Re: Flea Dip for 7-week-old kitten

[Sandra Loosemore]

Noreen Cooper > writes:

> Sorry to be so long-winded. I guess I'm feeling a little insecure in my
> ability to care for a semi-feral cat. The basic reason for my post is to
> find out from the experts here all the things I should do health-wise for
> the kitten. I'm planning an immediate trip to the vet but the bigger
> concern is how to de-flea a kitten. Are there any flea dips which can be
> given to a 7-week-old? Or are there other methods you'd suggest?

I'd consult with the vet about chemical treatments. Besides being
de-flea-ed, fleas spread tapeworms so the kitten might need to be
wormed, too.

One thing you can definitely do, though, even before you take the
kitten to the vet, is give it a good grooming with a flea comb. Have
a dish of soapy water handy to drown the fleas in, otherwise they will
just hop right back onto the kitten (or onto you). I would keep the
kitten as isolated as possible until you are sure it is flea-free so
that you don't get fleas infesting your house or your other cats.
When I adopted a slightly older stray kitten some years ago (he was
about 3 months old), he was loaded with fleas, too, and I kept him in
my spare bedroom at first and gave him the flea comb treatment two or
three times a day. I had given him a cardboard box with an old towel
to sleep in, and I changed and washed the bedding every couple of days
and treated the box itself with flea spray. And once I got all the
fleas exterminated from the kitten and decided it was safe to let him
out into the rest of the house, I flea-bombed his room to get rid of
any other fleas that might still be lurking there. IIRC, it took
about a week or so. One good side-effect of all that grooming is that
it very quickly got the kitten socialized to me and accustomed him to
being handled, BTW.

-Sandra

[Sandra Loosemore]

Noreen Cooper > writes:

> Sorry to be so long-winded. I guess I'm feeling a little insecure in my
> ability to care for a semi-feral cat. The basic reason for my post is to
> find out from the experts here all the things I should do health-wise for
> the kitten. I'm planning an immediate trip to the vet but the bigger
> concern is how to de-flea a kitten. Are there any flea dips which can be
> given to a 7-week-old? Or are there other methods you'd suggest?

I'd consult with the vet about chemical treatments. Besides being
de-flea-ed, fleas spread tapeworms so the kitten might need to be
wormed, too.

One thing you can definitely do, though, even before you take the
kitten to the vet, is give it a good grooming with a flea comb. Have
a dish of soapy water handy to drown the fleas in, otherwise they will
just hop right back onto the kitten (or onto you). I would keep the
kitten as isolated as possible until you are sure it is flea-free so
that you don't get fleas infesting your house or your other cats.
When I adopted a slightly older stray kitten some years ago (he was
about 3 months old), he was loaded with fleas, too, and I kept him in
my spare bedroom at first and gave him the flea comb treatment two or
three times a day. I had given him a cardboard box with an old towel
to sleep in, and I changed and washed the bedding every couple of days
and treated the box itself with flea spray. And once I got all the
fleas exterminated from the kitten and decided it was safe to let him
out into the rest of the house, I flea-bombed his room to get rid of
any other fleas that might still be lurking there. IIRC, it took
about a week or so. One good side-effect of all that grooming is that
it very quickly got the kitten socialized to me and accustomed him to
being handled, BTW.

-Sandra

[Bill]

