[NickDL]

I am on the island of Kefalonia in Greece. As I was driving down the road, I discovered a baby kitten sitting right in the middle of a some what busy intersection. Not wanting it to get run over, I picked it up and put it in the car and drove it to my uncles house. I had fed it some cat food, and some water, which it gulped down, but the poor thing looks very sick and its covered in flees. It has a hard time walking around as well.

Greece, especially the island I'm on, isn't known for their love of animals. If I leave it with anyone else, I'm sure they will poison it, and I don't have money to take it to a vet. (I don't even know where one is)

If there is any advice anyone can give me as to what to do, and how to take care of this cat, I would extremely appreciate it.

Thanks,

Nick

[redhed35]

Is there an animal shelter on the island?

Is there a veterinary shop where they may be able to help?

[NickDL]

The only animal shelter that I was told of, only takes in dogs.

As for a vet shop, everything is closed in the main town right now, So I won't be able to purchase anything for a while.

[redhed35]

I have flagged your question to other members who may be able to offer more advice.

Stay online for a while longer if you can.

[NickDL]

I will be back in an hour

[Aurora_Bell]

Do you have access to Dawn dish soap? If so, bathe the kitty in warm water in the dish soap this will kill any adult fleas. You may have to do this again in 3 weeks time. Make sure to keep her warm after her bath.I am can't guess on her age, but I would assume that she has worms as well. You will need to go to the vet for this. You may be able to go in with out an appointment and give the weight and approximate age and they can suggest a worm treatment for you. If her worms do not get treated, they can kill her.

Is she eating solid hard kitten chow? I know you said you didn't have money for a vet, but I think it's just great that you are willing to take her in and help her.

[Alty]

Nick, bless you for taking in this little kitten. Without you, it would surely already be dead.

Without knowing it's age, I can't really recommend using a flea treatment. Do you have a guess at how old this kitten is?

Sadly there aren't many at home flea treatments that work. This is something that's best dealt with by a vet. For now you can try running a damp cloth over the kittens fur, that will remove some of the fleas, but not all. Fleas are vicious and can live and reproduce under most conditions. If one is left over, the breeding process starts all over again.

We have a cat expert on this site, hopefully she'll come by and offer more advice.

My specialty is dogs, rabbits, and birds. Sadly I don't know a lot about cats, especially kittens.

I wish you all the best and hope that this works out for you. If it does, you may have a new best friend. :)

[hheath541]

Lots of flea questions today.

OK, the baby is really too young for you to use chemical flea treatments. They're really not safe until the kitten is about 4-6 months old. Why not try natural remedies that don't include harsh chemicals and pesticides? They're safer for your pet, anyway.

Here are some websites that outline some natural remedies:
Natural, Non-toxic Flea Control - Eartheasy.com Solutions for Sustainable Living

Natural Flea Control for Cats: Safe, Non-Toxic Methods for Ridding Homes and Pets of Fleas

Natural Flea Control Methods
(take special note of the directions to make your own flea powder)

As bella said, worms may be a problem. Most stores, at least in the us, that have a pet section will sell kitten deworming medicine. It'll save you a trip to a vet that you can't afford, and that may be out of your way.

Fleas and worms are two of the most common problems in cats. Both can be fatal for kittens if they're not treated. The fleas are probably the most pressing issue right now.

Until you can get the supplies to treat the fleas, you can give the baby a quick bath. If you have dawn dish soap, then you can use that. You can also use lemon juice and vinegar in water. The vinegar will kill the fleas and help disinfect and close the bites, while the lemon juice will also help clean the bite and numb them from the burning the vinegar causes. It's not a perfect solution, but it will help.

After the bath, use a fine tooth comb, or just your fingers, to pick off any fleas you see and drop them in a bowl of water to keep them from jumping away. When you're done, wash the fleas down the drain with plenty of water.

[maddy308]

This kitten likely needs to go to a vet. But if its not available you can go to a local pet shop and you should beable to get flea treatment collor for kittens. If there is a pet smart there they will have it

[NickDL]

I will give an update as to what has happen, when I wake up in the morning, as of now, it has eaten a little food and is sleeping, it is not drinking water, but I made a bed for it, which it seems to like and not want to leave.

I will try to look for some pet shops tomorrow and update then.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help,

Nick

[hheath541]

Try wetting the dry food down with water. It'll make it easier for the baby to eat it, and it'll get some fluids into it.

Here's a guide on how to age a kitten:
Atwood Animal Hospital :: Aging A Kitten

[Aurora_Bell]

Your kitten is probably going o be very tired, so she may want to catch up on sleep for a few days. Make sure there is always fresh water available any time she wants to drink. Do they sell kittens milk in the corner stores where you live?

[NickDL]

I took the cat to a vet (found one), she used frontline on it to take all the bugs off, and gave it some antibiotics.

The cat is 1 pound and its supposed to be 3 pounds, it also has an abscess by its mouth. For the next couple of days I'm supposed to give it some kind of antibiotics and some liquid vitamins.

So all things seem to be going well.

[redhed35]

I'm delighted things are looking up.

Have you named the kitten?

[hheath541]

The kitty is very lucky to have you.

Did the vet tell you the age and sex?

[NickDL]

3 months old. Male, and I named it Byron, but the name sounds better in Greek =p

[hheath541]

Then you'll probably want to think about getting him fixed soon, before he starts spraying.

[Wondergirl]

I'm so glad you and the kitten found each other!

Nick, as a side note, do you know anyone on the island with the last name Tzakis?

[Aurora_Bell]

Well I am glad you were able to get him to the vet, and he sure is lucky to have found you!!

[NickDL]

I'm so glad you and the kitten found each other!

Nick, as a side note, do you know anyone on the island with the last name Tzakis?

Not that I know of, the Island is kind of big =p