Treatment of a kitten from fleas. How to rid a kitten of fleas: tips for treatment and prevention

If you decide to learn how to remove fleas from a kitten, while he has not yet been weaned from his mother, you should remember about the constant care of the cat for him. As a result, all the substances applied to the baby will be in his digestive tract. And this moment at home must be taken into account.

Advice! Before starting the fight against fleas in small kittens, it is necessary to take into account the degree. In addition, it is worth taking into account the potential harm caused to the pet.

If the kitten grows normally and develops well, and the number of fleas is small, this will not adversely affect his health. But if you give a kitten special preparations at home, you can not avoid health risks.

Fighting methods

If you have not decided how to rid the kitten of fleas, then you can consider all possible ways. It is worth considering the basic methods:

Mechanical destruction by combing;
The use of special drops;
Bathing with special shampoos.

There is no need to worry if a newborn kitten has a few fleas. Their small amount can not cause harm, given that it will soon be possible to use special preparations to remove them.

Getting rid of fleas of small kittens (up to 2 months)

Advice! In the process of ridding a newborn kitten of fleas, you can not use products that contain insecticides. If there are any preparations for small kittens on sale, then they are used for older animals.

Advice! Fleas in a kitten of a small age are removed only using a special comb, thanks to him, they are simply combed out.

Dilute a little shampoo in water (1/300);
Stir until foam appears;
The kitten must be put in water and treated in such a way that the muzzle does not get wet;
The shampoo must be kept on the kitten's fur, it lasts about 4 minutes, and then everything is washed off with water.

After bathing, the kitten should be dried with a hair dryer and make sure that after the procedure it is not in a cold room for several hours. You can not use shampoo more than once every 10 days, since the procedures in this case can do no good, but only harm. If the kitten has reached the age of one and a half months, then special oils can be rubbed into his coat.

Advice! If the age is so small - up to 2 months, then it is recommended to make even a very small amount of shampoo or oil.

From a month or two months of age, there are many options for how to remove fleas:

Phytoelite shampoo is one of the most popular;

Rubbing powder. It can be used from the moment the kitten is weaned from its mother;
Sprays - initially they are applied to the hands, and then used to wipe the baby himself;
Drops - they are applied from 3 months.

Of course, this is not the whole list of products that are used to remove fleas from kittens. You can purchase not some specific drugs, but give preference to their analogues. But before using these or other means on animals, it is necessary to test them first.

Collar as one of the methods of fighting fleas

As a rule, collars do not work for long, only for a few months, after which the owner has to buy new devices. If the animal is regularly and for a long time on the street, then the collar will be an excellent means of fighting fleas, and will provide the necessary protection.

If we talk about the shortcomings of this method of struggle, then they can also be distinguished quite simply:

Risk of irritation to the kitten where the collar is placed;
Difficulty getting used to the collar.

Currently, the collar is one of the more popular ways to help get rid of fleas from a kitten.

Flea control after three months

In this case, a whole arsenal becomes available. Indeed, after three months, the kitten is no longer a baby, but acts as a teenager, so he walks on his own, respectively - and catches fleas on his own. At this age, you can use any anti-flea drugs.

It can be special drops, sprays, collars. The process of protecting against fleas is especially difficult for kittens, which are planned to be shown at special exhibitions. For example, it is not recommended to wear collars on sphinxes, and if the kitten is white, then spots on the coat may appear after processing, which also does not look very attractive. All these features are necessarily taken into account when choosing a drug for kittens, and in a young animal the consequences will be much more pronounced than in an adult.

Prevention

Before pregnancy, you can remove fleas from a cat and take care of her for the entire postpartum period;
Keep track of who the kitten communicates with, namely, he should not come into contact with flea relatives;
In the place where the pet stays for the most part, it is necessary to keep it clean;
If there is a potential threat of fleas, it is necessary to take measures to scare them away at home.

If a kitten appears in your house, it can be compared to a small typhoon that can transform the life of any person. However, there is another side of the coin, which is usually faced by those who pick up a homeless animal on the street. These kittens almost always have fleas, and getting rid of insects is not as easy as it might seem at first glance.

Why can't fleas be removed from kittens in traditional ways?

The problem is that a kitten under the age of 3-4 months has a very fragile immune system. Ideally, such a baby should still be with his mother and receive the necessary nutrients along with her milk. However, in practice, everything happens exactly the opposite. It is for this reason that fleas should be removed from kittens with extreme caution, using fairly gentle and non-toxic means. Ideally, of course, it is better to postpone such procedures altogether in order to allow the baby's body to get stronger and gain strength. It should be borne in mind that if there are very few fleas, then they will not pose a serious threat to the health of the baby.