>"Noreen Cooper" > wrote in message
...
> I'm not sure what I'm getting myself in for but here goes. Bear with me
> as I summarize a bit of background info.
>
> I didn't grow up with cats but my son has always been a huge cat lover.
> When he was younger, I felt the need to guarantee the temperament of our
> home kitties and decided upon the Scottish Fold breed. We couldn't be
> happier with our two cats, one straight-eared and one folded-eared. The
> folded-ear cat has never once bit my son, a very easy cat to maintain.
>
> I've read quite a few books on cat care over the past five years and am
> the primary caretaker of our two family cats. My son is now 8 and while
> visiting a friend, he found out a feral mom had dropped five kittens into
> a backyard down the street. He fell instantly in love with one of the
> kittens and I decided to let him have one. The kittens are relatively
> well-socialized by the neighbor children; the mother, aunt, and
> grandmother all look out for them; the 6-week-old kittens are still
> nursing; but the family who presently fosters the brood feeds everyone but
> does leave the kittens out all night. Hence the kittens are quite covered
> in fleas and Advantage is prohibited until at least 8 weeks. (As an
> aside, this family has paid to have both the feral grandmother and aunt
> spayed at their own cost but have yet been unable to catch the mother).
>
> I have heard that it is better to adopt feral kittens earlier since the
> longer they stay with their mother, the more they will shun humans. I've
> noticed a huge difference in just one week where at 5 weeks the kittens
> were blissfully playing and ignoring any humans standing around to
> 6-weeks where they are running away. I invite any comments from the
> group but we were thinking of taking the kitten one week from now, at
> 7-weeks-old to begin socializing it into our family.
>
> What the foster family plans to do is try and place the remaining four
> kittens in pairs as litter mates. Since we are over there almost every
> day, the odd-out kitten at least knows us.
>
> Sorry to be so long-winded. I guess I'm feeling a little insecure in my
> ability to care for a semi-feral cat. The basic reason for my post is to
> find out from the experts here all the things I should do health-wise for
> the kitten. I'm planning an immediate trip to the vet but the bigger
> concern is how to de-flea a kitten. Are there any flea dips which can be
> given to a 7-week-old? Or are there other methods you'd suggest?
>
> I guess I'm also wondering how the semi-feral kitty will get along
> eventually with two very over-domesticated cats. The straight-eared fold
> is indoor-outdoor and the folded-ear is indoor only. The plan right now
> is to take the semi-feral kitten inside for a month or so and then allow
> her access outdoors but bring her in at night.
>
> Noreen
>

Since the kittens are used to people, I'd leave the kitten with its mother
until it is a full 8 weeks old. It's better for the kitten anyway to remain
with its mother as long as it can.

That way, the kitten can be given Advantage when you bring it home. Also,
you don't have to use the whole tube.

Good luck, and enjoy your cat.

Bill

[Bill]

>"Noreen Cooper" > wrote in message
...
> I'm not sure what I'm getting myself in for but here goes. Bear with me
> as I summarize a bit of background info.
>
> I didn't grow up with cats but my son has always been a huge cat lover.
> When he was younger, I felt the need to guarantee the temperament of our
> home kitties and decided upon the Scottish Fold breed. We couldn't be
> happier with our two cats, one straight-eared and one folded-eared. The
> folded-ear cat has never once bit my son, a very easy cat to maintain.
>
> I've read quite a few books on cat care over the past five years and am
> the primary caretaker of our two family cats. My son is now 8 and while
> visiting a friend, he found out a feral mom had dropped five kittens into
> a backyard down the street. He fell instantly in love with one of the
> kittens and I decided to let him have one. The kittens are relatively
> well-socialized by the neighbor children; the mother, aunt, and
> grandmother all look out for them; the 6-week-old kittens are still
> nursing; but the family who presently fosters the brood feeds everyone but
> does leave the kittens out all night. Hence the kittens are quite covered
> in fleas and Advantage is prohibited until at least 8 weeks. (As an
> aside, this family has paid to have both the feral grandmother and aunt
> spayed at their own cost but have yet been unable to catch the mother).
>
> I have heard that it is better to adopt feral kittens earlier since the
> longer they stay with their mother, the more they will shun humans. I've
> noticed a huge difference in just one week where at 5 weeks the kittens
> were blissfully playing and ignoring any humans standing around to
> 6-weeks where they are running away. I invite any comments from the
> group but we were thinking of taking the kitten one week from now, at
> 7-weeks-old to begin socializing it into our family.
>
> What the foster family plans to do is try and place the remaining four
> kittens in pairs as litter mates. Since we are over there almost every
> day, the odd-out kitten at least knows us.
>
> Sorry to be so long-winded. I guess I'm feeling a little insecure in my
> ability to care for a semi-feral cat. The basic reason for my post is to
> find out from the experts here all the things I should do health-wise for
> the kitten. I'm planning an immediate trip to the vet but the bigger
> concern is how to de-flea a kitten. Are there any flea dips which can be
> given to a 7-week-old? Or are there other methods you'd suggest?
>
> I guess I'm also wondering how the semi-feral kitty will get along
> eventually with two very over-domesticated cats. The straight-eared fold
> is indoor-outdoor and the folded-ear is indoor only. The plan right now
> is to take the semi-feral kitten inside for a month or so and then allow
> her access outdoors but bring her in at night.
>
> Noreen
>

