How to quickly get rid of fleas from a kitten. How to get rid of fleas in an adult cat and kitten at home

Kittens, like adult cats, can be attacked by fleas. This gives them a lot of uncomfortable sensations and torment. Therefore, you want to get rid of "unwanted guests" faster.

Signs and routes of infection

To determine if a kitten is worried about fleas, you need to pay attention to the following symptoms:

  • rubbing with the paws of the head;
  • the animal is constantly itching;
  • the appearance of wounds and scratches on the body;
  • anxiety.

A kitten that is infested with fleas may have helminthic infestations. If the number of fleas on the coat is very large, then it begins to crawl out, dermatitis appears. Sometimes this leads to serious conditions, up to the death of the baby.

There are a lot of flea control products today. But for the treatment of a small kitten, the correct strategy must be chosen, taking into account its age and physiological characteristics. Safe formulations for adult animals can cause side effects in kittens. The fact is that up to 3-4 months, the baby's immune system is still very unstable. Therefore, the choice of drugs must be careful. Non-toxic and safe products are used.

It is better to abandon the use of chemical exposure until the kitten gets stronger. The most difficult thing is to cure newborn animals that are in constant contact with the mother. The cat constantly licks the babies, and if the kitten's fur is treated with a chemical, it will certainly enter her body. And from there with milk into the kitten's body. These procedures are best avoided prior to weaning.

Important! It is forbidden to use products containing pyrethroids for kittens up to 6 months.

There are very few activities that can be carried out to destroy fleas in kittens:

  • combing, mechanical extermination;
  • bathing with special shampoos;
  • treatment of wool with drops, sprays, powder after a certain age.

Kittens up to 2 months

While the baby is on mother's feeding, insecticides cannot be used. In isolated cases, the use of certain drugs in weaned pups is allowed.

If the kitten is more than a month old and has been weaned from the cat, some remedies are allowed. For example, Mr. Kiss. To bathe a kitten, dilute 1 ml of shampoo in 2 glasses of water. Stir until foam appears. Place the baby in the water, avoiding getting into the mouth, nose and eyes. Soak the shampoo for 3-4 minutes. Wash off with plenty of running warm water. Dry the coat with a hairdryer and make sure that the kitten is not exposed to cold and drafts for 8 hours. Use the product no more than 1 time in 10 days.

Kitten after 2-3 months

Shampoos

You need to use them according to the instructions. To get rid of fleas, 2-3 baths are usually sufficient. Unlike other insecticidal products, shampoos work more delicately. But they do not protect the kitten from the appearance of fleas, but remove the existing ones from the surface of the coat. Therefore, shampoos are not suitable as a prophylaxis.

Popular flea shampoos for kittens:

  • Mr. Kiss- removes fleas and cares for the pet's hair, moisturizes the skin. Approved for use in kittens over 1 month old, weaned from their mother. A 200 ml bottle costs an average of 150 rubles.
  • Rolf club- more effective from the previous one, but does not act so delicately. Allowed to use from 2 months. The cost of the bottle is about 250 rubles.
  • Phytoelite- they produce shampoo both for adult cats and separately for kittens. A volume of 200 ml costs about 60 rubles.

Sprays

If you need to instantly get rid of fleas, use sprays. In addition to fleas, other pests also die after processing the wool. It is necessary to use the product with caution so as not to harm the pet. When spraying the fur, it is necessary to protect the kitten's eyes from the spray. To prevent the animal from immediately licking the drug, it needs to be carried away by something for 5-30 minutes (depending on the instructions). Then rinse off with warm water.

Popular sprays:

  • Frontline;
  • Hartz;
  • Beaphar.

Drops

They are approved for use from 3-4 months. To apply drops, you must first spread the fur at the withers, squeeze the product out of a pipette and rub it into the skin. Some drops are applied along the spine. Up to 6 months, kittens do not need to apply a full pipette of the product, but only a part of it.

Flea drops for kittens:

  • Advantix;
  • Stronghold;
  • Beaphar;
  • Leopard;
  • Blohnet.

Collars

Specials can be purchased at any veterinary store. They are safe for the kitten's health and can protect him for up to 4 months. But they can rub the delicate skin of the animal, cause irritation. The kitten will still try to get rid of the collar all the time. Popular collars for kittens: Bolfo, Hartz.

