Soft and fluffy, kittens, of course, can sometimes scratch and even bite, but in general, they are cute and positive creatures. Kitten fleas usually appear immediately after their birth, jumping on them from the mother cat's fur. But even if the cat is not infected with fleas, at a certain age, the kittens begin to go out and communicate with other animals, almost necessarily receiving at the same time a portion of parasites. It is here that the seemingly seemingly simple task of the pet owners arises, how to get rid of fleas in a kitten, which, however, turns out to be not so simple.
It is important to understand that the treatment of kittens for fleas is required in any case when they are infected. Fleas cause severe itching in an animal, sometimes allergies and dermatitis, and with severe infection they lead to the depletion of the baby and the development of his blood diseases.
In addition, fleas carry deadly diseases for both cats and humans, as well as intermediate hosts for many types of worms. Often strong flea infected kittens simply die, not sustaining such a parasitic load on the still fragile organism.
On a note
Fleas in a kitten do not necessarily belong to the type of cat fleas: on small pets, rat, dog, human, rabbit and some others can also parasitize flea species. Moreover, all these types of parasites are almost the same for a layman, and the symptoms of a flea in a kitten do not differ from species to species. The method of ridding the kitten of fleas does not depend on the species of the parasites.
Fleas are most dangerous in newborn kittens - in large quantities they can lead to freezing of babies. It is possible to relieve newborn kittens from fleas only by physical methods - combing and bathing, which, as practice shows, not every owner will do (the use of chemicals at this age should be avoided in every way, since their use is fraught with poisoning of kittens and dangerous allergic reactions).However, there is good news: for newly born kittens, there are special methods for removing parasites, which we will discuss in more detail later.
In the photo below - a flea in a kitten in wool:
To get rid of flea kittens today, a large number of effective means are produced and sold, all of them have their own specifics and require an accurate and deliberate approach to use. Immediately you need to be prepared for the fact that the treatment of kittens from fleas requires a little more effort than in the case of adult animals - because of the need to comply with increased safety measures.
Symptoms of fleas in kittens
Finding whether a kitten has a flea is simple enough: with its bites, they cause constant itching in the animal, and the baby often itches with its paws behind the ears, trying to bite insects out of its fur. A kitten may twitch and wake up from especially strong bites, and suddenly come off food and play.
Other symptoms of fleas in kittens are visible red spots and wounds from parasite bites on the skin under the coat.and sometimes dermatitis and allergies to multiple bites. A badly infected kitten looks painful and exhausted,from the constant scratching he appears bald spots on the wool.
The photo below shows the fleas in close-up - the perpetrators of the kitten's torment:
On a note
If the kitten is itchy, and he does not have fleas, as the mother cat doesn’t have them, the baby should be shown to the vet - subcutaneous mites or dermatological diseases can be the cause of itchiness. Treat these diseases should be very different ways.
An indirect sign of the presence of a flea in a kitten is helminths. This is especially true for kittens that have not yet begun to eat meat and fish. For example, in a month-old kitten, fleas and worms usually appear at the same time — first, the fleas start feeding on the animal, and within a week or two of them the baby becomes infected with worms.
But perhaps the easiest way to detect fleas is to simply look closely at the animal's fur. Fleas in a kitten 1-2 months of age are especially well marked: the hair of such babies is short and the parasites cannot even hide in it. Usually fleas in kitten fur can be seen with the naked eye.
The important point: when you find fleas in a small kitten, you should not immediately rush after the first available product and treat it to the crumbs.The specificity of breeding fleas in kittens is the strict observance of strict security measures.
Safety rules: when drugs are more dangerous than fleas
In order to get rid of fleas in a kitten, it is necessary first of all to be well aware, due to which one or another medicine for insect parasites is effective. In the majority of preparations for fleas, the active ingredient is insecticides, although relatively non-toxic to adult animals, but can cause strong side effects in kittens.
For example, kittens are dangerous for some organophosphate insecticides (Malathion, Dichlorvos), as well as pyrethroids (Permethrin and its derivatives Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, Alfamethrin). If the flea medicine for kittens contains these components, it can not be used for calves younger than 6 months of age.
It should also be remembered that it is possible to treat kittens for fleas only after weaning them from the mother: all the funds from the fleas remain for a while on the baby’s fur, and if the mother cat lick it, a part of the preparation will definitely fall into her milk. The most nursing cats also can not poison the fleas chemical preparations.
In any case, it is not possible to get rid of fleas with insecticidal preparations if the kitten is less than 1 month old. If the kitten has a lot of fleas - so much so that they can be a threat to his life - for several days, while the parasites will be fought, he should be separated from the mother and allowed only during the feeding time.
If even monthly kittens have fleas, but not in very large numbers, it makes sense to carry out preventive actions, and wait until the kitten grows up at least a little before getting rid of the parasites completely.
Kittens of different breeds and ages: what medicines are suitable for them?
Depending on the age and breed to get rid of fleas in a kitten should be the best means for him.
Consider the main ones:
- Treatment of fleas of kittens under the age of 1 month is done only mechanically. - parasites are combed out of baby’s fur with a thick and soft comb. Typically, a kitten of this age does not have too many fleas, and such machining gives a good result.
- In addition, you can slay fleas in a kitten older than 1 month with Mr. Fleas shampoo. Kiss.