Since the kittens are used to people, I'd leave the kitten with its mother
until it is a full 8 weeks old. It's better for the kitten anyway to remain
with its mother as long as it can.

That way, the kitten can be given Advantage when you bring it home. Also,
you don't have to use the whole tube.

Good luck, and enjoy your cat.

Bill

[-L.]

Noreen Cooper > wrote in message >...
> I'm not sure what I'm getting myself in for but here goes. Bear with me
> as I summarize a bit of background info.

The kitten can be treated with Advantage, even though it is younger
than the minimum age for on-label use. I would use a half-dose of the
smallest size available (the kit is 7 weeks old, right?).

We have used Advantage on kittens as young as 4 days (one drop),
without ill effects. It is an off-label usage for Advantage, but in
my working experience, it is safe to use in this manner. When faced
with severe anemia and/or death, we took the chance, and it worked.
Been using it like this ever since.

Good luck,

-L.
(Posting from Toronto - I think I'm in love..)

[-L.]

Noreen Cooper > wrote in message >...
> I'm not sure what I'm getting myself in for but here goes. Bear with me
> as I summarize a bit of background info.

The kitten can be treated with Advantage, even though it is younger
than the minimum age for on-label use. I would use a half-dose of the
smallest size available (the kit is 7 weeks old, right?).

We have used Advantage on kittens as young as 4 days (one drop),
without ill effects. It is an off-label usage for Advantage, but in
my working experience, it is safe to use in this manner. When faced
with severe anemia and/or death, we took the chance, and it worked.
Been using it like this ever since.

Good luck,

-L.
(Posting from Toronto - I think I'm in love..)

[-L.]

Noreen Cooper > wrote in message >...
> I'm not sure what I'm getting myself in for but here goes. Bear with me
> as I summarize a bit of background info.

Sorry to follow-up my own post, but whatever you do, DO NOT flea-dip
this kitten (or any cat, for that matter) with organophosphate-based
chemicals. There is simply no reason to used the old-fashioned,
outdated chemicals any more - Advantage works very well and is
essentially non-toxic.

If the kitten needs a bath, it can be washed with DOVE liquid soap -
very diluted. Dry very well before using the Advantage.

-L.

[-L.]

Noreen Cooper > wrote in message >...
> I'm not sure what I'm getting myself in for but here goes. Bear with me
> as I summarize a bit of background info.

Sorry to follow-up my own post, but whatever you do, DO NOT flea-dip
this kitten (or any cat, for that matter) with organophosphate-based
chemicals. There is simply no reason to used the old-fashioned,
outdated chemicals any more - Advantage works very well and is
essentially non-toxic.

If the kitten needs a bath, it can be washed with DOVE liquid soap -
very diluted. Dry very well before using the Advantage.

-L.

[Noreen Cooper]

Sandra Loosemore > wrote:

: One thing you can definitely do, though, even before you take the
: kitten to the vet, is give it a good grooming with a flea comb. Have
: a dish of soapy water handy to drown the fleas in, otherwise they will
: just hop right back onto the kitten (or onto you).

Thanks, Sandra. This may be a dumb question but by simply dipping the
comb in the water, does that guarantee the fleas drown? Or do you need
to keep the comb submerged for a period of time?

I appreciate the detailed advice.

Noreen

[Noreen Cooper]

Sandra Loosemore > wrote:

: One thing you can definitely do, though, even before you take the
: kitten to the vet, is give it a good grooming with a flea comb. Have
: a dish of soapy water handy to drown the fleas in, otherwise they will
: just hop right back onto the kitten (or onto you).

