Fleas on kittens can a true challenge and a massive nightmare if you don’t know how to address this issue and from where to begin. Dealing with fleas on kittens is an everyday job for professionals, such as are the veterinarians, but for cat owners, it can be tricky. So, let’s learn how you can help your kitten be fleas-free.

Fleas On Kittens

Before you start fighting them, you should know what are the fleas and how to recognize them. Many parasites may put your kitten in danger. However, fleas are one of the most common ones.

So, what are the fleas? Fleas are small parasitic bugs that are always on the look of a host animal, such as a kitten.

Smaller the body, bigger the danger from these parasites. Fleas can cause strong discomfort, severe itching, and even anemia. Kittens have small bodies, so when they are covered with fleas they will lose a lot of blood, because fleas are feeding on them, putting them at high risk of anemia. This is the main reason why fleas on kitten should be taken seriously and why the treatment should be fast and taken seriously.

What About Flea Control?

Better safe than sorry is the best approach that you can apply in every area of your life and your pet. Therefore, the best way to deal with fleas is to control them or to prevent them from appearing at all. But, what to do when they do appear? How to control them and is it even possible to do so? Well, when it comes to flea control you should be ready to face a few challenges.

For example, flea control in pregnancy and lactating animals and really young and small kittens can be difficult, because many products just can’t be used on kittens. Why? The majority of products can’t be used on kittens because most products are restricted to kittens eight weeks of age and older. Therefore, they are not helpful in very young animals. So, you should always check if the product is safe for young kittens, or you should ask for an alternative.

Check For Fleas

If you believe that your kitten has fleas, you should check her properly just to be sure. So, the best way to check your kitten for fleas is to use a flea comb. While you go through the fur with your fingers or with a flea comb, you should be able to see small, dark, moving bugs, is your cat has fleas.

Small, black spots that move are fleas. They move quickly, either jumping or running through the fur. In most cases, they will seek refuge in the cat’s belly, armpits, or in the cat’s face. Also, if you don’t find fleas, you should check for flea dirt. If you find it, it’s a clear sign that the kitten either has fleas, even if you don’t see live bugs.

When checking for flea dirt, you are actually searching for the small black flecks of dirt, and in most cases, they will be present along the base of the fur. If you notice any sign of fleas or flea dirt you should treat the kitten for fleas immediately.

Before you start treating your kitten for fleas, bear in mind that you should avoid some products, such as a topical chemical treatment on a neonatal kitten, because this may be toxic to a young kitten. Furthermore, there is no safe topical flea treatment safe for a kitten under 8 weeks old. In that case, you will need to bath your kitten.

Fleas On Kittens: Treatment

Before you start testing different fleas treatments, make sure that you consult your veterinarian first. Your veterinarian will help you choose the best option. Moreover, your veterinarian will help you choose the safest options for your kitten. Therefore, it should be imperative to access flea treatment individually. Moreover, as you treat your kitten of leas, you should treat your home as well.

Bathing Your Kitten

The most popular option is bathing your kitten to get rid of fleas. It may seem simple, but in reality, it is far from that. Unless your kitten is one of the few cat breeds that actually enjoy the water, you may experience a few challenges. After all, cats are known for scratching and trying to run away as soon as you put a drop of water on them, so make sure that you know how to access your kitten and go through this without being harmful. So, when it comes to bathing the first thing is choosing the proper soap or shampoo.

Many will go for the extremely mild soap, without any flea products in it, but we highly recommend that you discuss this with your veterinarian first. Regardless of the soap or shampoo, you should be gentle while bathing your kitten. Remember: bathing is traumatic for kittens, so make sure that you do it correctly.

One more thing that you should know about fleas on kittens and bathing is that this isn’t a long-term solution, next to flea combing. But, if you make sure that the environment is flea-free, you may have good options.

The Flea-Free Environment

If you think that your kitten is infested with fleas, or it’s proven, make sure that you take to check the environment as well. One part of flea control is maintaining the proper environment.

Fleas will easily make a home on the rugs, even if you vacuum daily, so the lack of carpet can actually help you. The main reason why you won’t see carpets in the majority of veterinary hospitals and shelters is that they don’t want to create an environment that fleas may find welcoming.

Also, if you have a backyard, it should be treated for fleas on a regular basis. All bedding should be treated daily and washed regularly if it’s shared with animals. Vacuuming is mandatory.

Products

There is a significant number of different products that may help you treat fleas on cats. But, if your cat is younger than eight weeks, the list will become a lot shorter. If this is the case, make sure that you talk with your veterinarian, so you can find easily the perfect product.

Your veterinarian will probably recommend Nitenpyram or Lufenuron, both in oral form. However, although it may say that the same product may be used both on cats and dogs, double-check with your veterinarian.

What Are The Symptoms Of Fleas On Kittens?

You may see strong and often itching lasting for days, as a first sign. Secondly, you may actually see fleas moving and jumping (after all they are like black fast-moving spots). However, if your kitten is all-black it may be difficult to spot them, so you should use the right tool, such as a flea comb.

Thirdly, you may not even be able to notice them no matter how thoroughly you look: cats are great at catching and yes! even eating adult fleas on their body. That being said, monitor your kitten closely, carefully, and comb her often.

Can You Prevent Fleas On Kittens?

A major part of responsible pet ownership is treating every animal member of your home with proper flea prevention on a monthly base.

For animals that are 8 weeks old and older, you can easily find suitable protection, which also protects the pet from tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms, ear mites, and even heartworms. So, if you want to keep your kitten healthy, you should treat other pet members and keep the environment clean and safe as much as possible.

How Do Kittens Get Fleas?

One thing that you should know about fleas is that they are excellent jumpers. Moreover, they are amazing survivors in different environments, including shady soil.

Fleas can survive for months in a carpet before they are hatched. They are commonly found on outdoor cats. Interestingly, they also infest wildlife such as opossums, raccoons, and rodents. All cats are vulnerable to fleas, during the entire year.

Fleas On Kittens – Key Takeaways

Kittens are purfect and more than delightful: they are cuddly, cure, and true playful ball of fur. Imagine these cures creatures being covered with fleas. Nothing sweet and cute about that, right? So, you should aim to protect your kitten from fleas at any moment.

Moreover, you should thrive to have free-flea environment and regular check-ups for fleas, especially if your feline a dark beauty. If you spot this problem, react promptly and contact your veterinarian for proper advice and adequate treatment.

Bear in mind that it’s always better to prevent, so wash the kittens’ bedding, vacuum the surroundings, and treat the kittens’ mother if she is around.