Otc Topical Flea Prevention
Cheristin has been specifically formulated to kill fleas on cats using the active ingredient spinetoram. It is safe for kittens over the age of 8 weeks and as small as 1.8 pounds. Cheristin provides protection from fleas for a full month.
Advantage II kills fleas, flea eggs and flea larvae with the active ingredients imidacloprid and pyripoxyfen and can be used in cats over 8 weeks of age. Monthly formulations are available for kittens and cats weighing between 2 and 5 pounds, between 5 and 9 pounds, and over 9 pounds.
Do Kittens Need Flea And Tick Treatment
Flea and tick treatment is essential, even for kittens. Fleas and ticks are so much more than a nuisance. Yes, their bites can be itchy, but thats just where the trouble starts.
Some cats develop an allergy to flea saliva. Just one or two bites can lead to intense itching over large parts of their body. The scratching, chewing, and licking that follow often lead to hair loss, skin lesions, and infections. Large numbers of fleas can also remove so much blood that kittens become anemic. In severe cases, flea-bite anemia can lead to death.
Fleas also transmit diseases. Cats often get tapeworms by ingesting fleas that harbor immature forms of these parasites. Cat scratch disease and feline hemotrophic mycoplasmosisis are rare but typically pass from cat to cat through fleas. Tapeworms, cat scratch disease, and other flea-associated diseases like murine typhus and plague can also be transmitted to people.
Ticks are even better at passing on diseases than fleas. Two of the most important tick-borne diseases that affect cats are hemobartonellosis and cytauxzoonosis. Less commonly, cats can contract tularemia, babesiosis, and Lyme disease through tick bites.
Home Remedies For Fleas On Kittens
Note: Before using any home-based remedies on your cat, you must consult with your veterinarian, who would recommend the best course of action for getting rid of fleas on kittens, considering your kittens history.
Apple Cider Vinegar for Fleas on Kittens
Apple cider vinegar is one of the most popular at-home remedies for several cat health issues. For instance, it is believed to help our cats fight feline respiratory infection and also help cats with urinary tract infection by lowering the pH of their urine. Similarly, apple cider vinegar is also believed to be an effective way of getting fleas on kittens.
ACV does not kill fleas on kittens but only acts as an irritant for fleas, making them jump off of our little furry friends. While applying ACV to your flea-infested kitten, you should be taking all the precautions as there is a huge chance that fleas may jump on you as you are spraying ACV on your kitten.
Caution!
Never use concentrated ACV on kittens. It may do more harm than good.
Mix apple cider vinegar with water in a 2:1 ratio, and you are good to spray it on your flea-infested kitten. You can also use this solution while washing the beddings of your cat.
Dawn Dish Soap for Fleas on Cats
Believe it or not, dawn dish soap is one of the most effective at-home remedies for fleas on kittens. The dish soap breaks the exoskeleton of the fleas and kills them in minutes.
Cedar Chips for Fleas on Cats
Never Use Essential Oils on Kittens
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Symptoms Of Fleas In Cats
If your cat has fleas, it will be obvious. These little parasites are annoying and will irritate your furry friend to the point of utter frustration. The most typical signs of a flea infestation are:
- Black Flea dirt which are flea feces
One thing for cat owners to keep in mind is that as mentioned earlier some of these symptoms can develop from other conditions not involving fleas. The most specific signs to look for that coincide with a flea infestation are the tiny brown or red specks and the black flea dirt. Of course, if you see the fleas themselves you know your cats got them.
If your cat is in pain from a flea infestation you may want to read this next: What Can I Give My Cat For Pain Relief?
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Fleas On Cats
Fleas can be a real pain, and they can multiply and spread through your home quite quickly. However, many conventional methods contain dangerous chemicals that can harm your cat as well as other animals in your home. If you are looking for alternatives to chemical repellants, keep reading while we list several different DIY methods that you can use instead. For each method, well include a short description so you can see if its right for you.
However, before we go any further, we want to point out that home remedies are not an alternative to professional medical advice. If your pet has a serious issue, please consult your vet immediately.
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How To Safely Remove Fleas From Kittens
The dreaded little insects have invaded your kitten! Before you reach for any flea medicine for kittens, read these instructions.
There arent many things cuter than a kitten, but imagine your shock when playing with your new pet and finding fleas.
These little bloodsucking flightless insects can cause major problems for kittens and need to be removed.
Fleas can find their way to a kitten in many ways, even if the kitten is strictly an indoor-only cat. For example, the mom cat may have fleas, other pets may have brought in fleas, and sand tracked indoors can even contain fleas.
As soon as you notice there are fleas either in the house or on a pet, take action.
Exercise Caution And Consult Your Veterinarian
In addition to the home remedies mentioned, there are many instructions and recipes for making supposedly natural flea treatments on the Internet. Essential oils are beneficial to humans, but they can be fatal to fleas because they inhibit their movement and breathing. However, when using them, keep in mind that some natural remedies for fleas are toxic to cats and can lead to side effects.
Here is our advice on this matter:
- A lavender essential oil should NOT be used on a cats skin.
- Oils containing high amounts of phenol, such as thyme and oregano oil, should never be used on animals, and especially not on cats. Oregano oil can cause permanent liver damage in cats. Use olive oil instead.
- Tea tree oil can cause symptoms of intoxication such as weakness, tremors, diarrhea, and vomiting.
- Many homemade flea spray recipes include dish soap. However, like all cleaning agents, dish soap can cause symptoms of poisoning in cats. Never use dish soap directly on your pet to avoid side effects.
- Some cats may be allergic to essential oils like for example cedar oil.
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Treatment Options For Fleas On Cats
The mainstay of flea treatment in cats is topical or oral flea preventatives. Your veterinarian will likely prescribe one of the following flea medications to treat your cat. If your cat has secondary health concerns, your vet may prescribe different or additional medications.
Topical preventions include:
Remove Fleas From Your Home
Most fleas will live in your carpets and soft furniture. They can stay there, dormant, for up to a year. They will wake up through vibrations and are attracted to warmth and carbon dioxide. To treat your house:
Important
Never use flea sprays containing permethrin as this is dangerous to cats . Flea spray is also highly toxic to fish, so if you have a fish tank always follow the instructions.
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Why Trust The Spruce
Adrienne Kruzer is a Registered and Licensed Veterinary Technician in three states and has been writing on pet and vet topics for over a decade. She loves researching, learning, and problem solving in order to better help pet owners. Her years of working in various animal hospitals, alongside her formal college education and elective continuing education classes, have provided her with a wealth of experience and knowledge to benefit cat owners.
How To Safely Get Rid Of Fleas On Kittens: Best Treatment Options
Kittens with fleas should be taken seriously and treated immediately. If left untreated, these external parasites can cause discomfort, infestation, skin issues, and disease in both felines and humans. Fleas on cats are relatively easy to get rid of, but flea control for kittens can be tricky since the active ingredients found in many commercial products are unsafe for young cats.
Below, we discuss the risks of flea control product toxicity and the best natural treatments for kittens fleas that you can do from home. Youll also learn tips on safely how to get rid of fleas on kittens safely and prevent an infestation from recurring.
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The Life Cycle Of The Flea
1. Egg
3. Pupae
4. Adult
The amount of time it takes for a life cycle to complete depends on the environment as well as available hosts. If all conditions are met a cycle can be completed within two weeks. While it is typical for the cycle to be about two weeks, sometimes it can take up to four weeks for a complete life cycle to occur.
The life cycle of the flea begins when an adult female lays eggs. She will lay eggs on the host and will lay up to three times each day with as many as twenty to thirty eggs in each layer. While the adult female is laying her eggs, she will feed on the host by biting them and sucking the blood. Over the entire life span of a single adult female flea, which is about two weeks, several hundred eggs will be laid. The overwhelming amount of eggs produced during this time is one of the main causes of flea infestations.
Once the eggs have been laid, they will begin to develop on that spot. After a few days, they will hatch into the larvae and begin to feed on whatever suitable food source is nearby. This includes dead skin cells, organic matter, and/or the blood-rich feces of adult fleas.
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Ridding Your Home Of Fleas
Just as important as treating your cat, its imperative that you eradicate the fleas in your house. Fleas arent just concentrated on your cat. They can set up a home base in your yard, bed, couch, favorite chair, etc. a seriously skin-crawling thought. These extra steps can help you prevent future infestations:
- Vacuum everything.
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How Does A Kitten Get Fleas
Kittens can easily pick-up fleas outdoors. Female fleas lay about 40-50 eggs per day that lead to an infestation in days. Fleas jump from one pets fur to another. The kitten may get those fleas from their mother cat during nursing or breastfeeding.
Fleas often lay their eggs on your other pet animal, and some may fall off and hatch on your carpet, bed, or other furniture. Then, new fleas target your pet to feed on their blood and lay more eggs. Carpets and humid places contribute to the essential environment for flea growth.
How To Choose The Safest Flea Treatment For Your Cat
If youre concerned that your cat has fleas, you are probably in the market for a flea preventative medicine. However, safety is a big concern when it comes to treating pets for fleasespecially with cats.
And many flea treatments that are made for dogs can actually be extremely toxic to cats, so it is important to find one that is labeled for cats.
Heres how you can find a safe flea treatment for the cats in your home.
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Spot On Flea Treatment For Cats
Spot on products involve you applying a liquid to the skin at the back of your pets neck so that your pet can’t lick it. They are a very popular and effective method of flea control. Some products contain substances that kill adult fleas, while others work by interrupting the development of fleas and some do both.
How to apply spot on treatments
Tip
Some spot on treatments have a strong smell and some cats hate it! Always praise your cat with treats after each application.
The Many Benefits Of Noni For Dogs Cats Horses And Goats
Noni supplements can help cats and dogs because they are both carnivores. A horse can benefit from a variety of factors, including its herbivore status and high fruit and vegetable consumption. Noni, a sugar-based food, is an excellent source of nutrition for goats and other livestock. Noni can be used to treat a variety of illnesses, including colds, flu, diabetes, anxiety, and high blood pressure. Noni can also be used to treat depression and anxiety, as well as to maintain normal blood pressure and gum health. Noni has been shown to improve joint health, increase physical endurance, increase immune activity, inhibit glycation of proteins, aid weight management, help maintain bone health in women, reduce blood pressure, and improve gum health in human intervention studies.
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Treating Your Home For Fleas
In addition to treating your cat, youll also need to take steps to get rid of any fleas or eggs that might be hiding in your home. Fleas hang out in the furniture, carpet, or bedespecially in areas where your cat sits frequently. Flea eggs that hide in the upholstery will hatch later and start looking for a furry friend to feast on, so its critical that you get rid of these uninvited houseguests ASAP with help from the vacuum.
Experts point out that a regimen of vacuuming and washing makes a huge difference in the overall effectiveness of flea treatment. Focus on vacuuming any cracks and crevices , underneath your furniture, and anywhere your pets like to hang out. Dont forget to dispose of the vacuum bag in a sealed plastic bag, or wash out the canister right away so that no fleas escape. Steam cleaning carpets and furniture once youve treated your cat can also help ensure fleas are destroyed at all their life stages.
Along with proper treatment of your pet, vacuuming and thorough washing of textiles are usually enough to eliminate most fleas from your home. Wash sheets, pet bedding, and pillows once a week. Use the high-heat setting on your washer and dryer and bid farewell to any fleas that might be hiding in the fabrics.
What Is Noni Good For
The general use is to say that it is used in a broad sense. Noni has traditionally been used for colds, flu, diabetes, anxiety, and high blood pressure, as well as for depression and anxiety. Noni, a Hawaiian plant medicine, is used in various illnesses by the Polynesian people because it is made up of all plant parts.
Noni plants are native to Asia, Australia, and the Polynesian islands. Noni fruits, which are native to the Hawaiian Islands, have been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of health issues. Noni is traditionally used to treat colds, flu, diabetes, anxiety, and high blood pressure. Each of the plant parts in Samoan culture is used to treat a variety of illnesses. Noni is a Hawaiian plant medicine that is used a lot. Doses of 500 mg extract are nontoxic up to 750 mL per day. It is unknown whether any variations exist.
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Flea Treatment For Cats And Kittens
If your cat has fleas, you should contact your vet to ask about the best flea treatment and how often to give it. There are lots of products available in pet shops and supermarkets but ‘spot on’ treatments, flea tablets and injections from your vet are the best effective long-term methods of flea control.
You’ll usually need to give your cat this treatment, regularly. For example, most spot on treatments recommend that they are applied every month.
Important
Most flea treatments are only suitable for kittens aged over eight weeks old. Call your vet for advice urgently if your younger kitten has fleas, as blood loss from flea anaemia can be fatal.
Rosemary Oil Or Powder
Rosemary repels fleas and can be used in oil or powder form. To help get fleas off your dog, a few drops of rosemary oil on the base of his neck should help to deter fleas. You can also wash dogs in rosemary water as a natural flea bath. A powder made of equal parts rosemary, peppermint, fennel, rue, and wormwood can be ground together and sprinkled throughout the house. However, this will only repel fleas . Learn these secrets to avoid tick bites, too.
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