in Lemon Joy? Or is that bad for them?

You shouldn't need to wash the kittens. Bathing them this early subjects them to chills and illness. Not a good idea.

You should only wash them if they are really gross - have got into something that is bad for them and if they are still indoor kittens from birth that shouldn't happen. If they have dirty behinds and the mom isn't fully cleaning them you can clean them gently with a soft washcloth in warm water.

I had to bathe Persil when I found her as she was smothered in motor oil, and I used Dove shampoo as an emergency measure, then a pet shampoo. The gentler the better. Most cats hate the smell of lemon so although I don't know Lemon Joy I would think it is probably not a good idea.

I wasn't asking for me. I was asking because my sis said to do that to kill fleas. She is thinking about washing her own in it and it made no sense to me so I thought I would verify it.

Thanks for the replies.

I know some people wash cats ( and more particularly dogs) against fleas, but it doesn't work - it only removes a few and doesn't kill the eggs. Also, when a cat has fleas, only a few are actually on the cat at any time - the rest are lurking in bedding, carpets etc, ready to jump on at meal time. So the only effective and safe treatment for fleas is a vet-prescribed powder or liquid like Advantage or Frontline that will stay on the cat and kill the eggs and the fleas as they feed.

To kill fleas use a flea comb and have a jar of hot water with some dawn detergent nearby. Drop the fleas into the water as you comb them out. That is the safest. There is kitten spot on treatment your vet can give you- depending on the age of the kittens.

Is it safe to wash kittens in Lemon Joy? Or is that bad for them?
Ummm .. no, it isn't safe to wash kittens at all - in anything. You've gotten some really good advice from the others, so I would go with that.

For fleas, Hissy's comb idea is a great one. And jennyranson and Hissy are both right about the spot-on-type of flea preventatives. I think Frontline is safe for kittens, but you will need to check for 100% certain before applying it.

For dirty butts, jennyranson is right on.

Hope this helps,

~gf~

Thanks for responding.

Advantage is safe to use for young kittens. You can get it from your vet. Read the label to know whether or not the dose is appropriate for your kitten's size. If the kitten is smaller than the package is labeled for, you can break down the dose proportionally using a syringe. Be sure to measure precisely.

When i got my kittens, they were infested with flees. My vet fed each of them a pill that killed the existing flees and killed the egss within 30 minutes. You could see them just falling off. All i needed to do was use a flee comb to comb the dead one's out. It caused no side effects.

your vet will probably offer a spray for kittens under 6 weeks old. Frontline can be used from 6 or 8 weeks but check the label fist to be sure.

your sister will need to treat her home too or else the blighters will come back.

When i got my kittens, they were infested with flees. My vet fed each of them a pill that killed the existing flees and killed the egss within 30 minutes. You could see them just falling off. All i needed to do was use a flee comb to comb the dead one's out. It caused no side effects.

That would be wonderful. I will have to see if they offer it here. Do you remember what it was called?

The pill I am familiar with is called Capstar. It works quickly *but* it only kills adult fleas. It does not affect eggs at all, so you have to keep giving it to them.