Thanks, Sandra. This may be a dumb question but by simply dipping the
comb in the water, does that guarantee the fleas drown? Or do you need
to keep the comb submerged for a period of time?

I appreciate the detailed advice.

Noreen

[Noreen Cooper]

Bill > wrote:

: Since the kittens are used to people, I'd leave the kitten with its mother
: until it is a full 8 weeks old. It's better for the kitten anyway to remain
: with its mother as long as it can.

: That way, the kitten can be given Advantage when you bring it home. Also,
: you don't have to use the whole tube.

: Good luck, and enjoy your cat.

Thanks, Bill. I'm wondering about leaving the kitten for the extra week
since the foster family is extremely well-intentioned but the kittens are
left outside all night long, are seriously infested with fleas, and are
being fed adult cat food along with the other cats. I don't want to judge
these people, there is a difference between volunteering to foster feral
cats and having a feral cat drop a litter in your backyard, so I think
they are doing more than most people; however, I'm having to weigh several
factors as to whether the kitten should stay another week with the mother
or not. The mother runs at the sight of humans and the kittens are
beginning to imitate this behavior a bit more than last week.

Under those circumstances, do you think it best the kitten stay the extra
week?

Noreen

[Noreen Cooper]

Bill > wrote:

: Since the kittens are used to people, I'd leave the kitten with its mother
: until it is a full 8 weeks old. It's better for the kitten anyway to remain
: with its mother as long as it can.

: That way, the kitten can be given Advantage when you bring it home. Also,
: you don't have to use the whole tube.

: Good luck, and enjoy your cat.

Thanks, Bill. I'm wondering about leaving the kitten for the extra week
since the foster family is extremely well-intentioned but the kittens are
left outside all night long, are seriously infested with fleas, and are
being fed adult cat food along with the other cats. I don't want to judge
these people, there is a difference between volunteering to foster feral
cats and having a feral cat drop a litter in your backyard, so I think
they are doing more than most people; however, I'm having to weigh several
factors as to whether the kitten should stay another week with the mother
or not. The mother runs at the sight of humans and the kittens are
beginning to imitate this behavior a bit more than last week.

Under those circumstances, do you think it best the kitten stay the extra
week?

Noreen

[Noreen Cooper]

-L. > wrote:

: The kitten can be treated with Advantage, even though it is younger
: than the minimum age for on-label use. I would use a half-dose of the
: smallest size available (the kit is 7 weeks old, right?).

Not exactly. Today the kittens are 6 weeks and three days old.

: We have used Advantage on kittens as young as 4 days (one drop),
: without ill effects. It is an off-label usage for Advantage, but in
: my working experience, it is safe to use in this manner. When faced
: with severe anemia and/or death, we took the chance, and it worked.
: Been using it like this ever since.

Thanks, L. That might be the best way to go, the half-dose of Advantage
on a 7-week-old, followed by a thorough grooming with a flea comb.

Noreen

[Noreen Cooper]

-L. > wrote:

: The kitten can be treated with Advantage, even though it is younger
: than the minimum age for on-label use. I would use a half-dose of the
: smallest size available (the kit is 7 weeks old, right?).

Not exactly. Today the kittens are 6 weeks and three days old.

: We have used Advantage on kittens as young as 4 days (one drop),
: without ill effects. It is an off-label usage for Advantage, but in
: my working experience, it is safe to use in this manner. When faced
: with severe anemia and/or death, we took the chance, and it worked.
: Been using it like this ever since.

Thanks, L. That might be the best way to go, the half-dose of Advantage
on a 7-week-old, followed by a thorough grooming with a flea comb.

Noreen

[Nadine]

-L. wrote:
>The kitten can be treated with Advantage, even
>though it is younger than the minimum age for
>on-label use. I would use a half-dose of the
>smallest size available (the kit is 7 weeks old,
>right?).
>We have used Advantage on kittens as young
>as 4 days (one drop), without ill effects. It is an
>off-label usage for Advantage, but in my
>working experience, it is safe to use in this
>manner. When faced with severe anemia
>and/or death, we took the chance, and it
>worked. Been using it like this ever since.


