Kitten fleas are the same fleas that adult cats get, but there are some important differences when it comes to dealing with them. If you don’t know much about cat fleas at the moment, it’s probably a good idea to get familiar with the basics before you read this page. Click here to learn more about cat fleas.
There are a couple of really important things you should know about dealing with fleas on kittens specifically:
1) Fleas on young kittens can be dangerous and must be treated
Because a little kitten has such a small body, fleas can actually suck out so much blood that they cause feline anemia. This can be fatal in really bad cases. Therefore, it’s essential that fleas are removed from kittens as swiftly as possible. But – before you go and grab your adult cat flea treatment – the second point is…
2) You can’t use adult cat flea treatments on young kittens
The vast majority of preparations used to treat adult cat fleas are not safe to use on kittens. Some can be used when the kitten is 6 weeks old, others when they are a few weeks older than that. The “safe” age may even vary from kitten to kitten depending on other health problems they may have.
My advice on this is pretty simple. Never use a flea treatment on a kitten without checking with your vet first.
How To Treat Kitten Fleas
The first thing you should do is treat Mommy cat, and any other adult cats living with you. As long as Mommy has fleas, they’ll continue to hop between her and her kittens. Click here for advice on different cat flea treatment methods you can use on adult cats.
The environment also needs to be treated, as cat fleas can live in bedding, carpets and furniture. Once again, you should take qualified advice on sprays that are suitable for use around small kittens.
The best way to get rid of kitten fleas, if you can manage it, is to remove them with a special flea comb which you can get from your vet. Have a bowl of water nearby. When you have fleas on the comb, submerge it in the water to drown them. You’ll need to keep doing this, as more fleas may hatch for up to 3 weeks.