Additional measures

Go to the address and find out recipes for folk remedies for moths in the apartment.

It is better to prevent insects from infesting the kitten, since it is very difficult to get rid of them at an early age.

Little kittens require special attention and care. Especially if they have fleas. It is necessary to take into account the age of the animal before using this or that flea remedy. Carefully study the instructions for the drugs, apply them carefully and in the correct dosage. If possible, it is better to limit yourself to mechanical combing of fleas. This is the most harmless, but laborious way.

Useful tips on how and what to breed fleas from small kittens in the following video:

Before getting rid of fleas from a kitten, it is important to determine the cause of their appearance and disinfect the conditions in which cats live. It is important not only to rid the pet of insects and fleas, but also to prevent their appearance in the future.

Fleas and ticks are a threat to a pet at any age. At home, this happens due to poor hygiene of the bed and the animal, constant interaction with animals that periodically walk on the street. Most often, pets pick up fleas from their parents.

You can save a kitten from fleas in dozens of ways and means, but we must not forget about precautions:

It is necessary to remove fleas from animals that live in the same environment (in particular, in a house or apartment) for everyone at a time. If one baby or cat has fleas, no amount of protection will help.

What if the kitten is less than two months old?

Age is a major pest control problem. The first task of the owner is to reduce the number of insects in the house. Prevention involves the treatment of carpets and upholstered furniture, other fabric items that function as interior decorations and, as a rule, are not subject to daily cleaning.

Until the kittens are weaned from the mother cat, there is only one way - combing. First, the mother cat is combed, and then the children. A fine-toothed comb is suitable for this (so as not to irritate and injure the baby). Insects with wool are raised with a comb, after which the instrument is dipped in water.

How to treat kittens over 2 months old?

Getting rid of fleas at home in "adult" kittens is easier. The baby's body has already grown stronger, which means that the immune system is able to withstand the effects of compounds with an increased content of toxic elements.

Only shampoos can destroy fleas in newborn kittens. Drops, aerosols, collars, sprays, powders are suitable for adults.

The accessories are mainly intended for kittens that have reached the age of 6 months. For two-month-old babies, products under the Rolf Club brands are suitable. Beaphar S.O.S, Celandine Junior and BioVax are products based on herbal ingredients, but are only suitable for kittens, from the moment of birth of which 8-10 weeks have passed.

Treatment for fleas in a kitten is a multifaceted process... You can take a simple path and take a chance - buy drops and specialized solutions. However, the kitten is active and there is a high probability that the particles of toxic substances will enter the baby's body.

The most effective and efficient way to get rid of pests is by combing. If the insects do not leave, but only increase, it is worth waiting for the kitten to grow up to 4 weeks. This is the optimal age at which a baby can be bathed in shampoo.

VETERINARIAN CONSULTATION REQUIRED. INFORMATION FOR KNOWLEDGE ONLY.

There are nuances that you need to know about, since it is not so easy to remove fleas from a kitten. For example, drugs that are suitable for adult cats cannot be used on babies. Even products specially formulated for kittens, which contain the minimum amount of active ingredients, have age restrictions from which they can be used. If the cat is feeding the cubs with milk, it is unwise to use any insecticidal preparations. And yet, if you find that the kitten has fleas - what to do if the baby is not weaned from the cat? Next, we will try to figure out in which cases the use of this or that remedy will be the most effective and safe for a kitten.

If the kitten has not yet been weaned from the cat

How to use flea shampoo for kittens

Shampoo is added to warm water (the first time a couple of drops, and then according to the instructions), stir until foam appears and the kitten is dipped into the water. It is necessary to bathe the animal completely, just be careful so that water does not get into the ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Having lathered it completely, including the head, it is necessary to withstand the foam on the fur for 4-5 minutes, and then rinse well with warm running water. When swimming, fleas will run and hide in places where there is no shampoo, which is why it is so important to lather it from head to tail. After that, the kitten needs to be dried well. Someone does this with a hairdryer, but it will be much better if you wrap the pet in a towel, wrap it up with a soft warm blanket and warm it in your arms. In addition to the fact that bathing is not a very pleasant event for cats, the baby can be frightened by a noisy hairdryer, and your pet will quickly calm down and warm up in his arms.

