new mother & kittens w fleas, help

My daughter got a kitten 2 weeks ago from an adoption place and it died last night. It started with flea infestation and ended with kidney failure. We got another mama cat & 5 kittens today from the same women (we wanted to help save them)I think the mother has fleas, how do I get rid of fleas on a nursing mommy and her 2 week old kittens? Also I have a 4 yr old cat of my own that I'm keeping seperate, they have never been in the same room as one another. What if the new cat has FIV or something else, I don't even know what that is. Is my currant cat in any danger of catching anything? Please help I cant see anymore animals die in my arms again. Including my Luna that I have had for 4 yrs.
Kathy

Originally posted by supercat
My daughter got a kitten 2 weeks ago from an adoption place and it died last night. It started with flea infestation and ended with kidney failure. We got another mama cat & 5 kittens today from the same women (we wanted to help save them)I think the mother has fleas, how do I get rid of fleas on a nursing mommy and her 2 week old kittens? Also I have a 4 yr old cat of my own that I'm keeping seperate, they have never been in the same room as one another. What if the new cat has FIV or something else, I don't even know what that is. Is my currant cat in any danger of catching anything? Please help I cant see anymore animals die in my arms again. Including my Luna that I have had for 4 yrs.
Kathy

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Where did you get the kittens? You said it was an "adoption place" but please be a bit more specific.

Assuming you got them from your local SPCA or from a cat sanctuary program, then I think they would have tested the cats for FIV and all the other serious cat diseases, but this does not completely rule out that the cats aren't infected (you'd have to get a test now, then wait a few weeks and get another test to be sure). But I would think a shelter would also have treated for fleas. I also highly doubt a shelter would give up a kitten that was still nursing! So you really need to keep your cat away from these new cats and get the cats to a vet pronto!

Severe flea infestation can be fatal for a young kitten, so you really need to treat the cats for that! Now you can't put a flea product on the kittens, and I am not so sure it would be good advice to put a product on the mother since the kittens are nursing. You may be able to get a spray, and treat the bedding. But move the momma and kittens before you do this and then wait a bit before you move them back. Also treat the carpet around the bedding. Someone else at the forum may be better suited to help you with the flea issue.

FIV is basically cat AIDS. It's usually spread through bites (it does not affect humans). But FIV isn't the only disease you should be worried about. Check the "Health" section of The Cat Site for more info:
http://www.thecatsite.com/health/index.html

Yes, I agree. I would put mom and babies in a carrier and move them out of the room. Then I would treat the whole room for fleas. Then I would use a spray for mom. I think Capstar you can use for young kittens. Also Revolution is labeled safe for nursing moms. That would also take care of roundworms and ear mites.
I am also curious on the rescue you got them from. Most responsible ones take care of testing and such. It is best to keep the cats away from each other. How many of them do you plan to keep?

I got the kitten at Castaway Treasures which is a rescue place located inside Petsmart. The lady that runs this place lives on a ranch outside Phoenix. I have a feeling from the shape of the 1st kitten that she doesn't test them for anything. Dozer (we called him that because he sleep alot) was covered with fleas, I know thats what killed him. She told us he was 8 weeks old, but when it was too late, the vet told us he was only 4 when we got him. I am very upset at this person to not properly care for these animals and want to call someone on her. Thats why we took another mommy cat & her 5 kittens from her so we could care for them before she killed them also. I can see black specks on the mama's chin, but I don't see anything on the babies, but then again I didn't see any fleas on Dozer.I will take them all to the vet tomarrow.
I'm still concerned about my currant 4 yr. old cat, If she doesn't come in contact with them, is she safe? I have the mama and 5 kittens in the bathroom on towels. The mommy is young and I worried she will run out of milk, then what? My daughter plans on keeping one kitten and finding good homes for the rest. The lady says she wants them back at 12 weeks (to make money off them no doubt) but we didn't sign anything and I think well care for them and find them good homes, but the cost of shots and neutering I don't have.
Kathy

Kathy - I agree that you need to move the Mom & kittens while you treat the room.

However, I would be hesitant to use any chemical flea treatment for any of the cats. The safest treatment for them right now is soap & water. You might be able to get a good flea shampoo for the Mom, but make sure that it's completely off her before allowing her near the kittens. Plain soap & warm water for the kitties will remove a lot of the fleas. (You can use a q-tip dipped in the soapy water.) Then, gross as it is, simply squeezing any remaining fleas on the kitties may take care of the problem.

Good luck. I hope that everything works out. It's so kind of you to save these cats.