[bbaker296]

So my 8 month old cat got out a few months ago ONE time, and sure enough she got pregnant, and got fleas all at once! We bathed her w/ shampoo's and used Advantix, but the fleas came back. She then had her baby (yes.. just one baby kitten) about 5 days ago, and she now keeps bringing him to me no matter where I am sitting in the house. He is meowing a lot, and is infested with fleas from the mother. I can't afford to take her to the vet.. and I don't know what to do. So it seems I have a couple questions.. Is this normal/ok for her to bring him to me? And.. How can I get rid of fleas on a 5 day old kitten? I am so overwhelmed..

[tickle]

First question is, is she nursing that one kitten,because if not, you will have to buy some similac from the drug store (yes baby formula) and a little play bottle and start mixing and feeding, my girl. She wants you to take care of that little one and its just what you have to do. Fleas will have to wait because you can't bathe that little thing for a while yet; you will kill it. Keep us posted!

Check momma cats nipples and try to express some milk to make sure she has some and if she does, latch that little thing on to her so it can eat. Probably very hungry.

Tick

[bbaker296]

She seems to be willing to nurse, but the little guy just won't eat! Every time he is about to latch on he jerks his head back and won't do it. I have tried tediously to latch him on, and she is making milk in 2 of her nipples, but he just isn't having it, it seems I am going to have to go get a bottle for him and give him baby formula then.. I am nervous to handle him too much , because momma seems to get very upset and anxious when I do.

[Wondergirl]

She seems to be willing to nurse, but the little guy just won't eat! Every time he is about to latch on he jerks his head back and won't do it. i have tried tediously to latch him on, and she is making milk in 2 of her nipples, but he just isn't having it, it seems i am going to have to go get a bottle for him and give him baby formula then..I am nervous to handle him too much , because momma seems to get very upset and anxious when I do.

Make sure the formula is specifically for kittens. Has he nursed at all? Mama may realize he's dying. Do something very soon!

[Sariss]

Most flea medications cannot be given safely to kittens younger than 6 weeks. The best way to get rid of fleas on a kitten is to use warm Dawn dishwashing soap and water to bathe the kitten. You have to manually pick the fleas off. It is VERY IMPORTANT the kitten is dried well, as at such a young age getting chilled may be the end of him.
The mother cat needs to be treated again. Most flea products only take care of some stages of the flea life cycle (adults, eggs, and larvae). The pupae stage is hard to kill, honestly it would probably take a nuclear bomb.
But remember, eggs and larvae fall off into the environment. Even adults will hide out there. Treating the cats will do NOTHING if there are eggs being hatched daily in the carpets, furniture, etc etc. You need to look into treating your house.

And finally, I don't want to be a nag, but you best start saving up. When that kitten is 6 weeks old it will need to go to the vet (sooner if this flea problem isn't taken care of - a flea infestation can easily kill a kitten). Things like cost of caring for kittens should have been thought of before acquiring a cat and then deciding not to get her spayed at 6 months. Pets are the farthest thing from cheap.

[hheath541]

Call a local vet. They may have a shampoo that'll be safe to use on baby. Even if they don't, they'll have shampoos you can use on mommy that may work better than the ones from the store.

The vet can also suggest ways to help baby eat. You'll probably be asked to take him in to be seen.

[kellyjawns]

Ok - I don't want to be a jerk, but a lot of these answers are wrong. You can pick up the kitten and use a flea comb. I have had similar issues, although with 3 newborns instead of just one. I used a flea comb 2-3 times a day. Fleas can be life-threatening to a newborn kitten. They can cause anemia and the kitten can get very, very sick. I understand financial hardships and unexpected kittens! Use a flea comb and when you get a flea on it, grab it with your fingers and drop it into soapy water. I just used a mug with warm water and dawn and the fleas die in that almost instantly.

SO NOT USE BABY FORMULA!! There are certain vitamins, etc. that a newborn kitten needs. You MUST MUST MUST buy KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement). You can buy this at any pet store and some grocery stores. Follow the directions as far as feeding/amount goes. Buy a newborn pet/small animal nursing bottle with numerous nipple sizes. You can also find that at a pet store. Judge the size of the mother cats nipples and use the nipple closest to the momma cats nipple size. If the kitten doesn't take the bottle, you have to use a dropper (one may come with your nursing bottle or you can find it nearby in the store). You can't treat the mother for fleas because the kittens can NOT be around any flea medication for AT LEAST 12 weeks. Take them both to the vet as soon as you can afford to. Until then, make sure to comb through both mother and baby 2-3 times daily to at least get rid of the fleas that are already on them each day, to avoid the kitten becoming anemic.

[Jessikka2011]

I don't know what to say about the Cat bringing you her kitten but for the fleas, most flea baths are POISON to cats. And sometimes they need to be brought to the vet because of seizures do to that. I would call your vet to ask him what brands to go by and then buy some for momma cat.
And absolutley NO BABY FORMULA!!

[lbujega]

I think mammy cat knows something is wrong with her baby and is coming to you for help! Cats have a natural instinct to nurse their young so if they don't do what nature intended there is a reason for it!

My cat had three kittens only a few days ago and she was a natural mother. However, when I went to check on them this morning, one of the kittens had been left alone in a corner of the box. I tried to get it to suckle of mum but the kitten couldn't feed and mammy cat had no interest in the baby. I knew then that something wasn't right. Later on, when I checked on them again only two kittens were nursing. The third was laying in the corner under a blanket. It was not moving and I knew it was dead. It was almost as if the mother cat had buried her kitten! Very sad but now she only has two to look after and it won't be so hard for her.

Also, she'll be spayed as soon as the kittens have gone to their new houses

[adddy]

Hi all,
I know it is an old posting but I am here looking for help & so may others, so here goes.
Flea on body, in bedding & worms. Use Diatomaceous Earth (DE) Food Grade as a none chemical harmless very cheap solution. It is dead sea organisms and it works by dehydrating all pests by lacerating their exoskeletons or skin! You can feed it to a kitten to de-worm it. BUT ONLY FEED GRADE, the other is poisonous!
Don't give a kitten normal milk & don't hold the head back whilst using a feeder/bottle/dropper.