American Dog Tick Control

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Solaris87

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My wife is a friend to all living things. That's how we wound up with a skinny little waif of a cat about a month ago, and said cat's kittens this weekend. Yeah. Turns out there are people who don't bother to spay their cats. These same people will also abandon their cats for convenience's sake, too. I digress.
The ticks apparently think the wife's pretty swell, too.

This morning, we found one on her. Normally we don't get too excited, as we're both big critters and catch them before they get too invested in what they do, but now we have a lot of little critters. As American dog ticks can live and breed indoors, I'm looking to quash any infestation before it begins. The kittens are four days old, and I don't fancy their chances if they wind up with too many close, personal friends. Normally I spray with permethrin when we catch one of the li'l bastards in the apartment, but that's apparently a no-go with kittens. Any suggestions?
 
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For humans is garlic a decent help. But garlic in more than microscopic amount is unhealthy for cats.

Spread around diacetomeus earth. DE. Just make sure its food grade.
 
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Ticks are tough. It takes strong poison to get them. Too strong for babies. So just stick to picking/combing them off. They're big enough that you should be able to see them.

That said, if you spray around the outside perimeter of your house but not inside, that shouldn't be bad for the kittens.
 
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Since you've only found one tick, there is a good chance it fell out of tree or large bush onto your wife. There are those who say ticks don't climb trees, fine. They do run along the ground and when they discover a warm body (your wife) they race up the closest leg. It's possible for them to get as high as the rib cage before you notice them. Just saying.

Therefore, I'd wait until I actually saw a tick on the cats before going for dangerous chemicals. You can use a flea comb to get rid of the fleas. As soon as you comb them off the cat, clean the comb and drop the fleas and fur into a bowl of dish washer. Do not wet the comb with it, since this may make the cat leave. You can also wash the kittens with Dawn dish washing liquid (the dark blue original formula w/o perfume) is suggested. Hold kit under the kitchen faucet to rinse.
 
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Solaris87

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Thanks for the advice!
I haven't seen any on the kittens. The mother's actually been rather endearing; she was rather anxious about them for the first few days, and wouldn't leave them alone without either the wife or I sitting there to babysit the furry little jelly beans. I had to get a cot and sleep next to the nest until she moved them to the second nest at the foot of the bed a few days after giving birth, because the poor thing got so anxious with us sleeping a vast four feet away from the first nest. She kept hopping from her usual sleeping spot by my feet to the nest and back, yelling anxiously at me, until I got the cot down and slept next to them. If one of the kittens goes roaming, it's the human's job to catch them and bring them back; she'll look at the human and meow until we do. I made a little barrier to keep them contained for when we're not around. I can only imagine what it'll be like for her when they're actually walking. I read mother cats didn't usually like humans around their kittens, but I suppose nobody told her that.
She's been very fastidiously clean for the month or so that I've known her, and hasn't neglected grooming the kittens. There were no mites, fleas, or ticks on the mother when we found her (we checked very thoroughly, though naturally I wouldn't have noticed any eggs and no search will catch everything), and she hasn't been outside except for a couple of short walks with me in the garden before the kittens were born.

We've gone for spraying the outdoor perimeter, and my wife when she's going walking, with permethrin. I have some food-grade DE on order, as well, which I'll put down on the perimeter when it gets here. Our floors are all carpet, and I don't think the wife would look kindly on my deliberately tracking more dirt in here. I'll hold off anything more molecularly complex until the kittens are older and there's evidence of infestation. There's been no sightings since, so hopefully it's much ado about nothing.
The cat might not be the only one a bit anxious about the kittens.
 
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That's the best way to have kittens everyone being mom. Your cat adores you and thinks of you as litter mates auntie and uncle to her babies.
 
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Solaris87 said:
Thanks for the advice!
I haven't seen any on the kittens. The mother's actually been rather endearing; she was rather anxious about them for the first few days, and wouldn't leave them alone without either the wife or I sitting there to babysit the furry little jelly beans. I had to get a cot and sleep next to the nest until she moved them to the second nest at the foot of the bed a few days after giving birth, because the poor thing got so anxious with us sleeping a vast four feet away from the first nest. She kept hopping from her usual sleeping spot by my feet to the nest and back, yelling anxiously at me, until I got the cot down and slept next to them. If one of the kittens goes roaming, it's the human's job to catch them and bring them back; she'll look at the human and meow until we do. I made a little barrier to keep them contained for when we're not around. I can only imagine what it'll be like for her when they're actually walking. I read mother cats didn't usually like humans around their kittens, but I suppose nobody told her that.
She's been very fastidiously clean for the month or so that I've known her, and hasn't neglected grooming the kittens. There were no mites, fleas, or ticks on the mother when we found her (we checked very thoroughly, though naturally I wouldn't have noticed any eggs and no search will catch everything), and she hasn't been outside except for a couple of short walks with me in the garden before the kittens were born.

We've gone for spraying the outdoor perimeter, and my wife when she's going walking, with permethrin. I have some food-grade DE on order, as well, which I'll put down on the perimeter when it gets here. Our floors are all carpet, and I don't think the wife would look kindly on my deliberately tracking more dirt in here. I'll hold off anything more molecularly complex until the kittens are older and there's evidence of infestation. There's been no sightings since, so hopefully it's much ado about nothing.
The cat might not be the only one a bit anxious about the kittens.
Click to expand...
You're an old softie, kinda like me ;):hellocomputer:
If it helps, you can always wipe down (or remove) shoes at the door if you're worried about tracking the permethrin into the house and therefore around the kittens.
There's no harm in being prepared and proactive, that's how infestations are avoided in the first place and is really the most intelligent solution.
Welcome to TCS, as well!! :welcomesign:
Also, we wouldn't be mad or anything if you had pictures of the kittens to share.....;);):lol:
 
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