Got a new kitten with fleas? How to handle this

[MarleysMommy]

I was given a beautiful new male kitten last week. He's approximately 8 weeks old. So far, he's been kept separate from Marley. I've already taken him to the vet, and his FELV and FIV results were negative, so theortically I could integrate them now.

However, I found a few fleas on him over the weekend. Per the groomer's recommendation, I bathed him in a light bath of Dawn dish liquid and warm water. I called the vet today, and they are prescribing a kitten dose of Frontline for Julio and an adult dose for Marley.

Assuming I give the Frontline tonight, when can I put them together?

And, any ideas on how to feed separately in a 1-bedroom apt? Marley is on Rx food

[rg_girlca]

Hi and welcome to Pet Talk.

Well it looks like you have the flea situation under control with getting them the frontline.

In regards to putting them together, when I brought my Mooky home, he was 5 weeks old and I introduced him to my Katie girl who was 12 years old at the time, and things were fine. I think an older cat seems to sense that it is just a kitten, so they just back away.
Then I got my Chipper who was 10 weeks old, Mooky was almost 1 by then and Katie was 13 then. I just let Chipper roam around and Mooky at Katie were fine with him.

A lot of people will suggest a slow introduction, by leaving the kitten in a cat carrier and putting it in the middle of a room so that Marley can investigate what is in it. If after an hour or so there is no hissing or growling you can try leaving the door open to the carrier and see what happens.
Good luck with this and let us know how things go.

[Mandy-Lee]

You could try to place Marley's food dish up high..on a table or dresser for example. Some place where the kitten cannot jump. Hope this helps.

[rg_girlca]

Sorry I forgot about the food situation.
Maybe you can place Marley's food up high for the time being, like on a counter or table, where the kitten can't reach.

OOPS, Sorry Mandy-Lee looks like we were posting at the same time, but two minds think alike don't they.

[Mandy-Lee]

That's funny

[ScoobyDoo-Doo]

If your in a one bedroom apartment I would suggest making sure each cat has access to seperate windows. They will both like to lay in the sun. This could cause some fighting. I would suggest making separate laying areas if necessary. One in the living room and one in the bedroom. Sooner or later they will start to get along. They should work things out amongst eachother. Good luck!

[moosmom]

I don't think (not sure though) that Frontline is appropriate for kittens that young. At the shelter, we bathe the kittens in a flea shampoo and let it sit on them for 5 minutes then rinse. You'd be surprized how many fleas drop off.

[MarleysMommy]

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys!

I picked up the Frontline last night and applied it to each of them. The package states that it's fine ofr kittens 8 weeks and older, and so far my little Julio hasn't shown any signs of reaction.

As far as feeding time goes, I may have to just feed once a day and put them in separate rooms during that time. Marley's on Feline CD for urinary tract disease, so it's important that he stick to that diet. Likewise, Marley's food is too acidic for Julio's little system. I know they won't be happy if they can't graze all day, but maybe when Julio gets older the vet can help me find a food they can both tolerate.

How do you multi-cat moms handle the litterbox situation? Do you recommend two separate boxes? When it was just Marley I had one covered box that I did a complete litter change with several times a week using liners....no scooping. Can I keep this routine and just add a second litterbox next to the first?

[Mandy-Lee]

Hey MarleysMommy,

I use 2, actually 3 litterboxes. I've read that you should have 1 more then the number of cats you have. I use the multi-cat litter(which clumps nicely) Special Kitty brand in a large pink box-14kg for $12. Lasts me over a couple of months. I scoop daily. This would save you a lot more litter then throwing your liners away each time, if you scoop that is. 2 would probably be enough for the 2 of them until the kitten gets bigger. I have both boxes next to each other, so this wouldn't be a problem. It's nice for the cat to have the boxes in a private place if possible. I have mine down in the basement. A closet works well too.