I agree this would be the best/easiest way to go. We have used the
Advantage in the same way with no problems. Good luck with the new
little one.

Nadine

[Nadine]

-L. wrote:
>The kitten can be treated with Advantage, even
>though it is younger than the minimum age for
>on-label use. I would use a half-dose of the
>smallest size available (the kit is 7 weeks old,
>right?).
>We have used Advantage on kittens as young
>as 4 days (one drop), without ill effects. It is an
>off-label usage for Advantage, but in my
>working experience, it is safe to use in this
>manner. When faced with severe anemia
>and/or death, we took the chance, and it
>worked. Been using it like this ever since.


I agree this would be the best/easiest way to go. We have used the
Advantage in the same way with no problems. Good luck with the new
little one.

Nadine

[Gail]

No, take the kitten now is my advice.
Gail
"Noreen Cooper" > wrote in message
...
> Bill > wrote:
>
> : Since the kittens are used to people, I'd leave the kitten with its
mother
> : until it is a full 8 weeks old. It's better for the kitten anyway to
remain
> : with its mother as long as it can.
>
> : That way, the kitten can be given Advantage when you bring it home.
Also,
> : you don't have to use the whole tube.
>
> : Good luck, and enjoy your cat.
>
> Thanks, Bill. I'm wondering about leaving the kitten for the extra week
> since the foster family is extremely well-intentioned but the kittens are
> left outside all night long, are seriously infested with fleas, and are
> being fed adult cat food along with the other cats. I don't want to judge
> these people, there is a difference between volunteering to foster feral
> cats and having a feral cat drop a litter in your backyard, so I think
> they are doing more than most people; however, I'm having to weigh several
> factors as to whether the kitten should stay another week with the mother
> or not. The mother runs at the sight of humans and the kittens are
> beginning to imitate this behavior a bit more than last week.
>
> Under those circumstances, do you think it best the kitten stay the extra
> week?
>
> Noreen

[Gail]

No, take the kitten now is my advice.
Gail
"Noreen Cooper" > wrote in message
...
> Bill > wrote:
>
> : Since the kittens are used to people, I'd leave the kitten with its
mother
> : until it is a full 8 weeks old. It's better for the kitten anyway to
remain
> : with its mother as long as it can.
>
> : That way, the kitten can be given Advantage when you bring it home.
Also,
> : you don't have to use the whole tube.
>
> : Good luck, and enjoy your cat.
>
> Thanks, Bill. I'm wondering about leaving the kitten for the extra week
> since the foster family is extremely well-intentioned but the kittens are
> left outside all night long, are seriously infested with fleas, and are
> being fed adult cat food along with the other cats. I don't want to judge
> these people, there is a difference between volunteering to foster feral
> cats and having a feral cat drop a litter in your backyard, so I think
> they are doing more than most people; however, I'm having to weigh several
> factors as to whether the kitten should stay another week with the mother
> or not. The mother runs at the sight of humans and the kittens are
> beginning to imitate this behavior a bit more than last week.
>
> Under those circumstances, do you think it best the kitten stay the extra
> week?
>
> Noreen

[Sandra Loosemore]

Noreen Cooper > writes:

> Sandra Loosemore > wrote:
>
> : One thing you can definitely do, though, even before you take the
> : kitten to the vet, is give it a good grooming with a flea comb. Have
> : a dish of soapy water handy to drown the fleas in, otherwise they will
> : just hop right back onto the kitten (or onto you).
>
> Thanks, Sandra. This may be a dumb question but by simply dipping the
> comb in the water, does that guarantee the fleas drown? Or do you need
> to keep the comb submerged for a period of time?

It's been a while since I've had to do this, but I recall that just
knocking the fleas off the comb into the water and making sure they
submerged was adequate. The soap acts as a wetting agent to break the
surface tension in the water, so once the fleas get stuck in the soapy
water, they will eventually drown on their own.

