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-   -   Flea's And Other (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=59271)

  • Feb 1, 2007, 11:15 AM
    Cat_lover_16
    Flea's And Other
    Hello, I'm new to this site, I just joined today, so before I post on what I would like to know I'll introduce myself.. I am Jessica and I'm 16 years old, I recently had adopted a kitten, well my friend adopted it for me as a gift.. They say she's a DLH cat but that's only a name they give long haired cats, but the breed of my kitten is a Maine coon.. I joined this site in case I needed help, I love this kitten to death and she goes just about everywhere with me, well at least where she can go.. Like when I go to get her stuff I bring her with me to Petsmart and she sleeps with me, etc. Anyway, first I was a bit worried on her eye, one eye just keeps watering, and I don't know if they are like us and just get colds and if I should be worried or not but my mom said it's probably nothing to worry about but still I'm going to worry.. And the other thing is, flea's.. In the past with another cat I had before we had flea's she tried getting rid of them and she tried everything but nothing worked, I was wondering on what your thoughts are on that.. I can't really bomb the house because I have not only the kitten but a chinchillia inside and well it would be hard to find somewhere for them to stay while the house is bomb and what not.. That's about the only thing my mom hasn't tried.. That and someone told us bathing them in lemon juice would kill the flea's and well my mom just thought that was a bit strange and we didn't try it.. I'm just wondering if anyone know's of anything that would work for flea's..
  • Feb 1, 2007, 11:25 AM
    Cat_lover_16
    http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...15/PIC1001.jpg

    This is my kitten, just so you know.. :D
  • Feb 3, 2007, 06:50 AM
    RubyPitbull
    hello
    Do you know if watery eyes for a kitten is bad or not? It looks like it has more eye boogers every time I look at it.. It gets more every time I clean my kittens eye with a warm damp rag.. I don't know if I should be worried or not.. I would like it if you could help out some, you don't really have to be an expert to help me feel better lol, we adopted this kitten last Saturday and well she's became my baby and I spoil her and I don't want anything bad happening to her, like most animal owners would for their animals..
    Reply soon!

    Thanks for your time!


    Hello Cat Lover:

    I have moved your private message to me and placed it with your original question. I have been told by the administrators that I must encourage people to post questions or problems for all to see. This way other people that might have the same problem can see the answers and we don't have to keep repeating ourselves. I hope you understand. I deleted your name so you can remain anonymous.

    Well sweetie, you have a mighty cute kitten there. Maine Coons are wonderful! I am sorry I did not see your original post. Sometimes they fall through the cracks and we don't see them for a couple of days if we are busy.

    It sounds as if your kitty does have a little cold or an upper respiratory infection. That happens a lot to pets who suddenly find themselves in a new home. They get a bit traumatized at first and can get sick. Try to keep her clean and indoors. I wouldn't be worried too much, but this coming week, please take her to the vet for a check up. He needs to do an initial check to make sure everything is okay and if there is a sinus infection, he can catch it early enough to give you antibiotics that will clear it up and keep it from getting worse. I would suggest you make a list of all the questions and concerns you have over this weekend and bring the list to the vet. He is in a much better position to give you advice than I am. Find out if/when kitty needs her shots. The vet also sells a very good spray for fleas. I can't remember the name of it, but it is used on furniture and rugs. Don't buy the stuff you spray on your pets. Your cat is too young to be treated with such strong stuff. The vet will be able to determine if it is okay to start treating with flea medication or will tell you it may be too early and you need to wait. A lot of these medications can make them very sick if they are too young. The spray I am talking about for furniture and rugs is in a large white aerosol can. Make sure you remove all your pets from the areas you are spraying. Read the directions on the can very carefully as to when you can bring your pet back into the room. You may need to buy a couple of extra cans depending on the area you want to spray. This is actually a very good time of the year to treat all the areas in your home. Depending on where you live, they either are not around or they are in "low activity mode".

    There is someone else here on the boards who is very good with cats and knows a lot. Hopefully she will sign on and see your questions and might be able to add something. In any event, in the future, you can do a search on "cat" and all the questions on cats should pop up. Take a look at them because a lot of people have the same problems and you can get a quick answer from an old posting rather than waiting around for one of us to see your question.

