my cat and her 4week old kittens have fleas. What should i do?

Question

i dont know what to do.

Answer 1

I would not risk ANY of the flea medications. I have never heard of any that are safe for that young of a cat. I could be wrong but I wouldn't risk it any how. also treating the mother is no good as it can get through to the kittens. I had this very same problem!!

What will work to keep the population down to nothing is wash the kittens and cat every 2 days maybe 3... I used vegetable oil as it gets rid of the glue that holds the eggs on, as well as suffocates the adults. (this also works on lice btw) use the flea and lice combs too!

Then change the bedding where the cats sleep regularly. put a towel down for them to lay on maybe if the bedding isn't something you can change. Wash it in very hot water the same day you wash the cats on if not every day.

Vacuum a LOT! it can cause eggs to hatch I have heard but it also sucks them up.

If you have this as an option.. if it is really cold out and you can wash the cats first and then place them in a different room. For an entire night turn off the heat to that room and open all the windows in the room they are normally in. This kills fleas. Only works if you can get the room really cold though.

By the end of 2 weeks of this I did not see a single flea anywhere. when the mom stopped nursing completely I treated her. which was at 2 1/2 months old, and at three months old I did treat the kittens for the just in case factor. but one tiny tiny drop on the back of the neck is all you need for a kitten.

Never use over the counter stuff on a kitten... go to the vet and spend the $12-$15

good luck!

Answer 2

Several things you can do. If you currently have a vet, you can get a product called Capstar. It is a tablet that you would give to each animal. It has a mim. weight limit of 2 lb., does not have an age limit. The Capstar will kill all fleas on the animal within 4 hours.....does not have any residual to prevent reinfestation. You would then need to apply a product to keep fleas off.....Revolution has an excellent safety profile. It can be used in puppies and kittens as young as 6 weeks of age, in breeding male and female dogs and cats and in pregnant and nursing dogs and cats.

Also want to address something that was stated in any earlier answer. That is about EAR MITES. Ear mites are NOT flea eggs that have gotten into the cats' ears. They are small blood sucking mites that live in the ear canal of mostly cats, but also in dogs. Revolution will kill ear mites after 30 days. If there is a problem with an animals' ears, make sure what the problem is.....ie ear mites not a bacterial or fungal infection. All three need a different form of treatment.

Answer 3

One of the flea products, Advantage, Frontline, etc., is safe for a nursing mother, most are not. Do NOT buy any of the over counter products.

Get a flea comb, cost about $1. Comb all of them, and drop the fleas immediately into a glass of water with a bit of dishwashing soap in it. The water drowns the fleas.

You can give the mother a bath using a baby shampoo and be very careful not to get it in her eyes. Again, the water will kill most of them and you can comb out the rest.

The only thing I know that is safe for the babies is to bath them, make sure you keep them very warm! If they get chilled it will compromise their immune system.

do not use any! flea product that contains "essential oil" or "ti tree" (also called Tea Tree") around cats; dogs and people yes, cats no. Do not use "flea collars." they can be very harmful.

You can go to a garden shop and get some "diamataceous earth"..and sprinkle on the carpet. Vacuum and immediately get rid of the bag. Redo in about 10 days. (The "earth" is just ground up shells that will cut the flea's protective shell." It's not harmful to the environment, to cats or to people.

I'm not sure about the baking soda, I definitely wouldn't put it on the kittens. Basically, the "wash" will take care of it by itself.

Answer 4

Go to the vets for some treatment. Both mother and kittens must be treated, and possibly your house as well.

The only thing safe enough for kittens under 8 weeks, that actually works, is Frontline Spray. It can be used on kittens and puppies from 2 days of age. Get some. Mother cat can have Frontline or Advantage spot-on.

Please get the cat spayed once the kittens are weaned!

Chalice

Answer 5

I had the same problem with my kitten. I took him to the vet and they gave him a medication called revolution. It costs around $ 12.00 and it's good for one month. They go by weight of the cat to determine the strength of the revolution to give your cat. If either one of your cats has fleas they also have ear mites, which is the eggs of the fleas that go in the ears and will cause them to itch like crazy and shake their head alot, the ear mites look like black wax in their ears. Fleas are very dangerous for both mommy and baby, they could become anemic. So take them to the vet as soon as possible , also have them checked for worms and get their shots. Within the next couple months they will need a series of shots, feline distemper, luekemia and booster shot. Also you will notice the mother cat will probably push the baby away in a couple weeks to ween the baby from nursing. The best food to give the baby is kitten hard food with a little bit of soft cat food. Their is cat milk that you can buy at a pet store that is for replacing the mothers milk. Good Luck!

Answer 6

I am not sure if it is safe to treat a one month old kitten for fleas yet. I recommend talking to your vet. However, you can treat the mother cat. I assume the kitten is not nursing. If she is, I would ask about treating the mother too. Some medicine applies to the nap of the neck, but kittens can be cuddly. I think as long as kitten is pretty much not clingy to mom as much and isn't nursing should be ok for the mother, but I would check on both of them to be sure.

Answer 7

I suggest calling your vet.
He may suggest treating the mother with something like Advantage. It will not only work on her, but may also take care of the kitten's fleas. Not sure if it would be ok for kittens for a direct dose, but the Vet should be able to help.

Answer 8

this can be a common behaviour to your cats, the kitten is trying out his function within the household and you'll observe because the kitten will get older that the older cat will begin to support her function to be extra dominant and no longer enable the kitten as so much leeway. We have a 14yr ancient male and an 18 month ancient feminine, the kitten will almost always attempt to assault the male (or our german shepard) whilst she desires to play, but when the male isn't interested or has had ample he ends it via pinning down the feminine.

Answer 9

Thats a hard one. I don't think its healthy to treat the young cats for fleas. The only thing i can say for you is ask your vet.

Answer 10

it is okay to go to the store and buy some flea medicine and put it on the kittens, i have done it and they were fine.