When your kitty gives birth to kittens, it’s a beautiful sight to see such innocent tiny beings appear with their eyes tightly closed and rapidly latching on to their mother’s milk.
It may be overpowering at times. But finding unwanted parasites on their coat when they are born isn’t very nice. What causes this to take place? Is it true that newborn kittens already have fleas?
It is a common misconception that kittens could be born with ectoparasites such as fleas on their bodies. However, this is not true. Kittens are at risk of developing an infestation as soon as they are born if their mother or another animal in the household has fleas. Before your kitty gives birth, ensure that you have defleaed all your cats and soft furniture to prevent an infestation.
When kittens develop fleas, it’s tough to manage them because most medicines are unsafe. So it’s preferable to prevent this from happening asap.
What Are Fleas?
Fleas are wingless insects that can grow to a maximum length of roughly 3 millimeters. They are topical parasites that may be found on mammoths, birds, and other animals. Fleas have powerful claws to stick to hosts and eat blood and organic materials. Fleas have hind legs that are extraordinarily powerful, which enables them to jump distances that are up to 100 times their own size.
This skill allows fleas to hop onto passing hosts. They are also notable for their incredible patience and endurance. Fleas may go 100 days without eating and stay dormant until they find a delicious host.
Once they’ve secured themselves, fleas immediately begin to reproduce. Over the course of its life, a female flea may lay as many as 2,000 eggs. They consume up to 15 times their weight every day!
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Why Do My Newly Born Kittens Have Fleas?
Fleas may only be passed on to newborn kittens if fleas are present in the home, on the mother cat, or any other animals close to the litter.
Fleas can go up to three months without feeding if they do not have a host animal. Even if none of your other animals has been infected, there is still a chance that fleas are hiding elsewhere in your home.
Are Fleas Bad for Kittens?
Fleas’ infestations can result in various additional health problems and consequences if they are not treated. The most prevalent issues are dermatitis and many other skin diseases. When a kitten has fleas, the fleas chew holes in the cat’s skin whenever they eat. This results in scrapes and maybe even tiny scabs, which can be unpleasant. Some cats are sensitive to flea saliva and become itchy, swollen, and flaky skin.
Here is some great advice on how to deal with fleas.
Tapeworms can be transmitted by fleas as well. There are parasites in your cat’s body, namely in its digestive tract. Fleas can transmit the larval stage of tapeworms. After being swallowed, the larvae continue to develop and eventually attach themselves to the lining of the digestive tract. Even if there are no symptoms associated with tapeworms, it is still advisable to avoid getting them; they will most likely require treatment.
Anemia caused by flea bites can occur if the parasites consume an excessive amount of the blood of your kitties. This is a significant challenge for kittens because their bodies are so small.
When several fleas eat at the same time, the amount of oxygen that is able to circulate through the blood of the cat is drastically reduced. This can result in highly significant health problems, such as haemobartonella. Despite blood transfusions and antibiotics, a third of kittens with this dangerous disease don’t recover.
How to Remove Fleas From Kittens Safely?
- Wet Kitten’s Coat
First, use warm water to wet the kitten’s fur. It is essential to use extreme caution when washing the kitten since, if done improperly, the experience may be quite upsetting for the little animal. Try to finish the bath in under 2 minutes, as kittens can panic or become cold.
Fleas migrate to the kitten’s driest location; thus, they migrate to the head and face. If you can catch these fleas with your fingers or tweezers, put them in a cup of hot water with dish soap.
- Comb Wet Fur for Fleas
Use a regular flea comb to go over the kitten while its fur is still wet so that you can remove any fleas. Repeat this step for any fleas you locate and drop them into a hot, soapy water pot. As often as necessary, apply water to the kitten’s fur and comb it with the flea comb.
- Dry the Kitten
The kitten has to be dried as soon as possible and to the greatest extent. The kitten should be returned to a warm environment, like a heating disk or blanket. The kitten must be kept warm after it has been bathed since it is easy for kittens to get chilly after being submerged in water.
- Clean the Bedding
After the kitten has been thoroughly dried, place it in an area free of fleas and take a plastic bag or garbage bag. Collect all the fabric and bedding the kitten may have come into touch with, and then wash it in boiling water.
Vacuum all surfaces the kitten has touched, and treat any additional kittens who have been exposed. It is essential to clean the surroundings in addition to the animals since, if this isn’t done, the flea issue will continue for a long time.
Types of Flea Treatments
Topical Drugs
These are spot-on medications and are often applied to the cat’s neck. They are packaged in a dispenser for one dose, and their effects are felt by kitty all over the body after being administered to a single location.
The drug enters the kitty’s sweat glands and is progressively released from these glands for the following several weeks. This therapy may ward off fleas easily.
Powders
These must be massaged all over your kitten’s body, even between the toes. This seems troublesome because cats don’t like being touched on their claws and belly.
Sprays
Sprays are applied straight into the kitty’s fur. They will remain effective for more than three weeks. Sprays are also considered one of the best flea treatments.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) at Nation Taiwan University,Master of Science (M.S.) in Biomedical Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
