Kitten "Ash" [Potty issues/Playing too rough/FLEAS] Please help in any way you can!!!

[wassd]

My kitten ash is about 8 weeks old now, we adopted him by mistake believe it or not. We were supposed to be getting his sister who was litter box trained, and well he is trying. We have another older cat named "Muffin" but she is very grumpy and only kind of gets along with Ash. So ash came with fleas which made the fleas we were rid of or very nearly there, so our flea epidemic is going nuts because all the flea medicine we can find is not safe for a kitten so young and so little. What can we do about this, I am very concerned for his health.  He also is peeing all over the house, and pooping in weird places. We keep placing him in the litter box and he just jumps out. We thought it was the brand of litter and the fact that it was scented and so we got a new brand and its unscented and he used that once i think, but even with it he still goes on my bed and in the corner. I don't know what to do, we were hoping since muffin is a girl that she would be maternal for ash,but she didnt do anything. Ash also attacks everything, feet, hands, faces, noses, ears, everything. I dont mind but my sister is "really getting hurt here" so I figured i should mention this as well. I would love any suggestions from anyone about what to do. We tried giving him a flea bath and he started to get cold even though we used warm water (not hot but warm) but he still got cold. Also as we are on a budget and do not know how much to feed this kitten since we switched to wet food for him. The cans dont say anything from what i saw but i could be wrong.

 

[tom the tabby]

Well there are some flea sprays that may work. Also I heard that if your cat is playing to rough, you should put the kitten into a room and put some toys in there to let him let loose of his energy, it should be better after five or so minutes. 

 

[mtgal]

Oh boy -- you are over your head, aren't you? Is this your first kitten? He is very young, so everything you shared is simply a kitten being a kitten. I'm a bit suspicious he may have been taken from his mother too early. In a good environment, the mother cat will teach the kittens how to use a litter box and this generally transfers to the new home. In addition the flea thing has me concerned. Again, good environments help keep the fleas low. So now you have a number of problems. #1 fleas: you need to visit the vet. Many over the counter flea remedies are both ineffective and dangerous for young kittens. Yes, this means you have to pay, but in the long run you will waste more money and time using bad treatments. You already should be taking the kitten to the vet for his shots anyway, so while there, talk about the flea issue. BTW: PLEASE - don't put off the vaccinations, they are vital for your cat's health! 

#2: Of course he plays rough, he's a baby and doesn't know the boundaries or rules yet. I'm a big fan of using cat cages/condos with young kittens. This doesn't mean imprisoning the kitten all day! I make the cage very comfortable with a soft warm bed, water and food and a litter box. I then put a few toys in the cage and let the kitten have fun. The kitten comes out to play, to be loose, to be social and then goes into the cage when tired or when too excited. No punishment, no impatience, just a safe place. This also helps tremendously with house breaking/litterbox training. Keep the box as clean as possible because many kittens hate dirty boxes. If your kitten is being really confused about the box, I would put him in the cage every hour or so, for a few minutes. Walk away and leave him for ten minutes or so. Never do this when angry or frustrated because that just makes him anxious. Keep in mind: animals don't understand "time out" so forget putting him away when he is being bad, he won't connect the two acts. If he is having trouble "getting" the idea of a litter box, put him on a schedule and stick to it: feed him 3 or more times a day, put him in his place and leave him for 10-30 minutes. When he uses the box, praise him, but don't immediately release him. Do this often and be consistent. If you don't have a good size cage/condo, try using a small space such as a bathroom or even a closet, but if it's dark, put on a light. Again; this is NOT meant as punishment. 

The shaking when bathed may be anxiety rather than cold. But if you must bathe him, make sure the room is warm and comfortable. Do everything as calmly as possible making use you are also calm and not over tired of frustrated - it really does make a huge difference. Do keep in mind he is still very much a baby, you cannot expect overnight learning success. Good luck! 

Oh yeah - a lot of older cats dislike the excitement and energy of kittens, so don't expect your older cat to be happy with the new one quick. My older cat desperately dislikes all younger cats and sulks until they get a bit older. Thankfully, we're set up well for bringing in new kittens and can give all the animals space. 

 

[talkingpeanut]

You have some good advice above.  Your kitten was too young to be taken from its mother, so you will now be teaching kitten manners.  This means not letting him play with your hands or feet ever.  Play with toys that he can chase, like a wand toy, where your hand is not close.  If he does bite or scratch you, walk away and leave him for a few minutes.  You can say ow too.

Agreed that he needs a safe space.  He is far too little to have free run of the house.  He also is too small to remember to go to the litter box when he doesn't have one in front of him.  For now, set up several all over the house.  Unscented litter is a good choice, especially because young kittens might get confused and eat it.  Also clean areas that he has gone with an enzyme cleaner so the smell is truly gone.  Otherwise he might continue to think it's a bathroom.

Kittens that little should eat as much kitten chow as they can.  Try leaving dry kitten food out and feeding meals of wet throughout the day.  He can even have bowls of kmr.

For fleas, comb him every day with a flea comb.  You can dip it in water with dish soap.  Blue dawn works well.  You also need to vacuum and wash all fabric things that he sleeps on every day.

 

[catpack]

For fleas, Advantage II makes a topical version especially for kittens (2-5 lbs) as does Revolution (safe for kittens as young as 8 weeks.)

 

[wassd]

Thank you all so much! And anyone else who may comment after I comment here  I will continue to check here for more advice on this if anyone else still has ideas. Thanks!