Shampoos and flea drops for a kitten

If your little one likes to bathe, then you can breathe a sigh of relief, as the easiest way to get rid of fleas in this case is to use special shampoos. They should be used in accordance with the instructions, carefully making sure that the product does not get into the nose, eyes and ears of the baby. The frequency of use of such shampoos is usually indicated on the packaging. However, in most cases, 2-3 treatments are enough to make your pet forget about fleas for a long time.

With drops, things are somewhat more complicated, since they can only be used from a certain age - usually from 3-4 months. Of course, among such drugs, there are exceptions that allow you to eradicate fleas in one and a half month old kittens. But this can be done if the baby is already weaned from the mother. The thing is that such drops are very toxic and are applied to the withers of the baby. If a mother takes care of a kitten during this period, then she will certainly lick a poisonous substance from his fur. In this case, not only the cat itself can suffer, but also the babies it feeds.

In addition, do not forget that today in almost any specialized store you can buy flea collars for kittens. They are quite safe and at the same time effective, but they can irritate the skin in the neck or rub it hard. In addition, the baby will constantly try to get rid of the collar, which will cause him a lot of inconvenience.

Folk remedies for fighting fleas in kittens

If you are afraid of harming your pet with chemicals, then you can prepare a warm bath with the addition of ordinary table salt (1 tablespoon per 200 ml of water). In such a solution for 10 minutes, you need to lower the baby, making sure that water does not get into his ears and nose. Then the kitten must be thoroughly wiped, and, while the coat is still not completely dry, comb it out with a comb. By doing this procedure several times a month, you can easily remove insects from a kitten. Also at home, you can prepare a decoction of tansy or wormwood (1 tablespoon of dry grass per 250 ml of boiling water), which should wipe the baby several times a week. Approximately 3-5 procedures are enough for the insects in the animal to completely disappear.

Cat fleas can cause unpleasant itching, redness on the skin, and dermatitis in the animal. If the pet is not treated in time, then it may develop anemia. But the most unpleasant and dangerous in this situation is an infectious disease - plague, tularemia.

Anxiety;

The animal constantly scratches itself and bites;

severe itching;

The appearance of black dirt on the wool;

kittens

You should be careful if cat fleas appear in a small kitten, since its immunity has not yet been strengthened. Often, pets simply cannot stand bites, lose weight dramatically, suffer from dermatitis and anemia. In such cases, you should contact your veterinarian to avoid serious consequences, because often insufficient attention to this problem can lead to death.

The most gentle way to get rid of fleas in a kitten is combing. Of course, it will take a lot of time, but the result will justify itself. Combed fleas should be placed in a bowl of hot water and detergent.

Pregnant and lactating cats

How to rid a cat of fleas at home?

There are several answers to this question. Immediately make a reservation that the best option is a combination of several methods, so to speak, an integrated approach. Let's consider each of them separately.

Drying

Cat litter cleaning

If bloodsuckers appear in a certain place, then it will be good to put a bowl of soapy water there. This will be a kind of trap. All that is needed is to change the solution as often as possible (about once a day).

Bathing

Treatment

To prepare the solution, you should take 4 tbsp. l. rosemary, pour a glass of water and boil for 30 minutes. Then strain, cool, moisten the animal's hair.

On the collar, you can drip essential oil (eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, tea tree). If you decide to use this method, remember that you need to be very careful, as cats are quite sensitive to essential oils, especially eucalyptus and tea tree oil, so you should not apply them directly to the animal's skin. But even in the case of processing the collar, do not overdo it - a few drops are enough.

Sometimes it happens that the owner has already tried everything, but the result is deplorable - the cat has fleas. What to do when nothing helps at all? The answer is simple - try a citrus decoction. To do this, several lemons are cut into pieces, poured with two glasses of water and boiled for 5 minutes. You need to insist all night. The finished product must be sprayed on the cat's fur - this is a prerequisite. Such a decoction should be used for prevention once a month.

How to remove fleas from a cat: traditional methods

2. Collar. This option is very effective, but there is one thing. It will be a long time before the first results are noticeable. The only negative is the unpleasant smell and discomfort.

You can also purchase a flea collar with essential oils. In addition, there are accessories on sale, in the production of which only natural ingredients - herbs - were used. However, such things are, of course, more expensive. But is it possible to save on the health of a pet? If you can't afford to buy plant-based products, at least avoid pure "chemistry" that can harm your pet's health.

Hazardous substances in the collar that can harm the cat:

Amitraz;

Permethrin;

Organophosphates.

