Fleas may make kittens itchy, transmit disease, and, in extreme cases, cause catastrophic blood loss and sickness.
Some flea removal procedures, like flea brushing and baths, only kill mature fleas on your cat and do not discourage future fleas from hopping on them. Fleas don’t have to reside on your animals to thrive as eggs, embryos, and pupae since they have a complicated life cycle (https://www.allthingsnature.org/what-is-the-life-cycle-of-a-flea.htm). They may dwell in your house or in the yard at this time.
So, how do you remove fleas from kittens? What therapies are risk-free? Are there any more gentle techniques for getting rid of fleas on kittens?
Contents
How to Get Rid of Parasites On Kittens
Keeping all pets inside the house flea-free, attempting to control pests in the household and surroundings, and laundering linens in hot water may all help decrease flea transmission to kittens.
When mature fleas emerge from their cocoons, they instantly seek out such a creature and commence feeding on blood. Female fleas begin generating 40-50 eggs every day within 20-24 hours. And so the cycle continues.
Ticks
Ticks are a different species entirely. Ticks, like fleas, go through growth processes, larva, juvenile, and adult—but the intricacies of their lifecycles change depending on the species.
The larvae then attach to some mammal the next spring, eat, and then leave the host and molt to adults in the autumn.
The juveniles attach to the next host the next spring, eat, and then detach later in the season or autumn to change into adults. During the third spring, these adults attach to a third host and eat and mate, with females finally falling off to produce eggs in the autumn, completing the lifecycle.
Permethrin-Containing Medications Should Not Be Used
Cats have a very low capacity to digest some medications and substances that people and dogs can readily handle. Because of their poor processing abilities, these drugs may be hazardous to cats at extremely low levels, while being entirely safe for dogs and people.
Permethrin is one of the medications that cats have difficulty with. To read more about permethrin and its uses and hazards, click here. Because it is efficient against fleas, it is used in many flea remedies. While it is okay for dogs, it is very harmful to cats. Assess over-the-counter (OTC) flea medications carefully to ensure they do not include permethrin.
It is vital that you carefully read all labels. Even though a flea treatment is acceptable for cats, it is not always safe for kittens. Simply question your veterinarian if you have any doubts about the safety of a product.
Don’t Use Essential Oils On Kittens Or Cats
Because cats have a weak capacity to absorb specific chemicals, many essential oils may be hazardous to them, even at moderate dosages and concentrations.
Essential oils can be used in many herbal flea treatments because they are efficient against fleas. Essential oils, on the other hand, may be very toxic to cats, so it’s better to avoid them, particularly for kittens.
Check for Flea Treatments Suitable for Kittens
The best ways to get eliminate parasites on kittens are determined by their current weight. An 8-week-old kitten weighs between 1.5 and 2 pounds.
Usually, products that are safe for kittens are larger than 8-ten weeks or weigh more than 1.5-2 pounds, but each product is different. At this point, your kitten is ready for a flea treatment to prevent infestation, like Bravecto, which your vet may recommend. Flea products are often not evaluated on kittens smaller or younger than that, thus they may include dosages that are too excessive for extremely young, tiny kittens.
Always carefully read the information and directions to ensure that a parasite product is both safe and efficacious for your cat. Your veterinarian may also assist you in locating flea-repelling products for your kitten, irrespective of size or age.
Use Natural Flea Removal Methods On Young Kittens
Bathing and pest combing are two methods for getting rid of pests on cats that do not involve any use of flea treatments. However, both treatments only eliminate the adult fleas on your cat. They will not stop any new fleas from entering the environment and infecting your cat or other pets. As a result, although these approaches are not long-term remedies, they are safe for extremely young and tiny kittens who cannot yet properly utilize flea products.
Make use of a Flea Comb.
The safest method for extremely young kittens (under 8 weeks) is to brush them with a parasite comb once or two times a day. This allows you to directly remove adult fleas while not exposing your cat to possibly hazardous components in products.
Give Your Cat And Dog a Bath
Cleansing your kitten would be another relatively safe and efficient method for assisting your cat in getting rid of fleas. Follow these safety precautions:
Bathe your cat no more than twice in one week, since excessive washing may be harmful to their skin.
Keep your kitten toasty during the washing and dry them immediately afterward—kittens at this age are not particularly excellent at regulating their body temperature.
Flea washes should be avoided since they are not designed for use on kittens under the age of 12 weeks.
If you must use soap, use only nonmedicated, tear-free, soft soaps such as Dawn or baby shampoo. Although bubbly water deters fleas from leaping out of the wash water, it is not needed to remove or eliminate fleas.
Make sure to be careful to properly rinse the soap away so your cat does not consume it when cleaning after the bath.
Once Your Kitten Or Puppy Reaches A Safe Age, Begin a Topical Treatment.
Kittens may safely get topical flea treatments after they are 8-10 weeks old and weigh more than 1.5-2 pounds. These solutions not only remove fleas on your cat, but they may also discourage future fleas from attaching to your pet.
There are various over-the-counter and prescription flea treatment alternatives available for kittens that are both safe and effective. If you use an over-the-counter product, be sure to read all of the ingredients and use the correct dosage for your kitten’s weight.
Your veterinarian may recommend a quality product and advise you on which over-the-counter medications are effective and safe for your kitten.
Last Updated on May 25, 2022 by Shepped Team
