New born kittens Somehow have fleas..help!!

tyler marie · Sep 3, 2016

Hello! My Cat just had her kittens On Tuesday August 30th. So they arent quite a week old yet.

Today as i was checking on the runt i noticed that he had a few fleas on him(easy to spot since he is white)! so i looked at the other white kitten and it also had a flea. I cant see them on the other two due to them being a dark color.

I really have no idea where they would have gotten fleas but they have them! I have not noticed momma cat itching or seeing fleas on her.

Is it to soon to bath them with dawn and use a flea comb?? Or will a flea comb work without the soap put directly on them?? Am i able to put flea meds on momma cat .. I don't want the kittens in contact with it if it will harm them.

I know to wash their bedding and stuff and vaccum the house really well. Im just worried the fleas will harm them.

Please i need advice

Mamanyt1953 · Sep 3, 2016

You are right to worry. Fleas can definitely cause anemia and death in very young kittens. Here is the danger...they are so tiny that they canNOT regulate their body temps yet, and over-chilling could also be fatal. IF you think you must wash then, do so in lukewarm water, towel dry thoroughly, and keep in a warm place until they are dry.

gilmargl · Sep 3, 2016

I definitely would not wash them. Not sure that washing will stop fleas anyway. You can get a powder from the vet (or perhaps from a pet shop - but make sure it's suitable for young kittens). Wear disposable gloves and gently massage some powder into their fur. Don't get the powder near their eyes and mouth. The process can be repeated after a few days if necessary. I have done this to feral kittens and abandoned kittens but I don't know what you should do about the mother cat. I suggest you phone a vet.

tyler marie · Sep 3, 2016

The runt is very small and i am so worried about them. Would a Rice sock help keep them warm enough after they are bathed?

Momma cat insists on keeping the kittens under my bed. Without a box or blankets... She wont keep them anywhere else.. she keeps moving them. My bed is too low to put a box under and i feel like it will get really chilly under there.

I read to bathe them in dawn dish soap and use a flea comb.. I do not have a flea comb but i do have a few baby combs. Would that work also?

I just don't want to put anything on them if they are to little. I would feel horrible if something happened to them because of me.

The runt has a scab im assuming from a flea ?? I'm not sure but it is under his neck. Maybe momma moved him to rough?

tyler marie · Sep 3, 2016

Can a flea Comb be used without them being wet?

talkingpeanut · Sep 3, 2016

Tyler Marie said:
Can a flea Comb be used without them being wet?

You can comb them with a flea comb that has been dipped in dawn and warm water.

Advantage II is safe to use on mom. I would not use anything on the kittens for now.

SeventhHeaven · Sep 3, 2016

You can use Advantage 2 topical from the Vets perfectly safe for nursing cat moms

maybe 20ish if you take her to Vets for one single application. Or package of 4-6 prices vary how you purchase it. Takes time to dry so best to monitor that is dries without any interference for the first 24 hours. Protecting the mom truly works since kitten's are so teeny tiny nursing all the time, Any fleas will instantly disappear. Combing is all you need to do for kitten's for prevention as mentioned.

http://www.myhealthycat.com/advantage-flea-control.html

tyler marie · Sep 3, 2016

My cat had her kittens and it was a very fast delivery. Totally not what i was expecting! And she was back to normal almost instantly.

She had four kittens . The last one she had was WAY smaller than the others. They are 4 days old now and he seems to be doing good but he is still much smaller than the others.

Is it possible that he was premature and the others were not? I've heard of runts but he seems to be a lot smaller than what i would consider a runt.

The first two pictures are of the biggest kitten , the third is of the second smallest and only girl and the next two are of the runt . I dont have a picture of the other kitten because it didnt want to be held! haha looks like the runt but bigger!

View media item 372883
View media item 372884
View media item 372885
View media item 372886
View media item 372887
If he seems to be eating should i still maybe supplement him with kitten formula also? I already bought some and a little bottle just in case anything happened that i needed to take over.

red top rescue · Sep 3, 2016

I suspect your small kitten is going to be a colorpoint, and he probably had a different father than the others, smaller build, and the mom has a recessive gene for it, so you may have some big tabby kittens and a petite Siamese type kitten. And YES, one kitten CAN be younger than the others because cats may stay in heat and breed for 7 days, even longer, and therefore the last kitten or two conceived may end up being born earlier than they would have been. Some are true premies and don't make it.

Weigh all the kittens every day and make surethey are gaining weight. Make sure this one gets his fair share, or you can even give him a head start by holding othe others for a few minutes while he gets started. He looks very healthy and well furred, so I think he just may be a gene combination that makes him smaller in stature and body type.

@sarthur2 has a good list of how much weight they should gain every day and hopefully will be along soon to give you added advice. It sounds like you are doing just fine for now.

