How to Get Rid of Fleas on 5 Week Old Kittens

Fleas on adult cats are irritating, but on young kittens that are just 5 weeks old they can contribute to anemia and exhaustion. A 5-week-old kitten that has fleas can be unhappy and lethargic until those fleas are removed, but removing fleas from a young kitten is significantly different than removing fleas from an adult cat.

Things You'll Need

  • Towels
  • Mild dish washing detergent
  • Flea comb
  • Cup
  • Petroleum jelly
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill your kitchen or bathroom sink with warm water. It should be warm, but it should not burn you when you test it with your hand.

    • 2

      Place the kitten in the water and get it completely wet.

    • 3

      Wet the kitten's face and head with a small wet towel.

    • 4

      Take the kitten out of the bath and set it on a large towel.

    • 5

      Massage a small amount of dish washing detergent into its fur. Do not get soap into its eyes, but be thorough. Do not forget the ears, the neck and underneath the chin.

    • 6

      Submerge the kitten in water again and rinse it off. If it is not struggling too badly, hold the kitten in the water for a few more minutes, which will drown more fleas.

    • 7

      Remove the kitten from the water and dry it off with a dry towel.

    • 8

      Run a flea comb through the kitten's fur while it is still mildly damp. Regularly dunk the flea comb into a cup of hot water to kill any fleas that you manage to remove.

    • 9

      Repeat these steps every few days until the fleas are gone.