How to Remove Fleas Safely From Mother Cat & Week Old Kittens

Fleas are very dangerous for a mother cat and week-old kittens. Many young kittens die of anemia when they are born to a mother cat with fleas or get fleas early in their development. Fleas also affect the mother's health and its ability to successfully nurse kittens. Some flea removal products are safe for newborn kittens, but you should follow the directions very carefully. The mother cat and kittens will have to be carefully bathed and dried.

Things You'll Need

  • Flea spray
  • Surgical soap
  • Blow dryer
  • Towel
  • Box or cat carrier
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Instructions

    • 1

      Buy flea spray. Certain brands of flea spray, also called flea and tick mist, can be safely used on the mother and week-old kittens. Read the instructions on the back of the bottle to make sure that the brand you choose is safe for use. Some sprays will require you to buy two separate bottles, one for the mother and one for the kittens. Follow the directions on the product carefully, as application instructions may differ for the mother cat and kittens.

    • 2

      Bathe the cats. After using the flea spray, place the cats on a towel. Then gently use soap and water on the mother cat and kittens. If flea sores are visible and inflamed, you may need to use surgical soap. Make sure the week-old kittens do not begin to shiver. If you are unable to obtain flea spray immediately, then you may want to wash the kittens and manually pick the fleas off, since anemia caused by fleas can be deadly for very young kittens.

    • 3

      Dry the cats. Make sure you dry the kittens first, since they will need to be dried immediately. If the kittens are at least a week old, you can use a hair dryer. Be careful not to blow the hair dryer directly in the kittens' face. Use a towel on the mother cat, since mature cats usually do not like the sound of a blow dryer.

    • 4

      Put the kittens in a warm place. The mother cat should be fine after you towel dry it. After you have used the hair dryer on the kittens, put them in a box or an enclosed place to keep them warm. You may also put them in a cat carrier and continue to blow warm air on them for a while.

    • 5

      Make sure the mother's nipples are clean. When you are spraying, rinsing and drying the mother cat, ensure that flea spray and debris is removed from her nipples. Leaving product or flea debris on the mother's nipples could have harmful results on the mother cat's milk and ability to feed the kittens.