You might want to look up different cat breeds to get an idea of what combination he may be. He may be a plain white but he has that body type that to me looks Oriental or Siamese, and they are smaller cats with fine bones, but just as strong and hardy as their big boned domestic tabby counterparts.

tyler marie · Sep 3, 2016

Red Top Rescue said:
I suspect your small kitten is going to be a colorpoint, and he probably had a different father than the others, smaller build, and the mom has a recessive gene for it, so you may have some big tabby kittens and a petite Siamese type kitten. And YES, one kitten CAN be younger than the others because cats may stay in heat and breed for 7 days, even longer, and therefore the last kitten or two conceived may end up being born earlier than they would have been. Some are true premies and don't make it.

Weigh all the kittens every day and make surethey are gaining weight. Make sure this one gets his fair share, or you can even give him a head start by holding othe others for a few minutes while he gets started. He looks very healthy and well furred, so I think he just may be a gene combination that makes him smaller in stature and body type.

@sarthur2 has a good list of how much weight they should gain every day and hopefully will be along soon to give you added advice. It sounds like you are doing just fine for now.

You might want to look up different cat breeds to get an idea of what combination he may be. He may be a plain white but he has that body type that to me looks Oriental or Siamese, and they are smaller cats with fine bones, but just as strong and hardy as their big boned domestic tabby counterparts.

That is kind of neat and weird that one could look so different. I can see what you mean about him being a colorpoint now that i looked up pictures . His face is shaped differently and he has those long skinny legs . Yes weight would be nice to be informed about!! He was just skin and bones when he came out. He has improved alot since.

Sarthur2 · Sep 3, 2016

I agree with Red Top that this kitten has different genes than the others. He's precious!

Are you weighing the kittens each day? If you are, can you post weights so I can advise?

With just four kittens they should each have easy access to a nipple, and are likely getting enough. If the kitten is gaining 6-10 grams per day he is doing fine. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Sarthur2 · Sep 3, 2016

Do not bathe 4-day-old kittens! Pick the fleas off using a comb, and treat mom with Advantage II.

tyler marie · Sep 4, 2016

I havent weighed them. I do think they are for sure gaining enough though. They seem like they've gotten so big!!!

talkingpeanut · Sep 4, 2016

Tyler Marie said:
I havent weighed them. I do think they are for sure gaining enough though. They seem like they've gotten so big!!!

I would definitely recommended weighing them each day even though they seem to be doing well. This is especially important for the runt.

tyler marie · Sep 7, 2016

The kittens are 1 weeks and 1 day old and have opened their eyes.

One of the white kittens has like a red tint in its eye if it hits light in a certain way? Not like an infection.

Does this mean he is blind?

Also have a runt who does not seem to be doing good. He is weaker than the others and seems to have dry skin on top of his head.

One of his eyes is crusty and has a scab under his neck? His belly is full but he just seems different than the others.

pegleg · Sep 7, 2016

Like this? View media item 373733That's just a genetic trait usually found in blue-eyed cats.

Are you soaking off the eye crust? It might help.

Sarthur2 · Sep 7, 2016

tyler marie

The white kitten is probably an albino if it has pink/red eyes. It is not blind, but will have a sensitivity to light for life, and needs to stay inside. Albinism is a chromosomal abnormality, but the kitten is normal and can see.

Clean the other kitten's crusty eye with a warm, damp cloth. If you see green or yellow discharge, it is an eye infection and will need antibiotic ointment from the vet called terramycin.

How much does this kitten weigh? Are you sure it is getting enough to eat from mom?

Please use this thread for all your questions.

tyler marie · Sep 9, 2016

Yes i wiped his eye crust off and it has stayed off. Its hard to tell right now If the eyes are like that since they are still weird looking from just opening. The runt also has a red tint too. It sort of looks like a contact. (Idk how else to explain it!)

He seems to have a grey color mixed into his fur. His tail has some grey.. the tips of his ears have grey and his nose is grey.

The all white one is all white though!!

tyler marie · Sep 9, 2016

what can i use to weigh him? He is for sure getting bigger. He is not as big as the others but he never was.
His belly is nice and round and hes moving along like the others.
He is just alot smaller He came out about half the size of the others and is a little over half the size of them now. I feel like they are huge for being only a week and 3 days old!

tyler marie · Sep 9, 2016

Momma cat really enjoys moving them. She moves the every night! I try not to mess with them but i do check on them daily either once or twice.

When is it okay to handle them frequently ? I want to be sure they are friendly with humans.

New born kittens Somehow have fleas..help!!

TCS Member

Thread starter

Rules my home with an iron paw

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

Cat lady extraordinaire

Cat lady extraordinaire

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

Cat lady extraordinaire

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

Thread starter