A Flea On The Kitten! Bath Or No Bath?

[Lots of spots]

Hi guys,
Mia's 2 kittens are 1 week old today and gaining weight. All is good but for me handelih the kitten last night when I noticed a flea deep in his fur. I was able to get the little bugger out and checked for others but didn't see any. I put Frontline on mom and my other cat right away. They are both indoor cats so I have no idea how a flea got on the kitten!

I changed out their bedding last night and threw it in the wash. I rechecked both this morning and saw one on the other kitten that I was not able to get.

I have the dawn soap ready and have been washing all sheets, blankets and cloths in the house in case there are eggs ( soooo happy I don't have carpet!)

I checked the kittens again just now and could not find any fleas. My question is do you guys think the flea will bit mom with Frontline and die and therefore I should spare the kittens the stress of a bath or do you think I need to bath them anyway??

I am changing their bedding daily now to make sure I am washing out and eggs that may drop.

 

[Kieka]

I would not bathe the kittens. Kittens can't regulate their body heat well and unless it is absolutely necessary it is best to avoid baths until they are older. Just keep an eye on them, keep their bedding clean and remove any other fleas you see. Between all the other steps it shouldn't be a major issue to give it a few days to see if you see any others. If you are still seeing fleas in a few days you can give them a bath with unscented dawn dish soap (the blue one). Just be careful to keep them warm as they dry.

There is a nice little video here that could help with tips if you do bathe them Fleas — Kitten Lady

 

[ashade1]

I don't recommend giving a bath until they are at least 5 weeks old! Flea treating mom does work! Though we usually recommend Advantage, not Frontline, its safer for nursing moms. Just keep changing the bedding- and wash bedding in hot water to kill flea eggs!