5 Week Old Kittens With Fleas

[Holistic Cat Mama]

Hi all! I rescued a stray Momma and her 3 approximately 3 month old kittens. After a month of socializing I adopted 2 out and the following day she had 5 more babies!
Babies are now 5 weeks old. They aren't infested with fleas but have enough to bother them which bothers me. I treated Momma a week ago with Advantage 2.

The owners of the feed store where I got the Advantage said it's fine to just put one drop on 5 week old kittens but I'm afraid to do that.
Has anyone done it?

I don't want to bathe them if I don't have to. I flea combed them and got a few fleas off each one of them but it's hard to do their little faces. I used Diatomaceous Earth all over the carpets and bedding.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Maybe there's something in here;
How To Treat Fleas In Young Kittens – TheCatSite Articles

 

[Sarthur2]

At 5 weeks you can put 2-3 drops on the back of each of their necks. Pour the contents of a tube into a glass or a bowl and use a syringe to put drops on them. It should help!

I hope you can get mom spayed soon to prevent more litters! They are beautiful! Thank you for caring for them!

 

[Holistic Cat Mama]

At 5 weeks you can put 2-3 drops on the back of each of their necks. Pour the contents of a tube into a glass or a bowl and use a syringe to put drops on them. It should help!

I hope you can get mom spayed soon to prevent more litters! They are beautiful! Thank you for caring for them!

Thank you! I wanted to get her spayed when I brought her home. Our local feral spay and neuter program and many others closed due to covid except for emergencies. Now appointments are 3 months away. I won't let her outside, I don't let any cats outside! I didn't know she was pregnant when I first brought her and her other babies here. Suddenly it was obvious. Poor Momma. She's a black Manx Rumpy and very tiny. I don't know if being completely tailless without even a stub makes labor worse but she was screaming every time.

 

[Sarthur2]

Poor mommy. Some cats have it easy and others struggle. I knew she was pregnant when you brought her in. She’ll have heat cycles you’ll have to put up with, but it will be worth it once she’s spayed. So glad she is safe and cared for now. If possible, see that the kittens are fixed before going to new homes.

 

[Holistic Cat Mama]

Poor mommy. Some cats have it easy and others struggle. I knew she was pregnant when you brought her in. She’ll have heat cycles you’ll have to put up with, but it will be worth it once she’s spayed. So glad she is safe and cared for now. If possible, see that the kittens are fixed before going to new homes.

I have an Adoption Application and if approved they have to sign a legal contract that the kittens will be spayed or neutered within 4 months and if they don't show proof they are in breach of contract giving me the right to take the cats back. I won't spay or neuter an 8-12 week old kitten because mine died on the table last year while being neutered.

 

[Sandra Kay]

Hi all! I rescued a stray Momma and her 3 approximately 3 month old kittens. After a month of socializing I adopted 2 out and the following day she had 5 more babies!
Babies are now 5 weeks old. They aren't infested with fleas but have enough to bother them which bothers me. I treated Momma a week ago with Advantage 2.

The owners of the feed store where I got the Advantage said it's fine to just put one drop on 5 week old kittens but I'm afraid to do that.
Has anyone done it?

I don't want to bathe them if I don't have to. I flea combed them and got a few fleas off each one of them but it's hard to do their little faces. I used Diatomaceous Earth all over the carpets and bedding.

Any other suggestions?

I am a foster care and kitten rescue.. I use Capstar from Amazon, kills all fleas and larvea on the kittens , starts working 15 to 30 minutes killing fleas on the kittens USE older than 4 week's, crush the right dosage in the food , each kitten and mama needs own dish , follow up with Vet's Best flea and tick spray also from Amazon, use in all areas , bedding and even on your kitten, it is a natural product. If the kittens get irritated from the dying fleas use some of the spray small amount all over them and keep them warm if they get chilled, I use a blow dryer on low heat. Keep up with the Diatomaceous earth.

 

[Sarthur2]

Capstar says it can be given starting at 2 pounds but I do not recommend it for kittens. Also, do not ever put flea spray directly on kittens. It can be very toxic. It is meant for carpets and furniture and pets need to be kept isolated from it while it dries.

 

[Sandra Kay]

Capstar says it can be given starting at 2 pounds but I do not recommend it for kittens. Also, do not ever put flea spray directly on kittens. It can be very toxic. It is meant for carpets and furniture and pets need to be kept isolated from it while it dries.

You can also break down the dosage by weight for kittens with infestation, Capstar, natural ingredients are also safe on kittens

 

[ReneeH]

I have 5 1/2 week old kittens, 4 of them. This morning I found fleas on them. Loads of fleas! Mama doesn't go out and I did not find any on her. I'm sure she has them, but I just didn't find them. I'm working on getting the fleas off, but the runt is not doing well. She's just laying and not up playing at all. Her gums aren't the pretty pink so I know she's become anemic, just from reading previous articles. My vet is closed, and the 24 hour vet wants $350 up front. For each kitten and I don't have that kind of money. Is there something I can give the runt to help her until Monday, when I can get her to her vet?
This has never happened before so I'm at a total loss and I'm just heartbroken! We've always kept our mama cat flea free, but now, it's just horrible!

 

[Sarthur2]

She needs fluids right away such as unflavored pedialyte. You can make some with water, sugar or honey, and a sprinkle of salt. You’ll need to syringe it into the side of her mouth slowly, letting her swallow in between. Apply honey to her gums first for quick energy, then give her the solution. Hopefully this will perk her up. Repeat often. She really does need medical attention!

Are the kittens still nursing mom, or are they eating soft wet food yet?

The kittens are old enough to be bathed with blue Dawn dish soap to get some of the fleas off. You can also put 2-3 drops of Advantage II on each of their necks.

I hope this helps!

R ReneeH

 

[ReneeH]

Thank you so much! My little Runt died Saturday evening. I was a mess! So now, I'm working on keeping the 3 healthy ones....healthy! They are playing and doing well, but I have vet appointment tomorrow, mainly for the fleas. I just don't understand how they are getting fleas, when they don't go outside! My husband is going to treat our yard, just in case, as soon as it dries up here in East Texas. We do have a couple of "pet" raccoons that we feed. Do they carry fleas? Maybe when they come on porch some fleas drop off and we bring them in the house? Something I definitely need to check into. Yes, Georgie (mama) is still nursing babies some. They are not wanting to eat tho. They prefer boobie lol. But, she's trying to make them eat the kitty food. I also have kitty milk for them. I still have 2 rescue's (indoor) that I raised from 2 weeks old on kittly milk and I'm afraid they are spoiled on it, so I keep it on hand for them at all times. I drove almost 30 miles one time to get their kitty milk, because down here, only Brookshires carries the Whiska's Kitty Milk and my normal store was out, the next town over was out also! What we do for our fur babies! Again, thank you so so so much for this information! I'll be keeping it, just in case. I don't expect any more babies, but people love to drop their cats off at our house for some reason. Thrown out like yesterdays garbage and yes, it makes me so mad since these are lovable cats, yet I can't keep them all.