How to Use a Flea Collar & Frontline on a Kitten

Fleas are a serious problem in kittens: they can cause anemia and skin sores apart from the general irritation of having fleas. The first line of defense is to treat the kitten's mother and the surrounding environment---after all that is where they got the fleas in the first place. Kittens under eight weeks old should not be treated with chemical flea treatments or wear flea collars; a warm bath with specially formulated soap from your vet is preferred; and then hand-comb out the fleas. Frontline flea treatments and flea collars can be used on kittens once they are more than eight weeks old.

Things You'll Need

  • Scissors
  • Frontline
  • Flea collar
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Instructions

    • 1

      Snip the end of your Frontline applicator with the scissors. Make sure you have talked to your vet about the right Frontline product to use for your kitten and have purchased the recommended product. Alternatively twist off the applicator cap, depending on the product design.

    • 2

      Hold your kitten so that the majority of its back is exposed towards you; if it is a calm kitten, then you can simply sit it on your lap. More active and squirming kittens need to be held firmly in place.

    • 3

      Part the fur on the back of the kitten's neck between the shoulder blades. Hold the Frontline applicator vertically, tip close to the skin on the parted line of fur.

    • 4

      Squeeze the applicator and run it back along the parted line directly on the skin. Try not to get any on the surrounding fur, or on any place the kitten can lick.

    • 5

      Wait for the Frontline to absorb for a couple of hours before placing the flea collar around your kitten's neck. Again, always check with your vet which flea collar is appropriate for use with kittens. Most flea collars offer around four months of protection, while Frontline is generally applied monthly.