Currently, pet stores have a large selection of products for getting rid of insects from adult cats. But how to remove fleas from a kitten? This task is not easy, since it is not recommended to treat babies with traditional medications intended for adult animals. The kitten is constantly licked by the mother, and the medicine, entering the cat’s esophagus, then ends up in her milk, which can cause much more harm to the baby than fleas.
In this regard, there are differences in the methods of removing fleas from newborn kittens and those whose age is 1 month or more.
Signs of fleas
Symptoms of parasites:
- Scratching and biting fur. On the skin of the animal you can find insect bites and wounds that the pet inflicted on itself when combing. Allergic reactions to flea bites are possible.
- Loss of appetite.
- Restless sleep. Fleas on a kitten interfere with your pet's sleep: during sleep, he often turns over from one side to the other, twitches his paws or jumps.
- Signs of exhaustion. Insects feed on the pet's blood, leading it to exhaustion.
The presence of parasites can also be detected by examining the animal.
What do fleas look like and why are they dangerous?
Fleas are insects that parasitize animals. They look repulsive: small (up to 2–3 mm), with flattened bodies, chitinous cover with a brownish tint. It's not easy to see them, and even harder to catch them. When trying to touch them, these ectoparasites (living on the surface of the human or animal body) exhibit amazing jumping ability. Moreover, they can live on any inhabitant of the apartment, not just on a cat. Fleas take root on dogs, rabbits, decorative rodents, and can even bite humans. Once in a home, they jump to other residents of the house and multiply.
Fleas bring a lot of inconvenience to a pet, and can infect the owner with unpleasant diseases.
Fleas themselves cause a lot of trouble. The main problem is itching and irritation of the skin at the site of the bite. But the danger of fleas lies in the fact that they are carriers of dangerous infections (anthrax, encephalitis, hepatitis, plague, etc.), as well as helminths. The appearance of fleas in a kitten leads to infection with worms.
How to remove fleas from a kitten
If a newborn kitten has become infected from its mother cat, it cannot be treated with special medications. Some of these funds remain on the wool. While licking a baby, a cat can become poisoned or pass the substance to the kitten through milk. Let's look at how to remove fleas from small kittens without harming the health of the animals:
- Combing. This method is considered the safest. To carry out the procedure, you need to prepare a bowl of water and a brush with soft bristles (you can use an old toothbrush that is no longer used). They pick up the animal and begin to comb it against the grain. Any insects caught in the brush should be drowned in a basin to prevent them from returning to the animal's fur.
- Bathing. Contact with water can cause stress. Bathing is used in cases where brushing does not help. Water not hotter than 40ºC is poured into the basin. The kitten's ears are plugged with cotton wool, placed in a basin, doused with water and soaped. Only the muzzle should be left dry. The foam should be washed off and the pet should be wrapped in a dry, clean napkin.
During bathing, most insects will die from soap and water. The rest of the parasites will try to escape on the pet's face. For this reason, after washing the animal, the face should be combed with a brush.
When not to use chemicals
The use of specialized preparations containing insecticides is permitted only for kittens that have already been weaned. This is due to the fact that the cat instinctively constantly licks its offspring, which leads to the ingestion of a toxic substance and subsequently severe poisoning and even death.
Until two weeks of age, no methods of handling a small animal, even bathing, are allowed. The baby has a weak immune system, so toxic exposure causes poisoning and death of the kitten.
Flea control products
You should start treating your pet for parasites using special means when he is 1 month old. Before you think about how to get rid of fleas, the kitten must be separated from the cat.
When purchasing insect repellents, you need to pay attention to age restrictions. The composition may contain pyrethroids (alphamethrin, cypermethrin) or organophosphorus insecticides (dichlorvos, malathion). For adult individuals, these components do not pose a danger. However, they are contraindicated for cubs under six months of age.
Insect repellents should be used carefully. The owner must ensure that they do not get into the animal’s eyes, nose or mouth. If this happens, your pet may experience vomiting, nasal or eye discharge, drooling, shortness of breath, and other signs of intoxication. In this case, the pet needs to be given water or milk. Minor poisoning does not pose a danger to life, but it is advisable to take the kitten to the veterinarian.
Shampoos
If the animal is already 4 weeks old, you can eradicate the parasites using shampoo. It is recommended to use such products as “Mr. Kiss" and "Phytoelite". For the first bath, use no more than 0.5 ml of shampoo, which is dissolved in 0.4-0.5 liters of warm water. The product should remain on the pet's fur for at least 5 minutes. Then it should be washed off with warm, clean water.
It is necessary to observe the kitten’s reaction to the selected shampoo for 2 weeks. If the allergy does not manifest itself, the dose of the drug is increased by 2 times. If you have an allergic reaction, you can try a different shampoo.
Sprays
When using sprays (Hartz, Frontline), owners do not have a question about at what age their pet’s fur is treated with this type of product. Both adults and young animals from 6 months of age can be treated for parasites using a spray. It is not advisable to use the product more than once a week.
If the animal reacts inadequately to the procedure, the substance can be applied using a cotton swab. The same method is always used for processing the head. It is necessary to use a swab to avoid getting the product into the kitten's eyes, mouth, nose and ears.
Flea collar
A flea collar (“Hartz”, “Bolfo”) should be used only after the animal has been rid of insects. This product is intended to protect against parasites, not to fight them. It is permissible to put a collar on an animal when it reaches the age of 2 months. You should buy a model designed for a baby, not an adult.
