I need advice!!! Bathing Kittens bc of fleas!!!

[Heather78418]

How do you get rid of fleas on 4 to 6 week old kittens?? I know you cany use medicated shampoo or anything but pppppplllleeeaaassseee tell me there is something I can do...They are too sweet and now they are permanently part of our household. My daughters are very attached to them and vice versa. If anyone here has any advice it is more than welcome!!!!!

[jennielynn1970]

There is medicated shampoo from the vet. There is also Kitten Revolution. That kills 'em quick.

[Heather78418]

Does anyone here know how old they have to be to get the kitten revolution??? or where I can get it???

[mrspunkysmom]

It's been years since I had kittens. I think there is a powder that you can use on kittens. We used to use a baby shampoo on the kittens, towel them dry with an old towel, and kill the fleas manually. Sounds gross, but it avoids the use of dangerous chemicals on kittens. You could put the flea spray on the old towel to kill the fleas. I wouldn't use the towel on the kits after that.

Do you have a good vet? Perhaps he or she would have an answer.

I would definitely wait for advice from the veterans here before taking my advice.

Anne

PS gee, two others posted while I was writing my response. I didn't know about kitten revolution.

[Grace]

From the place in Canada where I buy Revolution -

Do not use on puppies or kittens under 6 weeks of age.

[jennielynn1970]

I'd ask the vet before I'd use any medds, and I would NEVER USE the over the counter flea meds (Hartz etc...).

My first cat when I moved out had "a flea" on her (was told this by the shelter in 1994), and I bought this foam in flea stuff from Hartz or something like that. OMG... she got soooooooo sick!! You weren't supposed wash it out, and from her bathing herself, she ingested it when she was grooming, and she ended up so dehydrated and I had to take her to the ER. She was still infested with fleas and had to be IVd with fluids. It was horrible And she was a grown cat, so definitely be careful of what you do, and check with the vet first.

I know the kitten Revolution is MADE for kittens, but I'm not sure how old they have to be for it to be safe for them.

[Catlady711]

I echo the majority here, call the vet for advice on that one and don't use any over the counter flea products.

As far as I know the youngest a kitten can be to use the more conventional flea topicals is 6 weeks, but I may be wrong there. Ask your vet for sure and good luck.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'd also call the vet before doing anything. I've heard that dawn dish soap also works well and will help kill fleas but I'm not sure about the flea eggs. Good luck.

Both Hatrz and Biospot flea products are very dangerous to use on cats and dogs and I still don't understand why they're still selling these products. I used Hartz flea prevention one time on the 3 cats that I had at the time and luckily no one became ill. Then I saw a post here about how deadly it can be and I threw the rest of it away. I've been using advantage ever since. You have to buy this at the vet, a pet store, or you can buy it online. I'm not sure how old kittens need to be to be able to use this product though. I think at least 8 weeks.

[jenluckenbach]

The most safe option is to sit and comb them with a flea comb to remove the fleas. It is tedious, but it is guarranteed safe.

You may also bathe them in dish soap. It doesn't actually KILL the fleas, but it will stun them enough (and make them easier to see in the wet fur) so that they can be removed. Dry the babies THOROGHLY to prevent a chill and catching a cold.


Since you say they are "4-6 wek olds" don't even use the revolution yet. Since you do not have an exact age it is best to just wait. But you can use the revolution soon whereas almost all other flea meds state over 12 weeks of age.

[emilysgk]

I would also talk to the vet. Dont use over the counter meds at all. What my mother done when she got her kitten (who was only 4 weeks old!! someone was giving them away already!!) Anyways, use dawn, dont use a concentrated dish soap. It will get most of them off. Then use a fine comb to get some more off. Make sure you keep them warm until dry, or use a hair dryer set on LOW heat, on the low setting, keeping it a long ways from the baby. They have sensitive skin.

[catmandu]

I Would Ask About Revoulltion Or Advantage. And To Amke Sure To Thoroughly Wash Everything That The Kittens Touched As The Fleas Jump Off As Soon As They Feed To Lay Thier Eggs
Good Luck With Those Babies.

[Medusa]

Yep, wait til they're a little older, then use Revolution. But be sure to check w/your vet first. S/he should be able to tell you what kind of shampoo to use to kill the little flea buggers.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I also forgot to add that sometimes fleas carry tapeworms so the kittens should also be treated for this. You should also try to bring a fresh stool sample to your vet so they can see if they have other worms. They may also have round worms and this is very common in kittens. I think that drontal pills will kill most types of worms. Good luck and please let us know how they're doing.

[orangemm]

Our vet recommended Joy to bathe Archy & Binky when we adopted them. We carefully combed them, then gave them a good bath. It worked.