After the coat is completely dry, do not let the kitten out into drafts and into a cold room, so that he does not catch a cold. A few fleas may remain, but the procedure cannot be repeated immediately. You will need to wait ten days. Some manufacturers of such shampoos recommend repeating the procedure no earlier than a month later. Therefore, the remaining flea beetles can be combed out with a comb.

Flea drops for kittens

These decongestants can be used from 6 weeks of age. They are very effective and retain their properties on the fur of the animal for another month. Drops are applied to the withers and rubbed well. It is necessary, just as with shampoo and with the use of other insecticidal agents (sprays, powders), to make a test - apply a very small dose to the withers and observe the kitten for a while. If everything is in order, use the drops according to the instructions. Drops are usually sold in a single-use pipette, with a dosage for the specific weight of the pet. Therefore, before buying the drug, you need to weigh the kitten in order to know its exact weight.

Protective sprays, powders for kittens

When the kitten reaches two months of age, in addition to the above procedures and tools, you can use special sprays and powders for kittens. They are applied to the coat all over the body, including the head, paws, tail, and rubbed into the skin of the animal. For about 15 minutes after applying the drug, the pet should not be allowed to lick itself. If the coat is long enough, the product may be ineffective, since the ingredients must be well absorbed into the skin and not remain on the fur of the cat. With the correct use of the drug, the active substance will be active for 5-6 months.

Oversized collars

If you took a kitten from the street, brought out flea beetles and want them never to appear, some rules must be followed. Namely:

  1. Limit the contact of the cat with possibly flea-infected relatives or put on a collar that will scare off new fleas.
  2. Keep the place where the kitten is clean, periodically spray it with special flea sprays. It is also necessary to handle pet toys regularly.

Traditional medicine recipes

How to remove fleas from a kitten without using insecticides? If the kitten is very small or sickly, the chemicals can harm it. In this case, in addition to combing out, you can use folk recipes, which are also very effective. You can bathe your baby in warm water with table salt. You will need 5-6 tablespoons of salt per liter of water. You need to bathe for at least 15 minutes. Do not wet your head so that the water does not flood your eyes and ears. And flea beetles that climb into the head should be manually removed. After the pet is dry, you need to comb it out again well. You can also bathe the kitten in a decoction of tansy and wormwood - the smell of these plants scares off fleas. In addition, tar soap perfectly removes fleas and destroys their larvae. They need to rub the wet hair of the kitten and leave for 15 minutes, then rinse the cat well with running water. The advantage of traditional methods is that they are absolutely safe for small kittens. In order to get rid of fleas in the apartment, you can spread the stems of wormwood on the surfaces and leave until it is completely dry.

Why use pharmacy or folk remedies if the animal does not leave the apartment. Even in this case, it is impossible to give a 100% guarantee that he will never have insects. They can come from neighbors, or a fluffy beauty can easily get infected while walking in the yard. Therefore, in any case, you need to regularly examine your pet. At the slightest sign, which we will now talk about, you need to start using folk remedies for fleas in cats. This is not dangerous for the pet, unlike fleas, which are most often carriers of unpleasant diseases.

What to look for

First of all, this is the behavior of your pet. As soon as she gets fleas and begins to bite her painfully, it will immediately become noticeable. The cat begins to scratch and bite itself, often jumping up and down during sleep. If this behavior is present, then it's time to move on to the inspection. Parting the coat, you will most likely see scratched skin, and possibly small sores, if the disease did not begin to progress today. On a light, not too thick coat, it is easy to find the insects themselves. They are oblong, shiny creatures that are difficult to catch and crush due to their chitinous coating.

Insects especially often congregate along the ridge on the back. Where they not only feed, but also lay eggs. The second favorite place is the neck. By examining these areas regularly, you can be sure that no flea will pass you by.

