kitten 2 months old

Question
i have a kitten and shes about 2 months old and i have a daughter and shes 21 months old with the fleas hurt us ? and i also have a flea collar  and i was wondering if thats the best use for the kitten ?


Answer
Hi Tracy.  Fleas can bite people, and rarely, they may carry a bacteria the can make people sick.  However, fleas highly prefer cats over people (the most common flea is actually called the Cat Flea!).  

That may be good news for you, but it's bad news for the kitten!  I've seen kittens this age die because the fleas fed so heavily on them that the kittens became anemic and couldn't be saved.

However, I would not use the flea collar.  They're not very effective.  They generally make fleas stay away from the head, but that's about it.  And they also tend to cause severe irritation around the neck.

My recommendations for the treatment of fleas are Frontline Plus and Advantage.  These are liquid treatments you put on the back of the kitten's neck once a month.  They are available at pet stores in the U.S.  PLEASE DO NOT USE A DIFFERENT TREATMENT FROM A PET STORE.  Other products on the market are poisonous to cats, even though they say they are safe, and they are being banned in 2007.  I had one cat who had seizures and had to be hospitalized after I applied one of these (Hartz is a common brand that makes dangerous flea treatments).  So please, pay the little bit extra for Frontline or Advantage, which are SAFE.  FYI, Frontline takes 48 hours and Advantage takes 24 hours until all fleas are dead.

After applying these, you will probably notice more fleas on your kitten and maybe in your home.  That's because as the fleas are poisoned, they come to the surface of the coat and die off.  Vacuum daily to remove dead/dying fleas from carpets, as well as immature fleas, which live in carpets and furniture.  You may even wish to sprinkle your floor with Borax powder cleaner.  Rub it in and allow it to sit for 2 hours.  This will kill flea eggs, all immature stages, and adult fleas by dehydrating them, and it's non-toxic to pets and people.  Obviously, don't let your daughter crawl around on the carpet while it's being treated, but once it's vacuumed up, there's no danger.

If you still see fleas after this, you may end up needing to use a flea fogger to get rid of the infestation.  There are probably hiding spots where fleas are escaping your vacuum and the Borax.  Flea foggers are available at pet stores and home and garden centers.