Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Hi guys,

I have rescued 2 kittens recently.
The flea problem came from Mo Mo, I only noticed today. Since he's so young, I was wondering if anyone knows how to get rid of fleas from kittens at such a young age?

I bathed both of them when I first got them home. Moki does not have fleas, but Mo Mo still does. I asked the vet for help but he told me to wash him with flea shampoo. I've read that it's not safe for kittens. Please help! Thanks. :)

Here are their pet profiles:

Mo Mo : http://www.petfinder.my/pets/9481/

Moki : http://www.petfinder.my/pets/9413/

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Hi Neems,

Why don't you use Frontline spray?
Its safe for pregnant cats as well as kittens aged above 2 days old {good}

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Hi!

Thanks for the reply! I have asked some pwople about using the spray, they say it's not safe either. That's why I'm stuck. Is there any other way?

Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

What abt Frontline Spot On?? Try that one.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

frontline spray is ok as vet also using it. You dont spray it to them, but spray on a facial cotton or normal cotton then wipe on their fur. but not on the face area. {victory}

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Frontline Spray provides long-lasting, effective control of fleas and ticks on your cat and dog. Kills up to 100% of existing fleas in less than 24 hours. Frontline Spray continues killing fleas for an entire month or more. Recommended for: Severe existing flea and tick infestations, Multi-pet households, Initial treatment of flea allergy dermatitis (FAD.) Dogs and cats as well as puppies and kittens 4 weeks of age or older.

This is what I managed to get off the Frontline website. So it is safe to use on kittens {good}

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Thank you all. :) I'm glad that I can do something about it. Do you know how much the Frontline Spray is? I think I've used it before, it's the blue and white bottle, am I right? Thanks again :)

Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

The big bottle cost me RM70. I bought it Oct last year.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Are you kidding? The Spot-On is even more damaging because the kitten needs to be older than for the Spray. Please check out any advise that you give out to others because if you give out the wrong information of ignorance, it will cause damage to the poor kitten. Also, there is the amount (volume) to be applied according to the body weight so as to prevent overdosage because all flea products are poison and hence, is toxic. So be very careful with the application and the amount. Also, you must never apply more than once within 30 days because of the toxicity, so you really need to do it properly. Read the instructions carefully and refer to Frontline website.

Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Hello!! I read one glance only to realise if was a kitten,ok. Don't get emotional.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Not emotional, Moderator, just pointing out some facts so that the kitten does not get hurt because some owners do not bother to check things out and immediately carries out the well-meaning "advice" given out because they think they are getting "correct" advice. It helps to understand the situation, reduce miscommunication and for everyone to be more responsible all round, especially when giving out advice to a novice who can sometimes misunderstand. {happy}

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Neems, I read that actually in UK, you need a vet's prescription to purchase the Frontline spray (see http://www.buyfrontline.co.uk/), so that is an indication that like all insecticides which are classified as poisons, need to be handled with great care. I attach instructions from Frontline website on how to apply the Frontline Spray, I hope it helps you as it has helped me. {happy}

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Thank you. :)

I have bought the spray before a long time ago. I was trying to cure an adult cat, which was much easier. So, I think I'm going to let the vet do it.
Feeding them can be hard for me, I can't imagine putting the spray on. I don't want anything bad to happen. Thanks again. {wink}

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

i got same exp. i sent my furkid to the vet in tmn segar. they did the same way...spray frontline on them. since that day i get one to get ready for the unexpected enemy. like what akak felix said...frontline can spray on kitten as young as 2/3 days of age. read the label please

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

^ Yes, I know that the spray is fine, I can read. I'm just going to let the vet do it. I was saying if I did, I'm afraid something might go wrong.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

ic..ok...but dont wait too long lah, cepat2 hantar vet. flea cepat membiak. takut nanti kucing lain pun akan kena.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Yes, that is a wise decision if you are unsure, leave it to the experts who are professionally trained to do things. Overdosing is a real danger because kittens sometimes can be so young. Even though some websites claim safety for kittens as young as less than a week old I do wonder because their internal organs are so young and newly developed. Sometimes I wonder if some manufacturers are more interested in increasing the usage so as to make more money and safety (for your pets, not theirs) get thrown out the window.

I myself do not apply Frontline to my pets unless they actually come down with fleas because I do not want to increase their risk in developing hyperthyroidism when they are older (as studies have indicated). We only use it when absolutely necessary otherwise a flea comb used properly will do quite a good job. It only takes more time and effort, but definitely safer for the young pets.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

[ic..ok...but dont wait too long lah, cepat2 hantar vet. flea cepat membiak. takut nanti kucing lain pun akan kena]

Sorry Jamal, I don't understand what you said.

