Itchy Skin Disorder

I've noticed that my two 14 week old kittens have been scratching a lot lately. I ran a flea comb through them and soon discovered that fleas were the cause of all the scratching.

Now, one of them has a scab under his neck and I was wondering what would be the best way to solve this problem?

I was going to give them both their first bath today to cut down on the fleas/itching. Is this a good idea?

Hi Omis!

It is not clear from your post, but do not use any over-the-counter flea medications on your cats! They can be deadly. If you are just giving them a bath, make sure to use warm water and do not get their heads wet at all. Dawn dish soap and a flea comb can be of great help getting rid of adult fleas.

The best way to fix the flea prob is to get the cats to the vet, and have them treated with a prescription flea med and tested for worms. Also, wash everything washable in hot water and vaccuum, and use Borax (laundry additive) in your carpets to kill flea eggs.

As for the scab, that could also be caused by a number of things, and would best be seen by a vet as well. It may be from the fleas.

They might have a fungal infection. Their symptoms sound similar to what Gizmo had. I had to get medication for her and it cost a bomb. Your vet may recommend other treatment including a special shampoo. I would call the vet about the scabs.

When we took in the local stray (who has now, naturally, come to rule over our house in less than a week), she was covered in scabs and dry skin. Especially two big scabs underneath her chin. Some of the scabs were open, and I was mortified of what could possibly be causing such an obviously painful condition.
The diagnosis? Flea allergy. She was scratchign herself raw, all over her body. From what the vet said, all it takes is one bite on her and she's miserable. So, a steroid shot to kill the allergic reaction, and some flea meds later, she's in picture perfect health. Some of the scabs will take a little longer to go away, but her fur is starting to grow back, she's not scratching herself crazy anymore, and she is feeling much much better.