-Sandra

[Sandra Loosemore]

Noreen Cooper > writes:

> Sandra Loosemore > wrote:
>
> : One thing you can definitely do, though, even before you take the
> : kitten to the vet, is give it a good grooming with a flea comb. Have
> : a dish of soapy water handy to drown the fleas in, otherwise they will
> : just hop right back onto the kitten (or onto you).
>
> Thanks, Sandra. This may be a dumb question but by simply dipping the
> comb in the water, does that guarantee the fleas drown? Or do you need
> to keep the comb submerged for a period of time?

It's been a while since I've had to do this, but I recall that just
knocking the fleas off the comb into the water and making sure they
submerged was adequate. The soap acts as a wetting agent to break the
surface tension in the water, so once the fleas get stuck in the soapy
water, they will eventually drown on their own.

-Sandra

[PawsForThought]

>From: Noreen Cooper

>Bill > wrote:
>
>: Since the kittens are used to people, I'd leave the kitten with its mother
>: until it is a full 8 weeks old. It's better for the kitten anyway to
>remain
>: with its mother as long as it can.
>
>: That way, the kitten can be given Advantage when you bring it home. Also,
>: you don't have to use the whole tube.
>
>: Good luck, and enjoy your cat.
>
>Thanks, Bill. I'm wondering about leaving the kitten for the extra week
>since the foster family is extremely well-intentioned but the kittens are
>left outside all night long, are seriously infested with fleas, and are
>being fed adult cat food along with the other cats.

I would get that kitten ASAP. If he is infested with fleas, that is very bad.
Fleas feed on his blood and the kitten can go downhill quickly if the fleas
aren't taken care of. You can bathe him with some kitten safe soap. Just
soaking him for a few minutes in some very mild soapy water will get a lot of
the fleas off of him. Even a flea comb will help. Here's a website for some
info:

http://www.4fleas.com/fleacontroldonot.htm

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

[PawsForThought]

>From: Noreen Cooper

>Bill > wrote:
>
>: Since the kittens are used to people, I'd leave the kitten with its mother
>: until it is a full 8 weeks old. It's better for the kitten anyway to
>remain
>: with its mother as long as it can.
>
>: That way, the kitten can be given Advantage when you bring it home. Also,
>: you don't have to use the whole tube.
>
>: Good luck, and enjoy your cat.
>
>Thanks, Bill. I'm wondering about leaving the kitten for the extra week
>since the foster family is extremely well-intentioned but the kittens are
>left outside all night long, are seriously infested with fleas, and are
>being fed adult cat food along with the other cats.

I would get that kitten ASAP. If he is infested with fleas, that is very bad.
Fleas feed on his blood and the kitten can go downhill quickly if the fleas
aren't taken care of. You can bathe him with some kitten safe soap. Just
soaking him for a few minutes in some very mild soapy water will get a lot of
the fleas off of him. Even a flea comb will help. Here's a website for some
info:

http://www.4fleas.com/fleacontroldonot.htm

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

[Bill]

>"Noreen Cooper" > wrote in message
...
> Bill > wrote:
>
> : Since the kittens are used to people, I'd leave the kitten with its
mother
> : until it is a full 8 weeks old. It's better for the kitten anyway to
remain
> : with its mother as long as it can.
>
> : That way, the kitten can be given Advantage when you bring it home.
Also,
> : you don't have to use the whole tube.
>
> : Good luck, and enjoy your cat.
>
> Thanks, Bill. I'm wondering about leaving the kitten for the extra week
> since the foster family is extremely well-intentioned but the kittens are
> left outside all night long, are seriously infested with fleas, and are
> being fed adult cat food along with the other cats. I don't want to judge
> these people, there is a difference between volunteering to foster feral
> cats and having a feral cat drop a litter in your backyard, so I think
> they are doing more than most people; however, I'm having to weigh several
> factors as to whether the kitten should stay another week with the mother
> or not. The mother runs at the sight of humans and the kittens are
> beginning to imitate this behavior a bit more than last week.
>
> Under those circumstances, do you think it best the kitten stay the extra
> week?
>
> Noreen

As long as the kitten is still nursing from its mother, it's probably
getting the nutrition it needs.

As long as the kitten has been exposed to people and has been handled by
people before it's eight weeks old, it's usually not very difficult to tame
it again.