First reaction

Of course, you need to save your pet. If you have ever been bitten (fly, horsefly), then you know how unpleasant it is. The cat experiences similar sensations all day long, it does not allow to sleep peacefully. The animal becomes nervous and irritable, which is not surprising. Therefore, the first thing that occurs to the owner is to run to the pharmacy for special drugs. But their use is not always possible. If the cat is pregnant or too young, then you will have to look for another option. In addition, there may be simply nowhere to buy an insecticide. It is in such cases that folk remedies for fleas in cats will come to the rescue. They do not act as aggressively as pharmaceuticals, but in most cases they do their job just as well.

spring-cleaning

In addition, it is very useful to stock up on a spray bottle. We will use it to spray the rooms. Of all the available and natural remedies that nature generously shares with us, the most effective are solutions of essential oils of lavender, calamus and eucalyptus, as well as other aromatic plants. They do not have an unpleasant odor, but they are excellent flea repellents. Spray them around the house every day while doing preventive maintenance. At the same time, you can get on the floor, walls and carpets, upholstered furniture. Spread fresh wormwood around where the cat sleeps. All insects will try to immediately leave the room.

Essential oils

And again we recall these amazing liquids, which have a number of useful properties. Without interfering with their smell to humans and animals, they are very disliked by blood-sucking insects. It is for this property that the effect is designed. When choosing the safest folk remedies for removing fleas from cats, it is worth highlighting the mixture and lavender. For a standard spray bottle (600 ml), you will literally need 2-3 drops of one and the second. Shake well and the solution is ready. Treat the cat thoroughly, once or twice a day. This method cannot be called quick, but annoying insects can be completely removed within 2-3 weeks.

Express method

If the infection is very strong, the surface of the body is combed and covered with sores, then a stronger decoction must be prepared. To do this, take a little tansy and wormwood, add eucalyptus and pour boiling water. After an hour, the liquid can be filtered. The method of treatment is quite simple. Massage a small amount daily into the skin of the animal, all over the body. Since you can get rid of fleas from a cat with folk remedies on your own, it is not necessary to contact a veterinarian. For heavy scratching, you can add a little peppermint oil to reduce the tingling sensation.

Animal litter

Bathing your pet

Folk remedies for treating fleas in cats can be quite radical. If the contamination is severe and you don't want to wait a long time for the herbs and oils to take effect, then use the following recipe. Take one part camphor alcohol, 3% vinegar, and any cologne. This mixture must be applied to the surface of the cat's body, and then put on a plastic bag. You do not need to tie it, just hold it in the neck area for about 5 minutes. Do not forget that the head must always be outside. After that, you need to comb the wool well over a basin filled with water.

Common salt

Another effective folk remedy for fleas in cats. Most often used for small kittens. This is common table salt, which is diluted in water. The concentration should be high enough. poured into a basin, where the kitten is then placed. The head must be kept above the surface. After about 10-15 minutes, it will need to be removed from the pelvis, wiped well and combed out. The procedure is effective, although it does not always completely eliminate the problem the first time.

05.12.2016

Features of removing fleas in kittens

It is important to clean the house from time to time using insecticides.

How to remove fleas from a kitten

Fleas in a domestic kitten can appear together with other animals, get into the house on people's clothes or shoes, jump out the window. Therefore, before removing fleas from a kitten, take care of the sanitization of the room.

Newborn

The hardest part is figuring out how to get rid of fleas in newborn kittens. The body of such crumbs is sensitive to any medication, and even "kitten remedies", which are safe for animals for 2 - 3 months, pose a mortal danger to them. There are several categorical prohibitions to keep kittens healthy.

  • Newborn kittens cannot be smeared with any insecticides, even if they are, in theory, harmless to animals. Some part of these substances inevitably enters the stomach of the mother-cat during licking, and from there, together with milk, into the baby's body. However, even in hand-fed kittens, these substances can cause serious allergies.
  • You shouldn't bathe such a small kitten once again. The cat provides the necessary hygiene, and any shampoos, even those marked "for kittens", can be used only starting from 5 weeks.
  • Collars, even marked "for kittens", are strictly prohibited for such crumbs.

A kitten does not have too many fleas at this age, since the cat, licking the cub, bites out most of them. Therefore, it is quite possible to wait until the baby grows up and use effective sprays or drops.

Combing

It is the safest, but it takes a lot of patience and a lot of time. The main thing is to be as careful as possible so as not to cripple the baby's fragile bones.

You need to comb out fleas with a soft comb, brush or damp suede cloth. Prepare a bowl of water or a solution of a sink cleaner; any insects you catch will need to be dumped there immediately, otherwise they will immediately climb back onto the animals. It is useless to crush fleas with your fingers.

