Outdoor Cat/Kitten Flea help please:

[bicentennial_baby]

This thread describes my problem:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x8068132

The mom isn't feral, she just likes it outside more than indoors. So it wouldn't be a problem to get them both inside. The baby is super friendly.

Ideas?

Here's the little monster:

[Dover]

1. What a precious face! I had almost the exact same problem.

There was no mother cat involved, just a stray kitten with a sweet disposition that showed up one day. I estimated he was about 6-7 weeks old.

Took him to the vet and got the first round of shots. Had to do some ear mite cleaning. And when I asked the vet about the flea issue she suggested
Frontline Plus. I asked is he wasn't too young for that and she said by 8 weeks or so it's okay because it stays in the skin rather than circulates in the blood (if I'm remembering that correctly).

Well I was feeling a bit more cautious than that so bought the frontline but still haven't used it. But the fleas went away and I'm not sure how or why.

I was really concerned for my other cats and dog. But they have a monthly flea treatment. And I think Turmeric is supposed to help with that too (which I include in their meals, including the kitten).

At first I sat outside with him and used the flea comb and removed alot.

Within a week they were miraculously gone!

I don't know what to say except perhaps they jumped onto the animals that had the flea medicine and died? Or perhaps the turmeric in their system is unappetizing to fleas? Beats me. All I know is that they are gone and I no longer have flea problems on him or any of the animals or in the house.

Perhaps you can treat the mommy cat and have similar results?

Anyway, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[roody]

3. Hey Cutie! How young can they be spayed or neutered?

[Dover]

4. Well thanks for the compliment!

LOL! I know I know, you were responding to the OP. But I'll take those compliments any way
I can get 'em.

My feeling is that the longer one can wait to neuter/spay the better for their growing bodies.
I spayed/neutered some kittens (SIX) when they were only 8 or 9 weeks on the advice of a friend
who does rescue work. It was a litter that I discovered in my yard.

Over a year later I took a couple in for annual shots and the vet I went to made some comment
about their sunken looking sides just below the ribs near their back legs. No matter how much
they eat that never seems to fill out. He asked if they'd been spayed young and I told him they
had. He just kind of nodded his head knowingly (as though he'd seen that a lot).

I can understand why rescue groups prefer to spay/neuter that young (and before releasing them for adoption), but no need for me to follow suit.

So I won't be neutering my new kitty until he's about 4 or 5 months, most likely.

[roody]

5. Glad to know that. n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Eeeee! That little guy is unbearably, impossibly cute!

I want to pick him up and cuddle him and rub his belly. :loveya: