Get Rid of Fleas on Kittens in 5 Easy Steps
When you find one flea on your kitten you can be very sure that there are many more. You need to get rid of the fleas immediately. Your kittens life could be in danger if the fleas are ignored and left untreated. You can remove the fleas in 5 easy steps.
A flea eats 15 x’s its weight in blood, this means that each flea that is on your kitten is taking this much blood from your kittens central blood circulatory system, every time they bite your kitten.
You should be checking your kitten weekly for fleas. Especially if he/she are outdoor pets. A kitten typically won’t show signs of fleas, like itching and biting. If your kitten is itching and biting, and you see fleas on them, they are most likely allergic to the flea saliva that is shared when the flea bites their host, your kitten.
Fleas on your kitten can cause severe and deadly health issues for them. A kitten will become severely lethargic and dehydrated in a very short period of time. If the kitten is infested with fleas, it can take only days for your kitten to die.
Signs That Your Kitten is Becoming Lethargic and/or Dehydrated
- No Energy
- Loss of Interest in Food & Water
- Shortness of Breath
- Rapid Heart Beat
- Very Low Energy Level
- Sleeping More Than Usual
When your kitten becomes lethargic they will lose interest in eating and drinking, along with losing interest in any play. The only thing they will be interested in is resting and sleeping.
If your kitten is not drinking or eating, signs of being lethargic, they can become dehydrated very quickly, literally in a matter of 24-48 hours. When fleas are biting your kitten, they are draining their blood supply. If your kitten isn’t drinking and is infested with fleas, this will kill them.
Follow The Steps Below to Get Rid of Fleas on Kittens:
If your kitten is 8 weeks old or younger, follow the steps below. If your kitten is over 8 weeks old you can follow the steps to get rid of fleas on cats.
1. Fill a sink with warm water, be sure it’s not to hot, you don’t want to burn your 
kitten. Place your kitten butt first into the water, slowly so they don’t panic. Use a flea shampoo that is safe for kittens. Starting from right behind the ears rub the shampoo into a lather.
Continue down the spine of the kitten, rubbing the flea shampoo completely to the skin. You’re going to completely lather your kitten from the neck to the tail. Be sure to get your kittens belly and feet as well.
Don’t panic if the water turns red. The flea “dirt” or droppings are actually blood, so when the water is mixed with it, the droppings turn red.
Gently hold the kitten in the water with only their head sticking out. This will drown the fleas. They don’t like the water any more than your kitten. Continue holding your kitten like this, rubbing their coat gently with your hands for about 10 minutes.
You will see fleas starting to come up to their face trying to get out of the water, with a wet hand stroke the kittens face, forcing the fleas back into the water.
2. Take your kitten out of the water and rub their bodies gently with a towel. You want to get them as dry as you can so they don’t catch a chill.
3. When your kittens coat is dry, you’ll need to apply a flea powder for kittens to their fur. Follow the directions on the container for kittens 8 weeks or younger.
4. Next you’ll need a flea collar that’s safe for kittens 8 weeks and younger. Be sure to read the label carefully making sure that it says for kittens under 8 weeks of age.
If your kitten is under 8 weeks of age you can use wondercide on him/her. This is an all natural product and is safe for both your feline and canine friends of all ages. This is also a wonderful alternative to harsh chemicals if the mom is still nursing her kittens. You can learn more about Wondercide on the kill fleas naturally page, click here.
5. It would be a very good idea to continue checking your kitten every day for any more signs of fleas. When your kitten is 8 weeks old you will be able to safely treat him/her with a monthly flea treatment.
You have successfully treated your kitten for fleas. To fully get rid of your flea problem, I would recommend treating your entire home so that you don’t go through this again.
If you have any questions or comments, you would like to share, please feel free to leave them below 🙂
46 thoughts on “Get Rid Of Fleas On Kittens”
I rescued a kitten that was infested with fleas, I got them all off of him and have been keeping him wrapped in a fleece baby blanket for warmth and bottle feeding him, my question is how long should he be lethargic? It’s been about 16 hours.
Thank you
If your kitten is eating from the bottle then he should start to show signs of improvement within 24 hours. If he isn’t pooping or peeing in a 24 hour period I would immediately call your vet! When a kitten is infested with fleas a lot of damage can be caused to him. I’d call your veterinarian on Monday morning if you don’t see any improvement. They can check your kitten and make sure that he won’t need help getting re hydrated and check to make sure there isn’t anything more serious going on with him.
Best of luck with your new kitten and would love to hear how he does!!! 🙂
Kimberly
I can’t see my kitten like this anymore, all the scratching gets me so nervous. Don’t get me wrong , he very active , he eats, doesn’t drink much but I’m really worried these fleas kill him. He’ll be 8 weeks on the 26 so I don’t know what to do…
Hello Ana, You can use Wondercide on your kitten. This will kill all of the fleas and flea stages immediately! Just spray it directly on your kitten and comb down to the skin. Spray your furniture and carpets along with mopping your floors with it! You will see an instant difference in the flea problem. Continue using the Wondercide weekly on your kitten until they are all gone, then use it as a monthly treatment on your kitten just as you would a monthly topical treatment.
Best of luck with you and your new kitty 🙂 Let me know if I can help you any further!!!
Kimberly
My cat (who i did not think had fleas) has just had a litter of kittens 3days ago and i can see fleas on the kittens!! Ive treated the mum with front line but how do i get them off the kittens!? i dont want them in anyway or discomfort, what do i do?
Sorry meant any pain or discomfort
Hello Ashley, the kittens can be bathed in warm water to kill the fleas that are on them currently, you will also need to get all the bedding washed in hot water and dried on high as well to kill the adult fleas along with the eggs and larvae stages. When you bathe the kittens hold them so there bodies are submerged in the water with only there heads peeking out so the fleas can be drowned. Use a fine flea comb to comb the dead fleas and eggs off of the kittens.
You are going to need to check them daily and if the fleas continue to be seen on your kittens I would call your vet asap. The fleas can kill your kittens very quickly if they aren’t killed. Also, I would double check with your vet if the frontline is safe for your cat since she is nursing.
Best of luck with your kittens and please let me know if I could help with anything else 🙂
Kimberly
Thanks so much, can i bath kittens even though there under a week old? Will mum not loose the sent and neglect them? I will definatly call vets if i cant get rid of them, thanks again
Hello Ashley, you’re very welcome!! Yes, you can bathe the kittens without the mother loosing interest, she’ll know her babies. After you get them out of the water just make sure to dry them very well and put them right back with Momma Kitty so she can get them warm again with her body heat.
Best of luck with your kittens 🙂
Kimberly
What are the age restrictions for kittens using the Wondercide? How old do they have to be?
Hello Erik, there are no age restrictions on the Wondercide, this is an all natural product that does not have chemicals in it that would cause your kitten any harm. For kittens I would just spray it on my hands and rub it down to the skin, you wont need very much at all, maybe 2-3 sprays on your hand. Make sure to get around your kittens head and all the way to the tip of the tail. You can use this as much as you need and you’ll see a huge reduction in the fleas immediately. I would also be sure to spray the Wondercide inside your home in all areas that your kitten likes to be along with washing any bedding and throw rugs in hot water along with vacuuming all of your furniture and carpets to remove any flea eggs and larvae as well.
Best of luck with your new kitten and please let me know if I can help you any further 🙂
Kimberly
Hi my kitten is around 6 weeks old and he has fleas but I’ve heard that I can’t use anything rather than a flea comb. Do you any flea shampoos for kittens that would work and not hurt my cat? I’m really worried about the fleas he’s very active but still I want to get rid of them as soon as possible
Hello Isa, you can use Wondercide Flea & Tick For Home & Pets on your kitten safely. This is all natural and comes in Cedar and Lemongrass scents. The Wondercide products are made without phenols, or phenolic compounds. That is what is what makes many essential oils poisonous to our feline friends. You can read more about the safety of Wondercide for cats and kittens here. Is Wondercide Cedar Safe for CatsYou can order it directly through the Wondercide Official Site. Follow the directions on the label to treat your kitten and you should see a huge difference in the fleas immediately.
Best of luck with your new kitten and please let me know if I can help you with anything else 🙂
Kimberly
Kimberly, I rescued several batches of Feral kittens. Washed the older one in Dawn soap so didn’t notice signs of fleas but the second batch of 5 are infested. Now we all are infested. They are about 5 or 6 weeks and I have used a flea comb but oodles of fleas. Where can I get the Wonder cider you spoke of?
Hello Christina, you can get the Wondercide Here at Amazon. Best of luck with your rescued kittens, they’re very lucky to have found you 🙂 Let me know if I can help you with anything else!
Kimberly
Sorry forgot to say the first 4 kittens are 8 weeks or more.
My fiancée came across a stray kitten around 12 weeks (I’m guesstimating by what I’ve read) with a bad cold and after a short time decided it would be a good idea to bring him home. Normally I’d be up for the challenge of caring for this kitten but I’m over 8 months pregnant, getting my home ready for my very first child and am also the mommy to 3 dogs. During the kittens bath we discovered a decent amount of fleas. My worry is not being able to rid of the fleas quickly enough and have my house back to normal before my trip to the hospital. I’ve been giving him baths and killing them off and he’s doing better but I need him to be at 100% before he comes in anymore contact with my pups or around furniture. Is this process going to take longer than I have?
Hello Jessica, congratulations on your first soon to be child <3 You can use Wondercide to get rid of the fleas on your kitten without having to bath him constantly, which could cause his skin to dry right out and become even more irritated than the fleas are probably causing. This is an all natural product that won’t cause harm to you or your unborn child! This can be sprayed directly on your kitten and combed down to the skin along with spraying it on furniture, carpets and even mopping your floors with it to kill the fleas and all of it’s life cycle stages. You can continue to use this on your kitten and dogs as a preventative measure against fleas and ticks without the worry of any harmful chemicals for your pets and your baby.
Best of luck and please let me know if I can help you any further 🙂
Kimberly
Where can you buy Wondercide?
I’m sorry Angela, for some reason I wasn’t sent an email with your question. You can buy it through Amazon here Wondercide I’m not sure if you where looking for the spray for your animals, yard or inside of the home, so the link is to the general search of Wondercide.
Please let me know if I can help you any further 🙂
Kimberly
My two month old kitten has fleas I tried ultra guard plus she has a lot of them I can.t bath her yet what can I is to kill a lot of fleas on my kitten
What are the age restrictions for using Wondercide on kittens? How old do they have to be?
I keep bathing my kitten every day with dawn but somehow they just won’t go away after she’s dry, she seems to have the same amount of fleas! What do I do ? Please help how can I get them completely off her ?
Hello Lovee, if the Dawn soap isn’t working use Wondercide. I wouldn’t spray it directly on her but on your hands and rub it into her coat down to the skin. Make sure that you treat her from the head to the tail. This is an all natural product and can be reapplied as needed. After the initial treatment give it 24 hours to kill the fleas along with it’s life cycle stages, eggs, larvae and pupa stages. You will also need to spray this in all areas of your home especially the places that she likes to be. You can spray this directly on your furniture, carpets along with using it to mop and hardwoods or tile floors. If she has a kitty bed you’ll need to wash it in hot water and dry it on your highest heat setting to kill the flea stages. If she goes on your bed, be sure to wash all of that bedding in the hot water as well along with spraying the Wondercide directly on your mattress!
You should see a huge improvement in the fleas within 24 hours and if you see any more just spray and treat the spots that you see them with the Wondercide.
Also, make sure that she’s eating and drinking since fleas can cause your kitten to become dehydrated very quickly, if she isn’t drinking and is acting lethargic, then take her to a vet asap, fleas can kill your kitten!
Let me know if I can help you any further and best of luck with your kitten 🙂
Kimberly
I just gave my 8 wk old kitten a bath with dawn dish soap. I did not submerge her body in the water and I have still found a couple of live fleas on her. When is it ok to give her another bath?
Hello April, I would put her back in the water, make sure that is warm enough so she doesn’t get chilled but not to warm to scald her. When you submerge her into the water, you should see the adult fleas coming up to he/her head, just scoop the water in your hand and rub from her nose down her neck to push the fleas back into the water, so they drown. The dawn may dry her skin a little bit but if you’re still seeing the fleas it’s better to have the dry skin then to have the fleas cause dehydration or cause your kitten to become lethargic.
You can use Wondercide on a kitten if you’d like a preventative flea and tick medication for your kitten. This will also kill any fleas on her without drying out the skin. You can spray her as often as needed with this and it can also be sprayed directly on furniture and carpets, anywhere that your kitten goes to kill any fleas that may be in your home now.
You can get Wondercide here: Wondercide Natural Flea & Tick Control for Pets & Home
Best of luck with your new kitten! Please let me know if I can help you any further 🙂
Kimberly
Hi we just brought home an 8 week old kitten …i have an 8 yr old cat and shes flea free but this evening when bringing home the kitten i noticed and removed about 3 fleas now im not sure where your located but i live in Canada and have a four year old child …who happened to fall asleep with the kitten on my bed this evening .what cam i safely use for my kitten and should i have any concerns for my child ?
Hello Alex,
You can use Wondercide on your kitten. This is an all natural product and is safe for pets of all ages. It is safe to have around your child as well because there are no harsh chemicals in this product. Spray all areas of your home where the kitten likes to go along with combing it down to your kittens skin.
This will kill all the fleas and any of the flea life stages that may be present in your home.