It would seem the biggest danger is that a wild animal or another cat may
come into the yard and kill or injure the kittens, especially at night. But
I don't know the exact circumstances.

It's really your call at this point. It would be better to wait until the
kitten is eight weeks, but its unlikely there would be any permanent damage
if you take it at seven weeks.

Bill

[Bill]

>"Noreen Cooper" > wrote in message
...
> Bill > wrote:
>
> : Since the kittens are used to people, I'd leave the kitten with its
mother
> : until it is a full 8 weeks old. It's better for the kitten anyway to
remain
> : with its mother as long as it can.
>
> : That way, the kitten can be given Advantage when you bring it home.
Also,
> : you don't have to use the whole tube.
>
> : Good luck, and enjoy your cat.
>
> Thanks, Bill. I'm wondering about leaving the kitten for the extra week
> since the foster family is extremely well-intentioned but the kittens are
> left outside all night long, are seriously infested with fleas, and are
> being fed adult cat food along with the other cats. I don't want to judge
> these people, there is a difference between volunteering to foster feral
> cats and having a feral cat drop a litter in your backyard, so I think
> they are doing more than most people; however, I'm having to weigh several
> factors as to whether the kitten should stay another week with the mother
> or not. The mother runs at the sight of humans and the kittens are
> beginning to imitate this behavior a bit more than last week.
>
> Under those circumstances, do you think it best the kitten stay the extra
> week?
>
> Noreen

As long as the kitten is still nursing from its mother, it's probably
getting the nutrition it needs.

As long as the kitten has been exposed to people and has been handled by
people before it's eight weeks old, it's usually not very difficult to tame
it again.

It would seem the biggest danger is that a wild animal or another cat may
come into the yard and kill or injure the kittens, especially at night. But
I don't know the exact circumstances.

It's really your call at this point. It would be better to wait until the
kitten is eight weeks, but its unlikely there would be any permanent damage
if you take it at seven weeks.

Bill

[-L.]

Noreen Cooper > wrote in message >...
> -L. > wrote:
>
> : The kitten can be treated with Advantage, even though it is younger
> : than the minimum age for on-label use. I would use a half-dose of the
> : smallest size available (the kit is 7 weeks old, right?).
>
> Not exactly. Today the kittens are 6 weeks and three days old.
>
> : We have used Advantage on kittens as young as 4 days (one drop),
> : without ill effects. It is an off-label usage for Advantage, but in
> : my working experience, it is safe to use in this manner. When faced
> : with severe anemia and/or death, we took the chance, and it worked.
> : Been using it like this ever since.
>
> Thanks, L. That might be the best way to go, the half-dose of Advantage
> on a 7-week-old, followed by a thorough grooming with a flea comb.
>
> Noreen


You can treat them now, with the Advantage. I would still use the
half-dose though.

Let us know how it works. Advantage takes about 24 hours to work, so
combing isn't a bad idea. Also, if it has fleas that badly, it
probably also has tapeworms (you may have addressed this in the OP - I
can't remember). Talk to a vet about treating tapes - a shot of
droncit is the way to go, if it is old enough to have the shot.

And just FYI, the vet will ask if you want a fecal done for worms - in
the case of a small kitten, not a bad idea, because it may have more
than just tapes.

My general approach when rescuing little ones who are in hard times
(fleas, worms, etc.) is to treat the worst symptoms/problems first,
let the baby recover for a week or so, then treat the other problems.
And I also never vaccinate until the kitten is well. Don't want to
overdose him with too many meds, especially if he's on the sickly
side. That being said, in a household where other animals reside (or
if the animal is to be housed at the vet), gettting rid of the fleas
is the first step in treatment, always.

Good luck, and thanks for helping this little guy.

-L.

[-L.]

Noreen Cooper > wrote in message >...
> -L. > wrote:
>
> : The kitten can be treated with Advantage, even though it is younger
> : than the minimum age for on-label use. I would use a half-dose of the
> : smallest size available (the kit is 7 weeks old, right?).
>
> Not exactly. Today the kittens are 6 weeks and three days old.
>
> : We have used Advantage on kittens as young as 4 days (one drop),
> : without ill effects. It is an off-label usage for Advantage, but in
> : my working experience, it is safe to use in this manner. When faced
> : with severe anemia and/or death, we took the chance, and it worked.
> : Been using it like this ever since.
>
> Thanks, L. That might be the best way to go, the half-dose of Advantage
> on a 7-week-old, followed by a thorough grooming with a flea comb.
>
> Noreen


You can treat them now, with the Advantage. I would still use the
half-dose though.

Let us know how it works. Advantage takes about 24 hours to work, so
combing isn't a bad idea. Also, if it has fleas that badly, it
probably also has tapeworms (you may have addressed this in the OP - I
can't remember). Talk to a vet about treating tapes - a shot of
droncit is the way to go, if it is old enough to have the shot.

And just FYI, the vet will ask if you want a fecal done for worms - in
the case of a small kitten, not a bad idea, because it may have more
than just tapes.

My general approach when rescuing little ones who are in hard times
(fleas, worms, etc.) is to treat the worst symptoms/problems first,
let the baby recover for a week or so, then treat the other problems.
And I also never vaccinate until the kitten is well. Don't want to
overdose him with too many meds, especially if he's on the sickly
side. That being said, in a household where other animals reside (or
if the animal is to be housed at the vet), gettting rid of the fleas
is the first step in treatment, always.

Good luck, and thanks for helping this little guy.

-L.

[PawsForThought]

>From: (-L.)

>And I also never vaccinate until the kitten is well.

Very good advice. I definitely would not vaccinate until the kitten's immune
system is strong. It will even say on the vaccine insert to give to healthy
animals only.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

[PawsForThought]

>From: (-L.)

>And I also never vaccinate until the kitten is well.

Very good advice. I definitely would not vaccinate until the kitten's immune
system is strong. It will even say on the vaccine insert to give to healthy
animals only.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

[Noreen Cooper]

Thanks to everyone for such great advice. What I've decided to do is wait
one more week since the foster family is now bringing the kittens in at
night and I am going every day to make sure all the kittens are fed kitten
food while my son and I continue to socialize them by picking them up and
playing with them. I bought Advantage for all the kittens and the foster
family will put the Advantage on the kitten we are taking home one day
before we pick him up.

I prefer cats over dogs, but it is my 8yo son who is the true ailurophile.
He claims to have 61 cat friends, all cats from our neighborhood which he
has given his own names. Yesterday, as we were visiting the semi-feral
kittens, one of the adult feral females who runs away from any human in
sight allowed my son to pet her. It was quite the honor to witness this
exchange between the two, with my son saying as he's scratching her head,
"So, are you a 'ear' cat or a 'neck' cat?" Anyway, he's quite the cat boy
and I fully expect he'll be contributing to this group one day...when he
learns how to type.

Thanks for all the help you have given us throughout the years. I follow
this group from time to time but am not a regular subscriber. But when I
am in need, it is always a pleasure to come here to get some excellent
advice.

Noreen

[Noreen Cooper]

Thanks to everyone for such great advice. What I've decided to do is wait
one more week since the foster family is now bringing the kittens in at
night and I am going every day to make sure all the kittens are fed kitten
food while my son and I continue to socialize them by picking them up and
playing with them. I bought Advantage for all the kittens and the foster
family will put the Advantage on the kitten we are taking home one day
before we pick him up.

I prefer cats over dogs, but it is my 8yo son who is the true ailurophile.
He claims to have 61 cat friends, all cats from our neighborhood which he
has given his own names. Yesterday, as we were visiting the semi-feral
kittens, one of the adult feral females who runs away from any human in
sight allowed my son to pet her. It was quite the honor to witness this
exchange between the two, with my son saying as he's scratching her head,
"So, are you a 'ear' cat or a 'neck' cat?" Anyway, he's quite the cat boy
and I fully expect he'll be contributing to this group one day...when he
learns how to type.

Thanks for all the help you have given us throughout the years. I follow
this group from time to time but am not a regular subscriber. But when I
am in need, it is always a pleasure to come here to get some excellent
advice.

Noreen