Thanks for helping me guys. The flea problem is gone now. :)

I have another problem now, Mo Mo [The younger kitten] is having Diarrhea. I'm wondering maybe it's because of what he eats daily. All he wants is milk, and I have to feed him with a syringe or he won't eat anything. I have tried giving him some wet food on my hand, and all he does is suck on it. Sometimes I'll give him some wet food using a syringe. Moki on the other hand, eats very well on his own. They are both about the same age, probably just a week apart. Does anyone know whats wrong with Mo Mo? Or it's just not time yet for him to eat wet food? He is around 1 month, 1 week. What's the best food to feed kittens of this age? For now [as the vet told me]I feed them hills, and, Friskies Kitten [wet food].

I might go to the vet again to check on the diarrhea problem.

EDIT: I went to the vet today, but he's not in. I'm worried now because Mo Mo is losing some weight. I have read a lot about diarrhea problems and all. His appetite is still there, but he only drinks milk about 3/4 syringe full. He tried eating the Fancy Feast kitten food I bought today, but not much. [The woman at the vet told me everything else was discontinued, and Fancy feast was the best they had.] Does anyone know what's wrong? Please help! I've taken care of kittens from 4 months old - to 7 years of age. But never a kitten this young, It's like I'm learning everything all over again, I'm afraid I'm doing something wrong.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Is it possible Mo Mo has Coccidiosis?
Here's a link explaining what it is: http://pet-diseases.suite101.com/art...es_and_kittens

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Neems, you said that MoMo only sucks at the wet food (like 4 of my very young rescued orphaned kittens). This indicates that he is able to eat watery porridge-like food, so since MoMo is only about 1 month old, you can purchase a small pack of Royal Canin 34 BabyCat for very young kittens 1-4 months old (not 36 Kitten for kittens 4-12 months old) dry kibbles. Do not give milk because he is having diarrhea - I have successfully raised very young kittens with RC Babycat alone.

To prepare: Soak a teaspoonful RC Babycat kibbles in a little hot water (not boiling - you do not want to destroy any good nutrients with the high heat - never microwave it!), cover and leave aside for about 15-20 mins till it is body temperature. Use enough hot water (about 2 times the volume of the kibbles) so as to get soft kibbles.

Put the softened kibbles into a tiny (since the kitten is very tiny) saucer (like the small soya sauce saucers in Chinese food stalls). Use very clean fingers to mash up the softened kibbles till you get a smooth paste like porridge. Add a tiny bit of warm water if needed to get a porridge consistency (do not put too much water until it is too watery because you want the kitten to consume nutritious kibbles, not water!).

As you need to feed the kitten very 4 hours or so, you can soak more kibbles (1 day's supply, not more) in a tiny glass bottle and put it in the fridge. Take out 1 heapful teaspoon in the soya sauce saucer and place the saucer in a plate of hot water to warm up, then mash and give to the kitten.

Slowly as time goes, you can put less water in the mashed kibbles to get a thicker consistency and also leave some unmashed kibbles in for the kitten to get used to eating whole unmashed kibbles. Later you can start sprinkling some dry kibbles on top for it to learn to eat dry kibbles (and your life will be much easier since you can then leave a small bowl of dry kibbles for it to eat all day). With the RC Babycat, you actually do not need to supplement with milk (high risk of diarrhea because of incompatibility with mother's milk) or any wet food (DO NOT give any fish products at all - only chicken products).

My 4 orphans have since grown up big and healthy. Good luck to you, Neem!

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Neems, no, the diarrhea could simply be due to the food change and stress (most often is the cause with newly adopted/fostered kittens). A lot of milk are also unagreeable with tiny kittens. The cat and kitten's digestive system is very delicate. Please try the RC Babycat alone for 1-2 weeks - my kittens have done very, very well on it. Initially my tiny kittens had diarrhea too and they splattered all over the top layer of the thickly newspaper-lined cage floor but I continually removed the top soiled layer, leaving a new clean lower layer beneath every time - saves you a lot of time on cleaning, not to mention the pong of the poorly digested poo.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Thank for the advice. I know all about what you've said, and I've tried all that. Mo Mo still refuses to eat anything. All he wants is milk, and if he doesn't get it he won't eat anything. He'll just keep sucking on his paw or my hands.

My sister brought him to the vet this morning, and the vet said that Mo Mo has worms, and the diarrhea is caused by the milk he drinks. She too suggested Royal C, but I've tried it before, and Mo Mo still won't eat.

I'm really confused now, how can I get him to eat? I've tried different kinds of food. Right now it's hills and Royal C. He still won't eat. The milk I give him is Animalac Plus.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

neems,

I'm not sure if this will help, but it might be worth a try if you haven't already tried it.

