Kittens have fleas :/

[sarahrose28]

During the mothers pregnancy I didnt give her flea treatments as I wasnt sure if it was safe and i stopped bathing her as she doesnt like to be held which made it almost impossible to dry her so i didnt want her to get sick or risk hurting the babies and seeing as shes an outside cat she now has fleas. I've kept an eye on the kittens and they dont have many, 1-3 each and i pick them off if i see them but theyve probably laid eggs, so i was wondering what the best way to treat them is.

Their four weeks old on Thursday. i've heard of Dawn dishwashing liquid but it's not available in Australia and to have it shipped to me would cost over $50, unfortunately i dont work and cant afford that. Ive also been told that one drop from a flea treatment rather than a whole tube should be okay and if they start to sway or act strange then to give them a bath to wash it off. Also can i give the mother a proper flea treatment? shes nursing but the babies are starting to wean themselves off her, but i still dont want to do anything thats going to cause any of them any harm.

Tia for any help 

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• sarahrose28
• Dec 21, 2015

Heres all four little ones, there becoming more playful and adventurous each day, they dont seem anaemic and there definitely not losing weight, so i hope thats a sign that the fleas arent doing to much damage to them.

 

[Sarthur2]

They are adorable!

You need to put a tube of Advantage II on the back of your cat's neck, and the kittens can have 2-3 drops each from a syringe. This will help to kill the fleas. Wash all bedding in hot water and vacuum your house. You may need to treat them again in a week or two as more eggs will hatch.

It would have been safe to use Advantage on your cat during her pregnancy.

 

[sarahrose28]

Will do, thank you. I have tiled floors al throughout my house, would i still need to vacuum where they sleep or should it be okay?

 

[Sarthur2]

Vacuum and mop. Flea eggs are almost microscopic, but can be dropped anywhere, particularly in areas where the cats sleep and play. I've found that eradicating fleas once they multiply is a job that requires vigilance.

 

[sarahrose28]

Will do, luckily my dad is a neat freak and spends hours being thorough [emoji]128515[/emoji]

 

[SeventhHeaven]

This maybe of  interest on Pinterest .  ' Pinterest homemade flea shampoo '   for cats and dogs made with safe easy to find ingredients.    Very sweet babies!   If it's not a severe problem washing with mild dish soap then using a flea comb will work only if all cats are indoors, then clean clean, clean as mentioned.

 

[sarahrose28]

I'm willing to try anything that's going to hopefully work without costing me an arm and a leg as I'm still studying so I barely get enough money to be paying extensive bills. I've checked them multiple times a day and it's very rarely that I see fleas on the and if I do it's usually only 1 or 2 so thankfully there not extremely infested.

 

[talkingpeanut]

You really need to spend almost nothing.  Comb them every day with a fine comb, dipping in water with dawn soap to drown any fleas you find.  Also wash all of their blankets every day and vacuum.  If it's minor, that should do it!  Treating mom and babies with Advantage, as mentioned above, should also help to completely resolve the problem.

 

[sarahrose28]

I've heard about the dawn dish washing liquid but it's not available in Australia and hasn't been for almost a decade so I'll have to find another option but we're cleaning all
There bedding and area there in regularly, one of them may already have a new home in the future with my brother so I'll be able to visit.

 

[talkingpeanut]

I think any dish soap should work!  Dawn is most common, but you just want something thick to create some surface tension on the water.  

 

[sarahrose28]

Ok will do thank you for all the help

 

[sarahrose28]

I can't really get to the vet for at least another week or two so I was looking for alternatives in the meantime to help out. :-)

 

[Sarthur2]

Advantage II is available over the counter, so you should be able to get this to battle your fleas. Good luck!

 

[sarahrose28]

I've spoken with my local vet and they said it will be quite pricey as my local supermarket doesn't sell it and neither does the next closest one which is unfortunately over 45 minutes away and I don't drive.

 

[Sarthur2]

Are you in another country than US? It is available online through AMAZON. Or purchase from your vet. It's not cheap, but it is very effective.

 

[sarahrose28]

I live in Australia and the vet wants to do a whole check up and begin worming as well which is why it'll be a bit more but it'll be cheaper to do it this way than to go back in a few weeks for worming but he's on holidays till next week

 

[tiger91]

I live in australia too and you can buy frontline spray for cats and kittens. They are available at most pet stores and sometimes supermarkets

 

[sarahrose28]

I'll be sure to go and have a look, I've heard of it just got to hope they have it at my local iga

 

[tiger91]

Hopefully they do. Where in aus are you?

 

[sarahrose28]

I'm located in country Victoria so I have very limited options at the moment