Kittens often react negatively to the collar. You should not force your animal to wear it all the time. It is enough to use the collar while walking outside, where the pet can come into contact with other animals. It is recommended to put a collar on your kitten before being away from home for a long time, for example before going to the country for the weekend. A few days before departure, it is advisable to treat the animal’s fur with a spray.
How to detect?
Fleas live on the kitten's neck and back, so a thorough examination should begin from there. Insect bites cause itching, so you should look for scratches and wounds.
You can see black lumps on the kitten's undercoat - these are traces of flea activity. To make sure they are present, you can rub the animal’s back on a white paper towel. The presence of red-brown marks will confirm fears that this is feces containing undigested blood.
The behavior of kittens may indicate the presence of parasites: the animals behave nervously, are frightened by any rustling sounds, and do not want to play. If a mother cat itches intensely and chews insects with her teeth, this also indicates the presence of fleas.
Folk remedies for fleas
You can fight parasites using folk remedies such as:
- Lemon. It is necessary to finely chop the fruit, pour 1 cup of boiling water over it and leave for 24 hours. Then the product is sprayed onto the kitten’s fur.
- Tansy. 1 tbsp. l. plants, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave for several hours and apply to the animal’s fur using a cotton swab.
- Essential oils. To get rid of parasites and prevent fleas, rosemary, mint, cedar or lavender oils are suitable. A few drops of the product are added to a glass of boiled water. After a few minutes, the mixture can be sprayed onto the animal. You can also lubricate your fingertips with oil and give the kitten a light massage.
- Garlic. It is necessary to chop a small head of garlic and pour 1 liter of boiling water into the resulting pulp. The liquid is infused for 10-12 hours, after which it can be used to treat the pet’s fur.
- Geranium. 5-6 tbsp. l. crushed leaves of a houseplant pour 3 liters of boiling water or hot water. The liquid is infused for 30-40 minutes. During this time, it will have time to cool down to a comfortable temperature for the kitten. It is necessary to bathe your pet in water with geranium without soap or shampoo.
What exactly is more effective: a collar or drops?
To understand the difference between flea drops and a flea collar, you need to understand that the drops are solutions for killing fleas. They may differ in chemical composition and degree of action. Another feature of droplets is the fact that parasites can adapt to some of their types. Therefore, they need to be changed after some time.
Collar
Important! Collars do not destroy parasites, but only repel them with their smell. Therefore, to achieve the greatest effect in the fight against parasites, it is best to combine two methods. First, you will need to treat the pet's fur with drops, and then put on a collar for preventive purposes.
Preventing flea infestation
In order not to think about the age at which you can poison fleas on a kitten, you need to prevent infection with parasites. Owners of kittens should prevent their pets from coming into contact with stray animals. Upholstered furniture in the apartment must be vacuumed regularly. The places where the kitten spends the most time (sofa, armchair, rug in the hallway) should be vacuumed 2-3 times a week. At least 4-5 times a month you need to treat your pet's sleeping place.
Fleas can enter an apartment on people's clothes or shoes, or on the fur of other pets.
For preventive purposes, you should inspect your pet’s fur at least once every 2 weeks. If there are other animals in the apartment, they also need to be examined.
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Signs and routes of infection
Understanding whether a cat or newborn kittens have fleas is not a tricky matter; the main thing is to pay attention to a number of signs in time:
- itching;
- the appearance of wounds and scratches on the body;
- nervous behavior;
- traces of flea activity on the animal’s body;
- hair loss;
- baldness.
Fleas are jumping, hardy insects that can live without food, waiting for a new owner, for up to 18 months. And if a blood-sucking insect is hiding in the grass, then a cat passing by will undoubtedly be infected. Even if the pet has not been outside, insect eggs and larvae can be carried on the shoes or clothes of household members.
Flea
One flea on a cat's body is enough to create a population of blood-sucking fleas within two weeks. The parasite does not lay eggs in one place, but sprays them in different places, so they can end up on bedding, furniture, and the floor.
And you shouldn’t be surprised if a pregnant cat, which never leaves the apartment, or newborn kittens suddenly develop fleas.
Anti-flea shampoos
Flea shampoos are the most affordable remedy that can be used at home. But you should understand that after using this remedy, not all fleas may die. Insects that are, for example, on the litter at the time of washing, or flea larvae and eggs will not be harmed by such treatment. Shampoos are products that provide short-term protection, so their most effective use is in combination with collars and drops on the withers. The undoubted advantage of shampoo is that it allows you to remove not only insects, but also dirt from fur and skin. But for cats that are not accustomed to water treatments or simply do not like to swim, it is recommended to choose a different anti-flea product. And when bathing small and/or weakened kittens, you should carefully ensure that the pet does not become hypothermic.
Repellent collars
Collars containing natural substances can help protect your kitten from flea infestation. They can be used for cats from two months of age and do not contain synthetic components. Essential oils of lavender, geranium, citronella, eucalyptus, etc. repel parasites and blood-sucking insects and protect your pet for several months. Due to their natural composition, such products are recommended for use even for kittens weakened by a previous homeless life or any previous diseases.
The principle of operation of such collars is similar to the effect of drops on the withers: volatile substances found in essential oils and unpleasant for fleas and ticks accumulate in the fur and repel parasites.
A kitten already infected with fleas should first remove insects using insectoacaricidal agents (if they are not contraindicated for him!), since in case of severe flea infestation, a phytocollar may be ineffective: its purpose is to prevent infection, not eliminate it.