Grind or pound the RC kibbles into powder, and mix it with some of the animalac plus milk. Mix it into a paste, like those bottled baby food, and scoop bits of it onto your finger, and let Mo Mo lick it off your finger. Hopefully he might grow to like the taste. Good luck!

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Neems,

When my Bobo got diarrhea last time, I fed him with boiled breast chicken. I gave my best to ensure it is fat free, by removing all skin and fat, and then I took only breast part. The meat will be boiled till the water turned pinkish. Do not overcooked. Cat is carnivore by default and for sure it will eat and can digest meat better. That time my Bobo was around 2 months old. Like Mo Mo,he refuse to eat anything, but suprisingly he love boiled chicken so much and ate alot. His poo turned solid again and the color turned to dark choc (almost black) after few days took only boiled chicken. I learned this from this forum as well.

One more thing I learned from this forum is, when my cat having stomach upset,never feed him with fat/grain based food. Like most kibbles, it contained fibre which cat is carnivor by default cant digest it well. Better and will be good if you feed Momo with boiled soft breast chicken till the stool become solid as usual.

Just my 2 cents

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Thanks, I did that before. He won't eat unless I use a syringe. I have to force feed him sometimes. But now he's doing a little better, starts eating from a bowl, but still too little. He'll always come running back to me, and Moki ends up finishing up his food.

Moki, on the other hand, eats a lot, sometimes I'm not sure when to stop him. His stomach is bloated up. When we brought him to the vet, it's worms. It's only been 3 days since he's got his second de-worming, and Moki's stomach is still bloated. Never thought kittens would be so hard to take care of. {sweat}

Thanks again for the advice. {happy}
Thank you Farah. I will take your advice and start boiling chicken. {happy}
Is it just boneless chicken breasts boiled in water? With nothing else?

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

No, they are easy if you know how. If you don't know, anything can be hard. {wink}Boneless chicken breast meat lightly steamed or lightly boiled in very little water (which will become sweet and concentrated stock) which will can be given to the little one to drink as broth or mixed in little by little with the mashed chicken meat. Do not overcook the meat as this will make the meat dry, tough and tasteless (less palatable, and cats, especially MoMo, are very finicky eaters). It should be cooked rare, like the way you cook your steak rare with the meat pinkish in color and lot of sweet meat juice still in the meat.

Also, Neem, try to do away with the poor quality Animalac milk and go for the better quality Milkodog which cost a little more if you still want to give milk to very small rescued kittens in future. I never give milk, just slightly warm mashed RC Babycat or the high-stress Hill's A/D mashed with a little warm water in a small 1ml syringe for quickies. My vet gives a lot of Hill's A/D in a syringe to tiny rescued orphans because it is quick and convenient.

Do not give any more milk to MoMo because it will definitely make his diarrhea worse.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Harder than I thought it would be. But I love being a mum to them, and I'm learning, which is great. {wink}

Thanks for the tips. Going to buy some chicken today. {happy}

Where can I buy Milkodog? How much is it? The only one the vet had was Animalac plus.

BTW, Do you know what causes a kitten to get a bloated stomach? Moki has a bloated stomach and I have de-wormed him twice. But his stomach is still bloated. I'm worried because his body is so small, it's the stomach that stands out.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Hahaaa! Never mind, love makes the world go round ... love is a powerful motivator .... hahahhahaaaa!!! Keep it up!The vets which service better clientele will carry the more expensive and better quality products because these better informed customers will pay for such products. As for pet shops, not many but SEA PARK PET SUPPLIES in SS2 and their branch in Sunway Damansara sells it.It takes a little while for the stomach size to go down after deworming. But if he eats like a little piggie like you described (hehehheeee!!! gobbling up other's ration), he ought to look like a little piggie doesn't he? But seriously, it will be good for you to ask a good and committed vet. How long ago did you pick him up and when did you deworm him and how long ago? Neem, deworming agents are also poison, like the flea products, so do follow instructions very carefully, ya?

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

True! hehe, thanks. {happy}

Where is SS2? And, Sunway Damansara that's really far from where I live! Is there anyway I can buy online? Animalac Plus is finished now, and Mo Mo needs it, atleast 5 times a week. [Or he won't eat] I need to get another one. Since you said it's not good, I'm going to have to look for another.

He does eat a lot, yes. But He's not fat, it's just the stomach. Everywhere else is pretty small. I went to the vet about 3 times already. The first 2 times I went to a new vet. The third time, I went to my regular vet, [A much better one] and I told her that the kittens has been de-wormed, but she told me to bring them in every 2 weeks for de-worming.