Bathing

In those rare cases when too many fleas threaten the baby's health, you can decide to bathe with baby or tar soap.

  • Heat water to 38 - 39 degrees and pour it into a shallow bowl. On the bottom, so that the paws do not slip, you can lay a towel: this way the kitten will feel more secure.
  • Before treating a kitten for fleas, cover its ears with small pieces of cotton wool to avoid getting water into them.
  • Wet and gently lather the kitten, nevertheless, without touching the muzzle.
  • The lather should be held for a few minutes and then gently washed off with warm water.
  • Dry your baby's fur with a soft towel or handkerchief that absorbs moisture well.
  • Immediately after bathing, grab a brush and start combing out fleas. Pay special attention to the muzzle - it is there that insects, disturbed by water and soap, will try to escape.

Make sure the water does not cool down. Otherwise, the newborn baby may freeze and catch a cold. And kittens endure a cold rather hard.

Atniblosa powder

The procedure is as follows:

  1. without pressing, rub the powder into the kitten's skin.
  2. Use a soft cloth to wipe off any particles that remain on the wool.
  3. and finally, comb the pet thoroughly with a soft comb.

If the kitten is not weaned from the cat, then for the next few hours it will have to be fed manually, from a pipette or syringe - for example, milk suspension for kittens. This is necessary to prevent the cat from licking off any powder that might remain on the cub's fur.

If the kitten is 1 month old

At this age, there are slightly more options. However, all of them are permissible only if the kitten is no longer feeding on breast milk. Otherwise, the alternative is still combing and bathing.

Shampoo

Some shampoos, such as Mr. Kiss products, can be used from 4 weeks. 1 ml of the preparation is diluted with 400 ml of water, and the kitten's skin is washed with this solution. Be sure not to get the shampoo in your eyes, nose or mouth!

The solution should be held on the wool for 4 to 7 minutes, then rinsed with warm water and thoroughly wiped off the four-legged baby.

For the first bath, take half, or even less, the dose of the drug with the usual volume of water. Some kittens develop an allergic reaction even to these safe shampoos. If no painful manifestations appear, the next time you can dilute the medicine in a standard concentration.

Drops

If a kitten has fleas at the 6th week of life, you can use Stronghold 6% drops, designed specifically for small kittens. They are applied to the withers and gently rubbed. The required dosage depends on the weight, therefore, before removing fleas from a kitten using this method, you need to carefully read the instructions on the package.

Do not use drops within 14 days after vaccination.

If the kitten is 2 - 3 months old

There are many options for how to deal with fleas in kittens at this age. Of course, only a small number of products made specifically for kittens can be used. The most important condition remains the same: the kitten should not feed on breast milk in the days following treatment. If the cat is still feeding it, it will have to be temporarily relocated to another location.

Veterinarians advise several ways to deal with fleas:

  • bathing with anti-flea shampoo, for example, "Fitoelita";
  • the use of drops and sprays (they are safe enough, but their concentration should be made less than indicated on the package in order to avoid allergies);
  • you can use the powder of the firms "Beaphar", "Gamma" or "Hartz";
  • if it is not possible to wean the kitten from the mother, it is better to stay on a traditional comb for combing out.

If the kitten is 4 months or more

The easiest way is to decide what to do if the kitten has fleas after the final transition to solid food - in the third or fourth month of life. Starting from this age, the kitten is considered a "teenager", and any methods applied to adult animals can be used to treat it:

Of course, up to 1 year, the animal's body remains very vulnerable, so you only need to buy those preparations that are intended for kittens, and not for adult cats. These include products from Beaphar, Hartz, Gamma, Advantix and some others.

There are several opinions as to whether a flea collar should be worn on kittens. Many owners consider such a "decoration" to be practically a panacea. Nevertheless, the minimum age of the animal at which it can be used starts from 3-4 months, and the bulk of the products cannot be worn earlier than six months. However, in recent years, bio-collars have appeared, which are allowed to be used from the third month of a kitten's life.

The question of how to remove fleas from a kitten is even easier to solve with folk remedies than with the help of expensive medicines. There are some natural insecticides that are absolutely safe for animals of any age. Their effectiveness, however, is no lower than that of expensive drops and shampoos. Here are just a few of the simplest ways to deal with bloodsuckers: