What To Use On Kittens For Fleas

How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Kittens

There are endless ways of getting rid of fleas on kittens, ranging from flea collars for cats to flea spray for cats and flea pills for cats. While these pet supplies brought from a pet store can most certainly help us get rid of fleas on kittens, but there are also many safe and effective home remedies for getting rid of fleas on kittens.

In the lines below, we will discuss some simple but effective home remedies for cat fleas.

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.

How Dawn Dish Soap Kills Fleas

Dawn dish soap is one of the most popular liquid dish soap brands in the US. It is a versatile cleaner, effective on almost any surface covered with oil, grime, and tough dirt, including upholstery, kitchen tops, and even clothing. Thanks to its safety and effectiveness, it has also become a common home remedy for removing grease and fleas from pet fur.

Dawn dishwashing soap is a non-allergenic product and is known to be well-tolerated on human skin. It is formulated with surfactants that effectively break the barrier between grease and water, making it easier to detach grime or dirt from dishes, clothing, and even animal fur.

The surfactants present in Dawn liquid soap also reduce the surface tension of water. So, instead of floating on the surface, they bind with the water to easily break down the dirt, stains, and oil. The same process also helps to drown the fleas but how exactly does that work?

Fleas have tough exoskeletons and lightweight bodies, which makes it challenging for them to be removed by water alone. The combination of waters high surface tension and their very light weight means it is very difficult to drown them.

Another interesting fact is that fleas are covered with a waxy coating that effectively repels water. Furthermore, their bodies are also designed with little combs that can firmly grip onto animals fur.

To effectively eradicate these pests from your pets fur, Dawn dishwashing soap works in three ways:

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Treat Fleas With A Dish Soap Bath

A gentle bath with dish soap will help to kill the live fleas and wash away the larva and flea dirt. Exercise caution when bathing the kitten, as baths can be traumatic to a kitten if done incorrectly. Here are some tips for providing a kitten with a dish soap bath:

• Use comfortably warm water and a fragrance free dish liquid or a natural baby shampoo.

• Try to complete the entire bath in less than 2 minutes, as kittens can become panicked or chilled during this process.

• Wash from the neck down, avoiding the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Never dunk a kitten’s head under water.

• Create a ring of soapy water around the kitten’s neck. This will act as a barrier so that the fleas do not run up the body and onto the head. Wash the neck first, then work your way down the rest of the body, lathering with warm water and dish soap.

• Wash the entire body from the neck down, including between the toes, under the arms, and on the tail.

• Rinse completely with clean, comfortably warm water.

• Immediately towel dry the kitten. It is safe to use a blow dryer with a kitten as long as it is on a low setting, is held at least 2 feet away, and is oscillating to avoid overheating. Dry the kitten completely.

• Spot clean the head with a washcloth, sponge, or cotton round and warm, soapy water. Avoid the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

• Place the kitten back into a warm environment Kittens can easily become chilled from a bath, and it is of utmost importance that the kitten be kept warm.

How To Get Rid Of Kitten Fleas In 5 Easy Steps

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Fleas are the unwelcome critters that do more harm than just a bite. These tiny creatures depend exclusively on blood for survival and reproduction. Under favorable environmental conditions, they can infest every corner of your homestead in a split of a second.

Cat flea scientifically known as Ctenocephalides felis is a popular species of flea that affect cats, dogs and other domestic animals. The wingless creatures attach and draw blood from the bodies of their hosts, not sparing kittens and puppies.

However, unlike adult cats, kittens have a weak immune system. This makes them vulnerable to several diseases that cat flea transmits. Alongside depression and stress caused by itching and insensitivity, the small pets will easily succumb to disease infection.

If you really love your pet, then you must act smart and in time. However, the main question is how? Dont fret. This guide will take you through five easy ways on how to get rid of kitten fleas at home.

Also Check: How To Keep A Cat Indoors

How Do Essential Oils Work To Kill Fleas

There are a few ways that essential oils work to kill fleas. Some oils, such as peppermint or citrus oil, contain compounds that make it difficult for the flea to breathe. Other oils, such as eucalyptus oil, have insecticidal properties. And, finally, oils such as lavender oil work to calm and soothe the cats skin.

When using essential oils for fleas on cats, its important that you use a carrier oil to dilute the oil before applying it topically to your cat. Carrier oils can be vegetable or nut oils and are usually chosen because they have a scent that the cat will like. Some common carrier oils used for cats include:

• Sweet almond oil

• Sunflower oil

Do not use more than one or two drops of essential oil at a time, and be sure to test it on a small patch of your cats skin before using it all over.

How Often Should I Flea Comb My Dog

The answer to this question varies. If you live in an area where fleas are common, then you may need to comb a couple of times a week, or in some cases, daily!

If fleas are only a seasonal problem and your dog doesnt seem to be itching, then try combing once a week during the warmer months. Fleas cant survive cold temperatures, but they can survive inside warm homes, even during the winter.

It is also a good idea to comb your dog for fleas after he visits an area that is frequented by other dogs or wildlife, such as open-space areas, dog parks, doggy daycare or boarding facilities.

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Easy Home Remedies For Fleas On Cats

ByAshleigh Gibbspublished 20 January 22

You’ll know fleas when you see ’em, so it’s important to know some easy home remedies for fleas on cats. The tell-tale sign of pests cannot be mistaken, but how to treat them is not always common knowledge

It’s important to seek professional advice from your vet on how to prevent fleas from making a home on your cat in the first place. The easiest way to prevent fleas from moving in are by getting year-round protection recommended by your vet. Products like flea collars for cats and topical flea treatments that will help make sure your cat is protected. If you didn’t successfully prevent fleas, however, you’ll want to know how to get rid of them.

Luckily, there are tons of commercial flea treatments on the market that include topical preventives, flea collars, flea shampoos, oral treatments, sprays and combs. The best flea treatment for cats is often a combined effort using more than one of the aforementioned treatments that utilizes both a fast-acting but short-term treatment and a a longer-lasting one.

These traditional, store-bought approaches often do the trick, but there are DIY, natural flea killer treatments you can use for cats. Not only will these repel and rid your home of fleas, but they don’t include any potentially harmful chemicals that could have side effects for your family and furbabies.

We’d recommend you consult your vet before using any of these methods, just to be extra safe.

Essential Oils For Fleas: Are They Effective

• Final Words

There are many different ways to get rid of cat fleas, but one option that is not often discussed is using essential oils. Essential oils have been used for centuries to repel insects and other pests, so it makes sense they might work against fleas too! But how effective are these natural remedies? And what about safety concerns? This blog post will address the use of essential oils for fleas on cats in detail.

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Using Flea Treatments Responsibly

NEVER use a flea product on a cat that has been formulated for use on a dog some of these contain permethrin, or related compounds, that can kill cats. Care should be taken to ensure that cats never have contact with these products, including contact with a recently treated dog as even this can lead to sufficient exposure to cause toxicity and death in cats

Some household pesticides such as wood treatments, ant and other insect killers may contain similar active ingredients to those used in flea treatments. To prevent additive effects, care must be taken to limit exposure to these.

Always read the small print carefully. Keep package inserts as they usually contain more detailed information than the outer packaging concerning any possible toxic hazards. If your pet does become ill after application of a product, always take the package insert with you to the vets. If in doubt, ask your vet.

Fleas On Kittens: How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Kittens 3 Home Remedies

REVIEWED & FACT-CHECKED

The information contained in this article is for educational purpose and should not be taken as a substitute for your vets opinion, as much depends on circumstances and history peculiar to each pet.

The information contained in this article is for educational purpose and should not be taken as a substitute for your vets opinion, as much depends on circumstances and history peculiar to each pet.

Has your cat been scratching and itching like crazy? Has she been chewing her skin? Does she see seem restless all the time? Probably, pesky little crittersfleas and tickshave been annoying your feline friend. Fleas on kittens is the worst nightmare of every cat owner.

Fleas suck the blood out of our cute little friends and make them itch and scratch. On top of that, the threat of fleas on cats jumping on humans in the house and spreading diseases like typhus and plague is pretty scary. Therefore, cat owners tryand must tryto get rid of fleas on kittens as early as they discover them.

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How Can I Treat My Home Environment

A number of products are available to kill the adult and larval stages of fleas and stop the flea life cycle, such as:

adulticide sprays for use in the house sprays containing IGR for use in the house insecticides applied by professional pest control companies

Sprays for use in the house should be used in places where the flea eggs, larvae, and pupae are likely to be. Treat the entire household first and then concentrate on the hot spots – your cat’s favorite napping spots – such as soft furniture, beds, and carpets. Once they hatch from the egg, flea larvae move away from the light and burrow deep into carpets and into other nooks and crannies where they are difficult to reach. Be sure to move cushions, furniture, and beds to spray underneath them. Other places larvae are likely to live include baseboards and the cracks and crevices between floor seams or floorboards.

Prescription Topical Flea Prevention

If you are looking for monthly broad-spectrum parasite control, take a look at Revolution Plus. It uses the active ingredients selamectin and sarolaner to kill fleas, ticks, heartworms, ear mites, roundworms and hookworms. It can be used on cats over 8 weeks of age and is safe for cats 2.8 pounds and larger.

Bravecto is a topical flea treatment option that uses fluralaner to kill adult fleas. This topical flea treatment will provide your cat with three months of protection. It should only be used on cats that are older than 6 months and weigh more than 2.6 pounds.

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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.

Can Indoor Cats Get Fleas

Yes, all cats, be they indoor or outdoor, are prone to catching fleas, ticks, and intestinal worms.

It is wrongly believed that indoor cats cannot catch fleas and ticks, etc., but that is just not true. No doubt, our indoor cats who spend their whole day lounging on a sofa or their window cat hammock watching birds, are at a lower risk of inviting fleas, but it is not impossible to find fleas on indoor-only kittens.

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Pet Naturals Of Vermont Flea + Tick Spray

The Pet Naturals of Vermont Flea + Tick Spray uses lemongrass oil, cinnamon oil, sesame oil, and castor oil to effectively repel fleas, mosquitoes, flies, and ticks. This spray is made in the U.S.A., using a combination of natural plant-based ingredients inspired by the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest. Rather than killing fleas, this spray creates a scent across your cats coat that is undesirable for these critters, so they should be discouraged from staying on your cat.

You may need to use this with another topical flea spray if you have an extreme infestation and want to kill fleas, as well as repel them. The good news is that thanks to the natural ingredients, this spray is safe to use on kittens of any age, unlike some other sprays that cant be used when theyre very young. This spray has a lemongrass scent, which some cats and their owners may find strongly off-putting.

Ark Naturals Flea Flicker! Spray harnesses the power of essential oils geraniol, eugenol, and peppermint to naturally repel fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. If your cat has skin sensitivities to traditional flea sprays, then this natural alternative might be the answer. Many natural sprays use citronella, cedarwood or leaf oil, and lemongrass, all of which can cause skin irritation.

• Needs reapplying frequently

Can Cats Get Rid Of Fleas On Their Own

Unfortunately, cats cannot get rid of fleas on their own. Fleas reproduce quickly, so the longer you wait to get your cat treatment, the worse their scratching can become, and the more fleas youll have in your home. Flea infestation can happen quickly, so its important to have your cat treated by a vet as soon as possible. If you notice any excessive scratching or see fleas in your home, take your cat to the vet immediately for treatment.

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Oral Flea Medication For Cats

If you are worried about exposing other members of the household to flea medications, products that are given orally are a good choice.

Comfortis is a prescription monthly chewable option thats safe for cats 14 weeks of age and older and 4.1 pounds and up. It contains the active ingredient spinosad, which kills adult fleas, and should only be given every 30 days.

Capstar, on the other hand, is OTC and approved for use in younger and smaller cats . It uses the active ingredient nitenpyram to kill adult fleas. Capstar is a great option for getting a flea infestation under control because it can be given every 24 hours, but it should not be used in place of monthly preventatives.

The most common side effects seen with oral flea preventatives are gastrointestinal issues like vomiting and diarrhea. If your pet vomits immediately after taking the medication, it can be difficult to gauge whether they absorbed the appropriate dose. Talk with your veterinarian to figure out the best way to handle this issue.

Fleas are not just annoying. They can also be associated with severe health problems like anemia, plague, murine typhus and bartonellosis, many of which can be spread to people. By talking with your veterinarian, you can evaluate the safe and effective flea treatments available and decide on the best option for your cat.

Importance Of Treating Fleas On Cats

Fleas themselves are typically non-life-threatening to healthy adult cats. However, flea bites can cause extreme itching in cats.3 Additionally, excessive scratching can lead to open wounds that are susceptible to infection.2 Fleas also spread diseases and illnesses that can affect a humans health, such as tapeworm, cat-scratch disease, murine typhus, and the plague.4

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Why Is Flea Control So Important

Naturally, fleas are annoying and itchy for your kitten. However, they can also transmit tapeworm to your kitten and in severe cases can cause anemia . Some cats and kittens are allergic to flea saliva, meaning they get a very nasty skin reaction to any flea bites.

On top of this, fleas can, and will, also bite humans! Once your kitten brings fleas into the home, their life cycle means that they can survive in the carpets and soft furnishings for many months.

So as you can see, flea control really is essential!