6 · answered by Zenas Walter 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i would say it what they call flea dirt which means its had or still got fleas you can frontline a cat from 8 weeks old if you have a scats store near you you can get frontline from them and they will advise you on how to use it you dont need to go to the vets unless you want to of course all flea treatment has directions on the packet so you can find the right one if your not sure ask a member of staff they will be able to help you
2007-10-02 23:33:17 · answer #7 · answered by MICHELE M 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have read once that kittens younger than 13 weeks can't have fleas, but i don't know whether it is truth or not. I think you must show your kitten to vet. It can be harmfull for kitten to use treatment without knowing if it realy has fleas or not.
2007-10-02 23:20:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have found that the best place to locate fleas on a cat is around the snout. And yes if it is used on an older cat it should be safe to use on a kitten. Good luck
2007-10-02 23:17:20 · answer #9 · answered by mickkooz 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Might be flea dirt. The vet can tell you for sure. The first thing you should do with a new pet is take it to the vet if it has not yet been wormed or vaccinated.
2007-10-03 04:13:23 · answer #10 · answered by KathyS 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