Rescued Kitten with Fleas..

I was given a rescued kitten today. The man said that he had saved the litter from a terrible place where they weren't being cared for at all. He just needed to find them homes where they would be cared for. So I took one. She's tiny. He thought that she was 8 weeks, but I think that she's actually much younger than that. Maybe 5-6 weeks at the most.

She seems to be in good health, she has a vet appointment in a couple of days though just to check. My concern is that she has tons of flea poop on her. It's not noticeable though until you part her hair. I can't see any actual flea's, only the poop. But she does itch every once in awhile. What is safe to use to get rid of fleas on a kitten this small? Would it be safe to bathe her to get rid of the flea poop?

I'll post pics of her asap. She's a doll.

Its not usually good to completely bathe a very young kitten .... but Im not an expert. Someone should be by shortly to give you the answers you need.

Good for you for caring for this tiny baby.

I don't know if dips or baths are safe to use with young kittens. I'm currently treating my kittens with Frontline Top Spot for Cats but mine are six months old. The package says not to use for kittens under eight weeks of age. I'm not sure what you can use. Someone should be along shortly to help you out.

Bryan

We've only done this when absolutely necessary. But if you think the fleas are causing the kitten to become anemic ( I assume not but if so)

You can get some flea spray and water it down by half. Then spray it into a towel and wrap the kitten in the towel (not his head) for a few minutes at a time. If you notice any wheezing remove the towel and bathe immediately in luke warm water.

This will cut the fleas down. We've done this many times with stray kittens. It's saved quite a few. But like I said only do it if it is absolutely necessary.

When I got Charlotte from the shelter, they told me she was about 4 weeks and she was covered in fleas. I could see them crawling all over her face, it was horrible! I called a couple animal hospitals and they all said it was Ok to bathe her as long as the shampoo said "Safe for Kittens." I gave her a bath the same day I got her with shampoo that said it prevented fleas and was ok for cats and kittens. Then I combed her with one of those fine-tooth combs for hours. You have to dip the comb in hot water once there are fleas on it, cause they'll just jump right back on to the poor kitty.... then wrap them up in a towel. I read you can even dry them with a hair dryer on low, because they get very cold will start to shiver! A couple days later I gave her a second bath and there were no signs of fleas after that.

Whatever you do, don't give her a flea dip or use Advantage just yet. Good luck!

The best way to remove fleas from very young kittens:

Your lice comb will probably be fine for this. You will need a bowl of hot water to which you will add just a small drop of dishwashing liquid - you don't need much, just enough to make the water a little sudsy. Also get a bunch of dry paper towels, believe me, you will need them. Don't just take the whole roll, tear a bunch off so they are at the ready. Gently pick up the baby and comb gently in the direction of fur growth to capture the fleas on the teeth of the comb. Quickly dip the comb completely into the water. Totally submerse it to dislodge the fleas. They will float to the top and try to jump off the surface of the water. Cover the bowl when you are combing to prevent this. Dry the comb thoroughly so as not to get baby wet at all and repeat this until you have removed the fleas. Work as quickly as you can.

Once you've completed the above, take out any old bedding and wash it thoroughly in hot water and bleach or discard it wrapped up in a sealed plastic trash bag. Replace the bedding with clean. You will need to replace the bedding each and every time you comb the kitten until all the fleas are gone.

my mom and I had a similar situation with one of her kitties. Skeeter was abandoned by a child whose mother thought he didnt need a kitten.

Anyway, We wiped her down with a slighlty damp rag and used a little bit of herbal essence shampoo or dishwashing liquid that was diluted. We made sure that we held her with a towel wrapped around her until she was clean. She was fine afterwards.

Thanks for all your advice. Last night I went out and got a flea comb from the pet store. I spent litterally an hour combing him with it. In totall I got nearly 100 fleas off him. I couldn't belive it. I knew he had some but I had no idea there would be that many. I'm not going to give him a bath just yet, I think I can get most of the fleas off with the comb. I think the bath would be too stressfull for him right now.

If you do give her a bath eventually (and it seems I always had to give my foster kittens a bath -boy, can they make a mess of weaning food ), I found the best way to keep them warm afterwords is to dry them quickly as well as you can, and then tuck them in the front of your shirt, fur to skin (v-neck or button down shirt, bathrobe, etc.), and then swaddle the kitten with a towel or blanket from the outside. You'll have a happy, purring kitten in no time (though it may take a minute for them to "warm up" to the idea, depending on your kitten's personality ).
I had one foster who made a habit of climbing my bathrobe in the morning while I was making coffee, and he rode around in the front of my bathrobe while I finished and fixed the hubby a lunch- then he knew it was his turn for breakfast !

Originally Posted by catsallover

If you do give her a bath eventually (and it seems I always had to give my foster kittens a bath

-boy, can they make a mess of weaning food

), I found the best way to keep them warm afterwords is to dry them quickly as well as you can, and then tuck them in the front of your shirt, fur to skin (v-neck or button down shirt, bathrobe, etc.), and then swaddle the kitten with a towel or blanket from the outside. You'll have a happy, purring kitten in no time (though it may take a minute for them to "warm up"

to the idea, depending on your kitten's personality

).
I had one foster who made a habit of climbing my bathrobe in the morning while I was making coffee, and he rode around in the front of my bathrobe while I finished and fixed the hubby a lunch- then he knew it was his turn for breakfast

!

Click to expand...

That warm up method would be no problem for my boy. He's a cuddler. He's not happy unless he's riding around in my shirt.

That was Dewey ! (of Hewey, Dewey, and Louie ) I got to keep him an extra 6 weeks, because he was a Christmas present for a little (well, I think she was around 10 yrs old) girl. Her mother called me a few weeks after Christmas, and said that his feet never hit the ground after her daughter got home from school- a match made in heaven!