Kitten has fleas? And scratching post/nails question...

I think the 4 week old kittens I am taking care of have fleas. Is it safe to use frontline or something like that on them this young? I also heard that I could give something to the mom, and they would get it through her? I am not sure what to use for them, so if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear!

And also, do I need to offer the kittens a scratching post or something. I noticed their nails are getting really long (and quite painful to me!) I was worried that in their playing, they might accidentally scratch each other? They already bite each other!


Thanks in advance for all your help!

I think they are too young for Frontline, but someone with more experience wil be on shortly. Get a flea/lice comb and use it on the kittens & mom twice a day. Wash the bedding in hot water and vacuum th rest of the house.

Good luck!

Call the vet for what you can use on that young of a kitten.

I start trimming nails at 3-4 weeks old and do it sometimes twice a day cause they grow so fast. You only have to nip the very tip off - no further - use regular fingernail clippers rather then cat scissors.

And I would not worry too much on a scratching post right now - but look into getting a good sturdy treehouse for climbing in another month

I don't have first-hand experience, but I am almost positive that Frontline and similar products can't be used until the kittens are at least 8 weeks old. Maybe even 12 weeks.

And yes, it would be a great idea to provide a scratching post or two for them, before they decide to use your furniture instead. You might also want to provide horizontal scratching materials as well, because you don't yet know which setup each of them prefers. Praise them profusely when they use the posts so they are encouraged to continue to use them.

Also it really would be ideal for you to begin trimming their nails periodically, before they get too long. Kittenhood is the best opportunity for them to get used to having their paws handled by humans. And clipping the nails would minimize the likelihood of accidental scratches and injuries to them and to you.

you can use the frontline spray but a very little amount, call your vet and ask how much to use

Thanks to everyone!

We are planning on giving them a bath in Dawn tomorrow.... Not sure how that will go. And we are washing all the bedding and towels. We are also going to start giving the mom some kind of flea treatment, in hopes that the kittens will get it from her milk somehow. :-)

GoldenKitty45
Does clipping their nails hurt them? I know I should, but my mom doesn't seem to think it would be a good idea.

RobertM
That is what I was thinking. It would be easiest to get them accustomed to it now.

From the product label:
FRONTLINEÂ[emoji]174[/emoji] PLUS FOR CATS & KITTENS

Merial

FOR CATS & KITTENS 8 weeks or older

Convenient spot treatment for fast-acting, long-lasting control of fleas, ticks and chewing lice

Only one applicator per treatment is needed.

FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS can also be used for the treatment and control of flea, tick and chewing lice infestations on breeding, pregnant and lactating queens.

No - clipping nails doesn't hurt them at all - just be sure to only nip the very tip. Very young kittens nails are pretty soft,and its sometimes a little hard to do.

I usually only do the front feet at first till they are a little older. And I wind up letting the kitten lay on my lap (tummy) with feet on my knees; train them to lay on their backs later.

But I had the experience of a RB kitten almost losing his eye from wrestling with his brother - they were about 2-3 months old at the time because I didn't trim nails till 3-4 months old. So I started doing it at 3-4 weeks.

Originally Posted by Petstorejunkie

From the product label:
FRONTLINEÂ[emoji]174[/emoji] PLUS FOR CATS & KITTENS

Merial

FOR CATS & KITTENS 8 weeks or older

Convenient spot treatment for fast-acting, long-lasting control of fleas, ticks and chewing lice

Only one applicator per treatment is needed.

FRONTLINE PLUS FOR CATS can also be used for the treatment and control of flea, tick and chewing lice infestations on breeding, pregnant and lactating queens.

Click to expand...

Please do NOT buy over-the-counter products - some flea products have killed cats and kittens. Get your flea meds from a veterinarian for the safety of both mom and kittens.

I am about to go give the kittens their Dawn bath, so I will get on a little later and tell you all how it went! I will probably be all scratched up!

I might try trimming their nails, but not if they are totally stressed out already. I definitely do not want them to hurt themselves/each other.

I think I am going to call our vet friend (who helped us with Mo's eye infection) to see what he thinks.

Thanks guys!

Be glad you caught the fleas early! Pepper apparently had them when she was at the shelter and when we got her they were gone. But a week ago she started having tapeworms and the vet told us they were caused by fleas. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Please do NOT buy over-the-counter products - some flea products have killed cats and kittens. Get your flea meds from a veterinarian for the safety of both mom and kittens.

Click to expand...

you DO realize that Frontline from Merial can only be purchased from the company with a DVM"S liscence, and that all of the Target stores that were found carrying it have been heavily fined...
Online stores that sell it have to have a DVM liscenced vet on staff, and to buy it at a petstore you have to have a prescription.
If you have found otherwise, report it to Merial, and the product will cease to exist on that shelf in 14 days.

ok I gave all the kittens nice baths in the blue Dawn dishsoap. They smell really good! :-) A bunch of fleas came off while I was scrubbing and rinsing. As I was doing this, my mom was changing all the bedding and vacuuming everything! :-) Then we picked off all the remaining fleas (the ones we could find) with tweezers.

The kittens did ok. Mostly they just cried but stayed pretty still. One was really bad and would not stop moving. When I had him in the water, he got bubbles all over his face because he was trying to escape my hands. :-) But I was wondering, am I supposed to clean their heads too? I have never bathed any kittens before... I first put a sudsy ring around their neck, then got to work on their bodies. Then I did the back of their heads between the ears but no further up. Should I be washing their ears and face too?

Thanks for all your help. I am hoping that the fleas will be pretty much gone. If they have fleas all over them in a couple days I will be so annoyed! :-) lol