Mo Mo is starting to eat now, which is very good. But he still wants milk every now and then. No more diarrhea. {happy}

Moki is OK, eats well, active, but he's wheezing now. I don't know if that's bad. It's like grunts, and weird but he coughs sometimes. He makes sounds like a pig would do. I read somewhere that it could be flu. Should I bring him back to the vet?

Thanks again for your help, very much appreciated. {happy}

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Well, Neem, I do not know where you stay but what you can do is to flip the Yellow pages, go to Pet Shops/Pet Supplies section as well as Vets section, pick up the phone and call to find out who sells Milkodog nearest to you and how much. {wink}

p.s. And better to let a vet take a looki at Moki because young kittens like Moki and MoMo are very vulnerable. Let them eat as much as they want and can, especially the steamed chicken breast meat because poor eaters stand a very poor chance of surviving diseases and illness ... from my experience, only the gluttons manage to survive.

All the best, have a nice weekend!

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Hi again! {happy}

Well I took them to the vet yesterday, they are both doing fine. Vet told me that Moki is fat! [You were right] and I might be over feeding him. He also has Ear-mites in one ear.

As for Mo Mo, he's doing OK. But I see that he's getting thin after I stopped feeding him with the syringe. He does eat on his own but not much. The vet also told me that he doesn't need milk anymore. I'm a little confused because Mo Mo won't stop sucking my hands, the floor, his bed, his food, etc. I might feed him milk again. Poor thing, I feel so bad not feeding him milk. {sweat}

Thanks again for all your help. {happy}

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

If you are feeding MoMo milk through the syringe, that means MoMo is not consuming milk voluntarily on his own. If you MUST use the syringe to force feed, I strongly suggest you do so using mashed RC Babycat instead of milk. RC Babycat supplies better and much more nutrition to MoMo than milk at his age.

It is obvious that MoMo is sucking everywhere because he is very, very hungry. He is thin (you say) and the poor little boy is in fact starving! He is sucking because the way he eats is still like a very young kitten, sucking up fluid food. That is why I suggested that you experiment and find the correct consistency of mashed, moist RC Babycat for him. Feeding him the food using syringe will get him used to the taste and he will soon suck and lap it off the small plate byall by himself.

If MoMo does not eat the RC Babycat real soon, he is definitely going to fall behind and soon succumb to ill health. From my experience, thin and poor eaters die very fast, that is why good eating is my top priority.

You are lucky that MoMo wants to eat very much (all the empty sucking) and you have to really capitalise on this fast because if he doesn't get healthy, he is going to lose his appetite and the desire to eat very fast and then there is nothing you can do for him.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

He is consuming milk voluntarily on his own. He vigorously sucks all the milk out of the syringe and desperately clings on it. He does not do this with RC baby cat food.

I do feed Mo Mo RC baby cat all the time with a syringe. He does not want to eat it. If it's milk with Hill's he will suck on the syringe and eat it. Sometimes he'll eat it from his bowl. But with RC he does not swallow, and it ends up all over his chin and neck, even if I force feed him. I'm slowly taking him off milk. The only food he seems to enjoy is hill's and anything with fish mixed with milk.

Mo Mo is not sickly thin, he's lost a little bit of weight and he is much taller now. If comparing to Moki yes he looks thin, because Moki is older. You can see Mo Mo's new pictures in his petfinder page. :)
This happened to Moki when he was first brought home. After a couple of weeks Moki gained weight on his own. Mo Mo is 1-2 weeks younger. The vet weighed him, he is about 600 grams. She said that is OK. And no he is not starving. I will not let this happen. I make sure he is fed by me or my sister [every 4-5 hours], and the sucking is maybe a habit, and he probably misses his mummy.

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Alright, finally you are describing it well and I get the picture.

When you mention Hill's is it the A/D? If MoMo will eat it, well, stock up on it and let him eat as much as he wants and as often as he will. Also, give him all the milkodog he wants to drink. After all, he is still very young and lactose intolerance only builds up after age of 6 months. Don't worry, spoil MoMo all he wants because he is still a tiny baby. Give him lots of A/D (not the other prescriptions) and lots of good quality milkodog.

You are a good cat mommy, Neem! Well done!

Re: Flea problem [1 month old kitten] Please help!
 

Yes, Hill's A/D.

Right now he's eating on his own! I'm so happy. {happy} I've changed the food to AvoDerm just today. They love it! I haven't been feeding them hills for a few days now couldn't find the time to go buy it, before shop closes. [Most of the food I buy online] MoMo does not consume milk like he use to. I'll give him a little bit mixed with Blackwood Kitten sometimes.

I see some difference now. You are right RC babycat is much better. I've tried Science-plan for kittens, and now they eat blackwood. Canned food Artemis, AvoDerm and boiled chicken. [Is this OK?] I stopped feeding them fancy feast.

Could you tell me what's the best food for kittens?