My 1 day old kittens have fleas, and if they have fleas then momma has to, too. Is it safe to give mom a flea bath and more importantly what can I do for the kittens?
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Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bratty_cat_12
Jun 21, 2005 12:33 PM
Replies (7)
gocatgo
Jun 21, 2005 07:05 PM
>>My 1 day old kittens have fleas, and if they have fleas then momma has to, too. Is it safe to give mom a flea bath and more importantly what can I do for the kittens?
Whatever you do, don't use Hartz flea products on your cats as Hartz flea products kills cats.
You can safely bath mama cat in water with a little Dawn dishwashing detergent in it, to kill the fleas.
Since the kittens are so young, I don't think that there is too much that you can do other than try to pick the fleas off and then drown the fleas in soapy water. Try not to handle them too much right now though.
In about a month when the kittens are a little older and stronger, you will have to very gently comb the fleas off with a fine toothed comb. Have a glass or cup of warm water with Dawn dishwashing soap in it. Then when you comb and get a flea, dip the comb and flea in the soapy water to drown it.
I wouldn't handle the kittens too much right now though because they sound so young and too much handling could possibly harm them.
Good luck.
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Ruby and the Kitties
Simba, Samantha, Katrina & KatyKatt
Meow!! Meow!! Meow!! Meow!!
Wiscats
Jun 21, 2005 09:54 PM
>>Since the kittens are so young, I don't think that there is too much that you can do other than try to pick the fleas off and then drown the fleas in soapy water. Try not to handle them too much right now though.
>>
>>In about a month when the kittens are a little older and stronger, you will have to very gently comb the fleas off with a fine toothed comb. Have a glass or cup of warm water with Dawn dishwashing soap in it. Then when you comb and get a flea, dip the comb and flea in the soapy water to drown it.
>>
>>I wouldn't handle the kittens too much right now though because they sound so young and too much handling could possibly harm them.
I hate to disagree with you, Ruby.
Handling them won't hurt them nearly as badly as the fleas will. They won't live for a month with fleas!
Dip a washcloth--something soft--in the Dawn soapy water and wipe the babies gently. The fleas must NOT be allowed to stay on the babies. You need to get all the fleas out of the bedding, also.
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The Wiscats: Every life should have (at least) 9 cats! 
Monsieur Gervais le Blanc
Beau Wiscat 
Simba Wiscat
Minette Wiscat-CCarlini
Henri le Chanceux Wiscat
Andre-Guillaume Wiscat 
Annie-Claire Rexford-CCarlini
The Excellent Lady Sophie-Marie Wiscat-StLouie
Poucette-Noelle CCarlini-Rexford
Sylvie-Chantal la Joie Wiscat de Spanky Ranch
gocatgo
Jun 21, 2005 10:57 PM
>>
>>I hate to disagree with you, Ruby.
>>Handling them won't hurt them nearly as badly as the fleas will. They won't live for a month with fleas!
>>Dip a washcloth--something soft--in the Dawn soapy water and wipe the babies gently. The fleas must NOT be allowed to stay on the babies. You need to get all the fleas out of the bedding, also.
>>-----
>>The Wiscats:
Thanks for correcting me, Norma. The only experience that I've had with kittens was when Samantha had hers and the vet gave me Advantage for her fleas. She said that the babies would get the benefits of Advantage by rubbing up against their mother, Samantha.
Your information is very valuable as you are very experienced in resuing cats and kittens. Thanks for sharing.
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Ruby and the Kitties
Simba, Samantha, Katrina & KatyKatt
Meow!! Meow!! Meow!! Meow!!
Wiscats
Jun 21, 2005 09:50 PM
>>My 1 day old kittens have fleas, and if they have fleas then momma has to, too. Is it safe to give mom a flea bath and more importantly what can I do for the kittens?
Do NOT use those Hartz flea products on the mom!
Talk to your vet about whether you can use one of the "spot" flea killers like Revolution, Frontline, etc, on the mom.
Do NOT leave the fleas on the kittens!! Wipe them off, gently comb them off, whatever you have to do, but if they stay on the kittens they will suck so much of their blood that they could die!
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The Wiscats: Every life should have (at least) 9 cats!
Monsieur Gervais le Blanc
Beau Wiscat
Simba Wiscat
Minette Wiscat-CCarlini
Henri le Chanceux Wiscat
Andre-Guillaume Wiscat
Annie-Claire Rexford-CCarlini
The Excellent Lady Sophie-Marie Wiscat-StLouie
Poucette-Noelle CCarlini-Rexford
Sylvie-Chantal la Joie Wiscat de Spanky Ranch
Bratty_cat_12
Jun 22, 2005 11:29 AM
My mom won't let me do anything until they're a week old. 5 more days.
With some help from mom I have names picked out now:
JaimeMarie
Jun 22, 2005 12:53 PM
Tell your mom in five more days they probably won't be alive.
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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker
PHWildCat
Jun 22, 2005 09:58 PM
You need to ask your Vet what he recommends for them. Most meds are not safe for kits or nursing moms. A gentle warm bath with a flea comb may be your only option.
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PHWildCat/Tessa and 18 cats, 1 dog and even a hamster
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