The application is also quite simple. Drops from fleas are applied along the ridge to the skin of the animal and behind the ears.

Such funds are divided into natural and with additives of chemicals. The latter are only suitable for adults, because when a cat licks the wool, the remnants of the detergent can enter the stomach and provoke unpleasant consequences. In the case of an adult animal, this, of course, is not fatal, but a baby can become seriously ill.

In no case should you apply shampoo along with flea drops, as these drugs can simply neutralize each other. When choosing a detergent, pay attention to the composition, and not to the conspicuous packaging.

5. Spray. This is a reliable and effective drug, which is most often prescribed by veterinarians. This drug also helps small kittens.

If the cosmetic product is of high quality, then the fleas are exterminated instantly. When using this method, extreme caution should be exercised, because the product can get into the eyes of the animal. Flea sprays have a fairly high cost, but it is justified. After treatment, ventilate the room for half an hour.

How to remove fleas from a cat? Simple Rules

The main thing is to know that timely assistance to your beloved animal can prevent the occurrence of serious problems that cat fleas can cause. It's a shame our pets can't talk so they would tell us what's bothering them. Take care of your pet, because we are responsible for those we have tamed. Be sure that he will definitely answer your attention and love in the same way. Health to you and your pets!

It is important to understand that flea treatment for kittens is required in any case when they are infected. Fleas cause severe itching in the animal, sometimes allergies and dermatitis, and in case of serious infection, they lead to exhaustion of the baby and the development of blood diseases in him.

On a note

In the photo below - fleas in a kitten in wool:

To rid kittens of fleas today, a large number of effective products are produced and sold, all of them have their own specifics and require a careful and deliberate approach to use. Immediately you need to be prepared for the fact that treating kittens for fleas requires a little more effort than in the case of adult animals - because of the need to comply with increased security measures.

Flea symptoms in kittens

Finding out if a kitten has fleas is quite simple: with their bites, they cause constant itching in the animal, and the baby often itches behind the ears with its paws, trying to bite insects out of the wool. From especially strong bites, the kitten can twitch and wake up, sharply break away from food and play.

The photo below shows close-up fleas - the culprits of the kitten's torment:

On a note

If the kitten itches, but he does not have fleas, just as the mother cat does not have them, you should show the baby to the veterinarian - subcutaneous mites or dermatological diseases can be the cause of itching. These diseases should be treated in completely different ways.

An indirect sign of the presence of fleas in a kitten are helminths. This is especially true for kittens who have not yet begun to eat meat and fish. For example, in a monthly kitten, fleas and worms usually appear simultaneously - at first, fleas begin to feed on the animal, and after a week or two, the baby becomes infected with worms from them.

An important point: when you find fleas in a small kitten, you can’t immediately rush for the first remedy that comes across and treat the crumbs with it. The specificity of removing fleas from kittens lies in the strict observance of strict security measures.

Safety rules: when drugs are more dangerous than the fleas themselves

So, for example, some organophosphorus insecticides (Malathion, Dichlorvos), as well as pyrethroids (Permethrin and its derivatives, Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, Alfametrin) are dangerous for kittens. If flea medicine for kittens contains these ingredients, it should not be used on pups under 6 months of age.

It should also be remembered that it is possible to treat kittens for fleas only after weaning them from their mother: all flea remedies remain on the baby’s fur for some time, and if the mother cat licks him, part of the drug will definitely get into her milk. In the most nursing cat, it is also impossible to use chemical preparations.

Kittens of different breeds and ages: what medicines are suitable for them?

Depending on the age and breed, getting rid of fleas in a kitten should be the best means for him.

Consider the main ones:

Finally, from the age of three months, you can rid a kitten of fleas with Advantix drops, Bars products for kittens, Hartz and Blochnet specialized preparations.

British kitten, Bobtail, Persian, Himalayan kitten get rid of fleas usually with the help of shampoos. Kittens with short hair are easier to treat for fleas with drops or sprays.

Gennady, Tver

On an individual basis, a kitten may develop an allergy or side effects from a particular remedy. In this case, the use of the drug should be discontinued and a remedy with a different active substance should be purchased. With a strong reaction to the drug, the kitten should be shown to the veterinarian.

On a note

It is believed that the safest way to rid kittens of fleas is with the help of special insecticidal powders. However, their use in kittens of long-haired breeds is quite problematic.

Flea Removal Sprays

Kitten spray should be treated after a good feeding. The baby should hold his head so that he does not accidentally put it under the jet of the drug, gently push the hair apart and spray the opening skin areas.