- You can erase fleas in a kitten older than one and a half months with special drops from Stronghold fleas.This drug is safe (it is believed that a cat can drink several Stronghold pipettes without harming itself). However, during the treatment procedure, the drug may cause increased salivation due to the alcohol it contains.
- To fight fleas in kittens older than 2 months, you can use powder and Beaphar spray, Phytoelite shampoo, Hartz drops for kittens.
Finally, from the age of three months, you can rid the kitten of fleas with Advantix drops, Bars remedies for kittens, and Hartz and Blochnet specialized preparations.
British kitten, bobtail, Persian, Himalayan kitten usually get rid of fleas with shampoos. Short-haired kittens are easier to treat for fleas with drops or sprays.
Feedback
“We were brought in by the persuasion of the wife of a British kitten. Took in the nursery, with pedigree, healthy. A month later, the kitten found a lot of fleas. From where we will not attach the mind, but it is clear that they are disturbing him. My wife bought some kind of powder, but she couldn’t even begin to process it - she needed to be rubbed into the skin, and with a coat like Bob’s, this is impossible. It all ended with Phytoelite shampoo - half an hour of heart-rending cries under the faucet, fleas in the bathroom and everything, not a single parasite. ”
Gennady, Tver
Individually, a kitten may show allergies or side effects from a particular remedy. In this case, the use of the drug should be discontinued and buy the product with another active ingredient. When a strong reaction to the drug should show the kitten to the veterinarian.
On a note
It is believed that the most safe to save fleas from kittens with the help of special insecticidal powder. However, their use in kittens of long-haired breeds is quite problematic.
Flea spraying
Spray kitten should be processed after a good feeding. The baby should hold the head so that it does not accidentally put it under the stream of the drug, gently push the wool and spray the opening skin.
Care should be taken to ensure that the spray does not get into the eyes of a cub. After the treatment with the kitten, you should play for half an hour, then immediately redeem it.
One of the best flea sprays for kittens is the Beaphar spray, at a reasonable price providing reliable disposal of the parasites.
Hartz and Frontline sprays are also good, but only for kittens from the age specified in the instructions for their use.
Feedback
“The easiest way to cure a flea kitten is with a spray. Such pshikalka is a bit more expensive than drops, but it gives almost instant results - fleas either die on the kitten, or jump off it. We squirted our miracle with Hearts, there were no problems from him, the fleas disappeared immediately ... "
Irina, Moscow
Powder for kittens and the rules for their use
Flea powder for kittens is suitable in most cases. Usually, Hartz or Gamma powder is used to get rid of fleas from kittens.
The latter can be applied to a kitten up to 1 month, provided that within a few hours after treatment he will not contact the mother.
You can remove fleas from a kitten with insecticidal powder according to the following plan:
- Rub powder in the fur or skin of a kitten.
- Then shake off the powder that remained on the tops of the hairs.
- At the end of the procedure, comb the kitten.
If the kitten during this period continues to suck the mother, after processing it should be put in a separate tray and bathed in an hour or two. After that, you can put it back under the cat.
How to wash a kitten from fleas?
To wash a kitten from fleas is best with Phytoelite or Mr. Shampoos. Kiss - they are as safe as possible and practically do not lead to side effects.
The kitten is bathed with flea shampoo in the same way as in normal water procedures.
It is only important to lather the agent thoroughly and ensure that they treat the entire kitten's fur.
A few minutes foam is aged on the pet, and then washed off with plenty of running water.
What if the kitten is poisoned with a flea medicine?
In rare cases, a kitten may accidentally swallow flea drops or lick shampoo or powder off its coat. This in most cases does not lead to serious consequences, but sometimes the baby gets allergic, vomiting, drooling, anxiety, shortness of breath, discharge from the nose and eyes, as well as other signs of intoxication. If it seems to you that the kitten has been poisoned by fleas, he should be given more water or milk and shown to the vet as soon as possible. Pre-drops themselves from the skin of a kitten can be wiped off with a fleece with vegetable oil.
And finally, if the kitten fleas were successfully bred, it remains to secure the result. The first is to buy anthelmintic drugs and pickle the worms from the baby. The second is to look for fleas in the apartment, and if they are found, take them out in any way, right up to the flea processing of the entire room. In the future, the kitten should buy a special "children's" collar from fleas and let out on the street only in it.
So the baby will probably be protected from fleas in the future.
Interesting video about comparing the effectiveness of different types of flea products
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Gee, thanks
Thank you very much, it helped a lot, now a kitten without fleas.
And what means did you use? I did not understand well.
Talk to a veterinarian about flea products. A veterinarian can help you find a safe and effective remedy. It is also a good idea to purchase a veterinarian-prescribed product right at the veterinary clinic, as some anti-flea products from pet stores can be dangerous for cats. Against fleas, you can use external drops and even oral medications.
I have such a problem: kittens are only 15 days old, but fleas are already running over them. What do you advise me to do? How to get them out without hurting either the kitten or mom?
Hello! I have a kitten, he is in three days a month. He has dehydration, and the doctor said to remove fleas and worms. But how to do it, did not answer. Isn't it too early for him and nothing that he is dehydrated?
Just put the wormwood.
My kitten is two months old, and fleas are running through it. It has already been mentioned that there are many different drugs that can be bought in pharmacies, but I am afraid that this may affect the health of my lump. Are there any other methods?
Tar soap kills fleas better than any means and is not toxic! Lather a kitten and hold for 5 minutes, fleas die out instantly.
Wormwood does not help, I have already tried.