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Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 9:06 pm
by exlibris
Goodness, I'm spamming the forum at the moment - thanks for putting up with me everyone! Seems like you forget a lot about kittens after 18 years since the last pair.

I'm looking for flea treatment for kittens. I thought it would be simple - foolish me - but apparently you need to weigh them regularly to make sure they get the correct amount without harming them. Does anyone know of a natural or gentle flea treatment that could perhaps limit the effects or something until they hit adulthood? My partner is allergic to flea bites, and apparently he's really tasty! As they arrived with fleas from the shelter the damage has already done - they'll be eggs everywhere in the house by now (we only found out about the fleas 10 days into adopting them). The vets dusted the cats, but I reckon they'll have fleas back again by now :(

Re: Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 7:43 am
by fjm
I seem to recall using Frontline spray on kittens, but it is 16 years since mine were babies, so no doubt the advice has changed! I would treat the house, if you can find something safe, plus vacuuming, washing everything at a high temperature, etc, etc, and comb the kittens several times a day with a flea comb. A bowl of water with a dash of washing up liquid will drown any fleas you catch - it doesn't clear the house, but it does help to monitor how many are still hatching and there is a certain satisfaction in removing even a few from circulation. It may be a case of managing down the numbers until the kittens are big enough to treat with a spot on or tablet. And antihistamine tablets to control your husband's allergy, of course.

Diatomaceous earth is often recommended - my sister tried it, and it completely wrecked her vacuum cleaner, while having no discernable effect on the plague of fleas...

Re: Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 7:45 am
by booktigger
The vet would have weighed them before neutering so you could ask what they currently weigh. Most come in weight brackets so you should be able to just use the kitten version, but check what the vet gave them first, I've never heard of dusting them. Also make sure you work them regularly as they came with fleas. Frontline spray is only really good for tiny kittens, spots ones can be used from 2kg, which most are by 8 weeks

Re: Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 8:38 am
by Ruth B
I know a rescue around here does use a Frontline spray treatment and it is safe enough to use on very young kittens (before they are ready to leave their mother) so would be safe for yours I would assume, however I don't have any more details, but it would be a place to start.

Re: Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:30 am
by Mollycat
I know you don't want to traumatise them any more but i would seriously consider moving them out of the house and treating the house with Indorex if it's that bad. You really should check what the RSPCA used and some are longer lasting than others and instinct tells me it's possible chemicals shouldn't be mixed if the treatment they have had is still active, especially on youngsters.

If they have not been outside since you had them they can't have picked up new fleas so it makes more sense to eliminate the eggs from the house rather than keep applying chemicals onto the cats themselves. And as BT says a wormer as some fleas can carry some worms. Will these kittens be going outside? If not then eliminating fleas can be pretty much a one off job. My two indoors stayed flea free for 6 years even for the two years since the dog moved in.

Personally I'm mindful of how nasty insecticides are for us and cats and I only use on an as-needed basis - none in 6 years on the indoor cats, usually once a year on the previous outdoor/indoor cats which to my surprise was enough to keep me from ever seeing one or having any cat show any signs of them. Flea dirt would have been really easy to see on pale fine haired Ragdoll Bobby, there was none.

Re: Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 10:01 pm
by Sniper1
Frontline spray would be fine and you can wear rubber gloves spray it on your hands and ruffle it through their fur much less scary for the kitten

Re: Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 10:04 pm
by booktigger
I actually found it was worse for older kittens due to the amount you need to cover them

Re: Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 1:44 pm
by Sniper1
You don't need to cover a cat or kitten with the fronrline spray the fleas move around the body to the covered areas so rub it arind the head and neck areas and underneath them

Re: Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:01 pm
by exlibris
Spraying would probably be worse as the noise sounds like hissing. Either way, I think the chances of them hanging around long enough to properly done are zero. I don't know what their foster handler was doing but neither kitten is keen on being picked up (but heartily appreciative of strokes). I tried getting down to their level and giving them a very light cuddle, one of them was happy with it, the other was really not - I think she's claustrophobic.
I wondered if I could just leave them to their own devises, but they're 6 months old and will almost certainly become flea infested again if I don't do something. Is anti-flea administered based on weight/size or is age also an issue? Winston (previously Idris, but we decided he is definitely a Winston) is a lump and destined to be big - if he is of a suitable weight his age might not matter.

Re: Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:07 pm
by Sniper1
At their agei its weight and size age only really an issue if they're very young but if you use something like inforex on the house you will find you don't even need to treat the kitten's vat all just may take a little longer we have ferals who can't be touched but come indoors never have a problem with them as long as you treat the house

Re: Flea treatment for kittens

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:34 pm
by exlibris
Sniper1 wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:07 pm At their agei its weight and size age only really an issue if they're very young but if you use something like inforex on the house you will find you don't even need to treat the kitten's vat all just may take a little longer we have ferals who can't be touched but come indoors never have a problem with them as long as you treat the house
Ah! Ferals - that explains your 18 cats, either that or you have a mansion. What an excellent thing to do - our previous cats came from a feral cat colony, but as kittens so were brought up as house cats.
It sounds good stuff that indorex, but our 2 have started scratching, so I fear it is too late. I will get out my scales. Hopefully Winston is chunky enough to be treated as an adult. I'll have to go through the vet for Whisper as she's a tiny for a 6-month-old.