Care should be taken to ensure that the spray does not get into the eyes of the cub. After treatment with a kitten, you should play for half an hour or an hour, and then immediately buy it out.

Hartz and Frontline sprays are also good, but only for kittens from the age indicated in the instructions for their use.

“The easiest way to cure a kitten from fleas is with a spray. Such a spray costs a little more than drops, but gives an almost instant result - fleas either die on the kitten or jump off it. We sprayed our miracle with Hearts, there were no problems from it, the fleas disappeared immediately ... "

Irina, Moscow

Powders for kittens and the rules for their use

Flea powder for kittens is suitable in most cases. Usually, Hartz or Gamma powders are used to get rid of fleas from kittens.

The latter can be applied to a kitten up to 1 month old, provided that within a few hours after treatment, he will not be in contact with his mother.

You can remove fleas from a kitten using insecticidal powder according to the following plan:

If the kitten continues to suckle the mother during this period, after treatment it must be placed in a separate tray and bathed in an hour or two. After that, it can be put under the cat again.

How to wash a kitten from fleas?

It is best to wash a kitten from fleas with Phytoelita or Mr. shampoos. Kiss - they are as safe as possible and practically do not lead to side effects.

A kitten is bathed with flea shampoo in the same way as with ordinary water procedures.

It is only important to thoroughly lather the product and make sure that all the kitten's hair is treated with it.

For several minutes, the foam is aged on the pet, and then washed off with plenty of running water.

What to do if a kitten is poisoned by a flea remedy?

In rare cases, a kitten may accidentally swallow flea drops or lick shampoo or powder off their fur. This in most cases does not lead to serious consequences, but sometimes the baby develops allergies, vomiting, salivation, anxiety, shortness of breath, discharge from the nose and eyes, as well as other signs of intoxication. If it seems to you that the kitten has been poisoned by flea drops, it should be given plenty of water or milk and taken to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Previously, the drops themselves from the kitten's skin can be wiped off with a cotton swab with vegetable oil.

And finally, if the kitten's fleas were successfully removed, it remains to fix the result. The first is to buy anthelmintic preparations and pickle the worms from the baby. The second is to look for fleas in the apartment, and if they are found, remove them in any way, up to treating the entire room from fleas. In the future, the kitten should buy a special "children's" flea collar and let it go outside only in it.

There are nuances that you need to know about, since removing fleas from a kitten is not so easy. For example, drugs that are suitable for adult cats cannot be used in relation to babies. Even products designed specifically for kittens, which include a minimum amount of active substances, have restrictions on the age at which they can be used. If a cat is feeding its young with milk, the use of any insecticidal preparations is unwise. 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 the 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), stirred until foam appears and the kitten is dipped into the water. It is necessary to bathe the animal completely, just be careful 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. While bathing, fleas will run away and hide in places where there is no shampoo, which is why it is so important to lather from head to tail. After this, the kitten needs to be dried well. Some do it with a hair dryer, but it will be much better if you wrap the pet in a towel, wrap it in 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 may also be afraid of a noisy hair dryer, and in your arms your pet will quickly calm down and warm up.

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

Drops from fleas for kittens

These anti-flea drugs can be used from 6 weeks of age. They are very effective and retain their properties on the animal's coat for another month. Apply drops to the withers and rub 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 watch the kitten for a while. If everything is in order, use the drops according to the instructions. Usually, drops are sold in a pipette for single use, with a dosage for a specific weight of the pet. Therefore, before buying the drug, you need to weigh the kitten in order to know its exact weight.

Anti-flea sprays, powders for kittens

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

Anti-flea collars

If you took a kitten from the street, brought out fleas and want them to never appear, you need to follow some rules. Namely:

Limit the cat's communication with possibly flea-infested relatives or put on a collar that will scare away new fleas.
Keep the place where the kitten is located clean, periodically spray it with special flea sprays. Pet toys should also be cleaned regularly.

Traditional medicine recipes

How to remove fleas from a kitten without using insecticides? If the kitten is very small or sickly, chemicals can harm it. In this case, in addition to combing, you can use folk recipes, which are also very effective. You can bathe your baby in warm water with table salt. For a liter of water, you need 5-6 tablespoons of salt. You need to bathe for at least 15 minutes. You should not wet your head so that the water does not flood your eyes and ears. And fleas that get into the head should be manually removed. After the pet dries, you need to comb it thoroughly again. You can also bathe a kitten in a decoction of tansy and wormwood - the smell of these plants repels fleas. In addition, tar soap perfectly removes fleas and destroys their larvae. They need to rub the kitten's wet fur and leave for 15 minutes, then rinse the cat well with running water. The advantage of folk 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.