Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi, I've been treating my pregnant cat with Frontline several times plus been using flea spray in the room where she is. She is due anytime now but I can still find fleas on her.. Should I separate her and the kittens after she has given birth (bottle feeding them) until I'm sure she is free of fleas? Also this is her first litter (she is 9 months old) and seem keen to have her kittens in the litter box, regardless of which nesting boxes I present to her, that seem dangerous to me or am I wrong?
Thanks /J

Hi Jenny and welcome

I'm not au fait with modern flea treatments but I'm assuming you have the guidance of your vet, and a quick google tells me that Frontline's safe for use on lactating queens and furthermore protects the kittens (please correct me someone if I have this wrong.) My lot are mainly indoor with a secure garden but oh boy do I remember past infestations of fleas, when treatments weren't so good, when the ferals moved in ... you (and your girl) have my sympathy!

So I don't think you need to separate the kittens from their mother at all; even if the option was don't go on de-fleaing, it would be better, I think, to let them stay together; separation would cause a lot of distress and a lot of work, and the kittens wouldn't get the protective colostrum first milk from their mother, who would be in awful discomfort physically and mentally ... cats are very territorial about their kittens, just wait and see when they come, she'll be obsessed with them

As for the litter box silly girl! Let's hope she sees sense when the time comes ... they often do; one of my Siamese refused to look at the kittening box until the night before. Also what often settles them is a nice pile of newspaper to tear up into a nest ... untidy but they love it and you'll have to take it out anyway after the birth so you can substitute something a bit more civilised.

All the best and please let us know how she goes on