fleas

Hi. Ihave a newly adopted kitten (about 7 weeks old, I'd guess) who has FLEAS!! I've tried using a shampoo (approved for kittens) and a flea comb, but there are still fleas everywhere. I'm not looking forward to an infestation...and neither is my other cat.

What can I do? In a week I can use Frontline, but I don't know how to get through this week.

THANKS!

You need to get on top of it. I suggest you get a flea spray from the vet. spray some on a paper towel and put it in the vacuum bag and then vacuum all along the baseboard cracks. then spray along the baseboard cracks, and that will kill any hatching eggs. then vacuum again with the towell in the bag in a week. In the meantime, before you do all that, or immediately after, the kittie needs another bath with a veternarian approved for kitties soap. that should take care of it. I say to use the vet stuff. cause theirs is effective. The commercial stuff is not. Plus with a young kittie I would want to be very careful, and the vet will know what you can use. If a chemical shampoo is too harsh, regular shampoo will work, but it won't have the residual effect of killing any new ones that jump on the kitty. but if you treat the house, there should not be any left to jump on.

Thanks, gal. I know how quickly fleas can take over!

I should've said in the original post that I live in Russia. Vet care here is sooooo different from vet care in the US. The vet rec's frontline, but she's not old enough.

Maybe I should go google herbal flea control...

Googled. The herbal remedies seem just as dangerous, so that's out.

They did say good nutirition helps, so I'll make sure she's eating well. She doesn't have much of an appetite...

What would happen if I gave her a partial dose of Frontline? I know it can cause horrible burns and would NEVER want that!! Is it the amount of the dose or is it the cat's development that results in burns in kittens?

since she is close you might be able to get away with like half a kitten dose, or around .2cc/mL of Frontline.

it is important but nutrition isn't going to do much at this point. you need to get rid of the fleas and then focus on good nutrition. I use Dawn dish soap for any and every cat or kitten with fleas, keep combing and combing until they are gone. not a whole lot else you can do.

My two kittens were given Frontline by the vet just over a week ago. A week later they each had 2 or so fleas. I called the vet and the assistant gave them both a pill each. I have not seen ANY fleas since that afternoon. Te ointment did not work for us but the pill worked immediately.

You may get away with putting a half dose on. I think at this point it would be okay. The alternative is worse. Fleas can cause some nasty health issues with kittens including tapeworm and anemia.

Do NOT do anything without your vets approval. You may just end up wasting a dose of frontline....or harming your kitty. Too many flea products too close together can prove lethal.

Have you looked into Diatomaceous Earth (sp?)?

Frontline is not approved for use until they are 8 weeks, it is possible Revolution is safe for use at 6 weeks, but I can no longer remember...so ask your vet about it.

If you continue to vacuum ,if you can't get a vet spray, then put a mothball in the vacuum, you will not have to use frontline and harm your kitten. wash her with the soap, and vacuum. you may have to do it every week for a month, but you can do it. Forget the drugs.

When you bath the kitty, you wet her, and then suds up around her neck, then do the rest of her body, legs between her toes. the fleas will be killed by the soap, leave it on with her all lathered up for a minute or two.This will prevent the fleas from running into her eyes. To kill a flea with you fingers, you catch them and then smash them between two thumb nails. that is the only way.

Thanks, everyone. I will keep shampooing and vacuuming. I'll look for mothballs. (I don't think I've ever seen them here...) I think I may try a half-does of Frontline.

I live in Russia and vet care here is very different...

THANKS for the help!

You have to put something in the vacuum bag that will kill the fleas, if you don't have mothballs, do you have bug spray? Anykind will work. Fleas die easily if you can trap them. put bug spray on a kleenex and put it in the bag. otherwise they will just keep mutiplying and getting in the house. Do you have a hardware store? the grocery store stuff will be ok in the vacuum.

I had no idea about the vacuuming options. Thanks! I've got some Off! somewhere and will keep an eye out for flea collars. I've seen them here.

Thanks again!