    I hope this helped. You have a beautiful cat there sweetie. You may want to discuss getting her spayed (or neutered if the vet tells you that it is a male) to avoid having a houseful of kittens that you don't know what to do with. There are so many cats that are waiting in shelters that need good homes. I encourage people to go there first when they are looking for a new pet because they will be euthanized if not adopted out in time.

    Good Luck CatLover16! Enjoy your new friend and I am sure I will see you on the boards!
  • Feb 3, 2007, 07:25 AM
    Cat_lover_16
    Well, when my friend adopted the kitten they said she had all her check-ups and shots she needed as of then, but later on in life she'll need more I guess.. Thanks, that's helped me worry a little less but I'll still worry of course..

    Thanks again!
  • Feb 3, 2007, 07:48 AM
    valinors_sorrow
    If the eye condition doesn't seem to be slowly improving on its own, or if it gets any worse I would make that vet appointment. Its not that expensive and nothing can replace a hands-on examination by a qualified doctor. In the meantime I would avoid doing anything except very gently wiping away the excess ooze with a fresh soft tissue. I would not attempt to wash it as it could be specific to that eye now and you might spread whatever it is accidentally to the other eye.

    Cats shed excessively and increase their biological functions when stressed. The first month at new place is very stressful. My two adopted cat brothers took quite a while to settle in with us but I had each to the vet immediately to be certain all was well. I was so nervous initially! I even called the adoption place all worried about some back legs "vibrating" when the cat appeared to be asleep and it turned out to be extra vigorous purring (I had a lot to learn about cats at the point) LOL. :p

    We have an indoor/outdoor dog and two indoor cats -- all three routinely get Frontline and we've never had a flea or tick problem despite living in the woods. Kittens need to grow a bit before you can use products like that so ask your vet about this topic too.
  • Feb 3, 2007, 07:56 AM
    RubyPitbull
    Good advice and input Valinors!

    CatLover16, it is good that you are so in love with you cat. As you can see from my avitar, I really love my dog. As Valinor said, at the beginning, I was a nervous wreck. I thought anything I did might just kill her. Don't ask me why. Too much stress in my life at that point.

    So, even though your baby has been medically checked before, you should, for your own peace of mind, take her to the vet. He really can give you guidance. And, the cat needs to start getting used to going to the doctor so you don't have problems later on. Plus, you can get that flea spray I was talking about so your mother knows you are serious about being responsible with your pet.
  • Feb 3, 2007, 08:35 AM
    Cat_lover_16
    Well, I was planning on going to petsmart today and bring her with me, petsmart has a animal hospital part to it so I'm thinking I'll get her check up then =]
    Also, I'll look for that spray that your talking about Ruby and your dog looks very very adorable, I love animal's which is why I'm going to go to college for animal biology, I plan on becoming a vet just because I love animals so much -^.^- And well I want to help animals for a life.. I would be glad to, so I'm excited about my future and can't wait.. Thanks for the advice to you two that helped out a lot.. As of now I'll call the vet I take my animals to and see what they feel, if they think she needs to be checked then well I'll make an app. For either vets..
  • Feb 3, 2007, 08:46 AM
    RubyPitbull
    Good Catlover. Call the vet. They can tell you the name of the spray. Vets usually sell it and I have not been able to find them in any regular stores like Petsmart. It isn't a bad idea to let the vet at petsmart take a look your cat. They can advise you whether you need to bring her in for a regular appt immediately or tell you whether it may be okay to wait a week.

    Being a veterinarian is a wonderful idea for someone who loves animals as much as you do! Being a responsible pet owner is the first step and learning as much as you can. I have a friend who, except for actual surgery, could be a vet tech, she knows so much. It all comes from listening and filing it all away in your brain! Great idea, very smart on your part.
  • Feb 3, 2007, 11:36 AM
    Cat_lover_16
    Thank you, and I'm going there in like 30 minutes.. So I'll find out what they say and probably post what they tell me and stuff

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