Best of luck with your new kitten and please let me know if I can help you any further 🙂
Kimberly
My kittens are not a week old and they have fleas what should I do
Good morning Heidi, you should first give your kittens a bath and try to drown as many fleas as you can. Your house and any places that your kittens are kept needs to be treated for fleas ASAP! You can use Wondercide to treat areas that you keep your kittens and the momma kitty. Wondercide is all natural and safe for kittens and cats of all ages and works very well to kill the adult fleas and all of the life stages. Any bedding that you have down for the kittens and their momma should be washed in the hottest water you can and dried on the highest heat setting with your dryer.
You can find wondercide here: Amazon Wondercide You can use this to spray the areas that your kittens are kept along with spraying directly on them and their momma. Follow the directions on the bottle to treat areas of your home along with your kittens.
I hope this helps, if you have anymore questions, please let me know!
Kimberly 🙂
Hello I just adopted a 2month old kitten from a shelter i was wondering if my kitten has flea’s because she had black looking small things one her fur and it doesn’t seem to bother her, she isn’t scratching.?? But its around her neck and a little bit through out her body! If its fleas how do i get rid of them and she also got fixed recently! And i notice it after i paid for her and they said it was flea dirt she should be fine. What does that mean???
Hello Eronica, it probably is flea dirt, you can test it by getting some of the black stuff off of her and add a little bit of water to it. If it turns a reddish color then it’s flea droppings. If you aren’t seeing any live fleas on her then she may be just fine. I would give her a bath and watch to see if any fleas try jumping off, they don’t like the water.
If she does have fleas, you can treat her with Wondercide along with spraying areas of your home and any bedding she uses to kill the fleas along with all of their life stages. Even if she doesn’t have any fleas jumping off of her, using the wondercide monthly as a preventative measure against fleas and ticks is a great idea.
I hope this helps you and if you have anymore questions please feel free to leave another comment! Best of luck with your new kitty 🙂
Kimberly
I was given a homeless kitten a week ago she seems to be only a couple weeks old now. When i got her she had fleas so i used tweezers to grab and kill them. Its been a 4 days since ive seen one on her but today i saw one black thing run as i inspected her. I know i should fleabath her but my question is, do they die on their own? (Im wishful thinking here.)
Good morning Frances, the fleas don’t die on their own. You may want to read about the flea life cycle here. You should treat her with an all natural product like Wondercide . If you’re not sure of your kittens age you can safely use this on pets of all ages to kill fleas and as a preventative measure against anymore.
I would also spray down all areas of your home that the kitten goes to, including furniture, bedding and mopping your floors with it so that you kill the flea stages such as the egg which I have no doubt are on her. You can also give her a bath to drown the fleas and get any flea dirt off of her skin so she doesn’t get irritated skin.
The wondercide will work very well, just follow the directions on the bottle, the same bottle of the wondercide can be used on your kitten and to spray down your home.
I hope this helps and if you have anymore questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! Congratulations on your new kitten, it’s really nice of you to take her in to give her a secure home 🙂
Kimberly
Hello, first, I wanted to say I have found this information helpful. I’ve been doing all of these things; however, we still have fleas! I use Revolution once a month on my 7 month old kitten (we rescued him and these fleas are just horrible!) We have been combing and using revolution for 4-5 months now. I was wondering if you had any insight as to what products can be used in combination with a monthly flea medication? (can it be paired with a flea collar, wondercide, etc.?)
Hello MadEm, you can pair your flea meds, collars, etc., with Wondercide. They do offer products for the home as well but I personally use the Wondercide flea and tick spray on my pets along with spraying it throughout my home if I see any signs of fleas. This product works wonderfully if you spray it everywhere your kitten goes along with spraying it directly on your kitty.
Since this is an all natural product without any chemicals you won’t see any harmful effects on your kitten when combined with your other flea and tick meds. I don’t even use monthly treatments on my animals anymore since finding this product. I just spray it on them just about every month, especially when the flea season is at its peak and it keeps the fleas and the ticks off of my pets.
I hope this helps you out, if you have anything else that I can help with, please let me know!
Kimberly 🙂
We have three 3 week old kittens from a mama cat that adopted us. They all live outside where she made a nest in a clump of decorative grass. We have started holding the kittens to get them used to people and noticed little black bugs scurrying on their bellies. From what I have read, it sounds likes these are fleas. I don’t have a problem bathing and treating the kittens following your directions. The question is how do I treat the Mom when she is just starting to let me pet her when she come out to eat. And, obviously I can’t launder the grass/ nest. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hello Carrie, first off I think it’s really wonderful that you’re helping the momma kitty and her babies 🙂 I myself ended up with my kitty’s the same way.
The safest way I can say to treat her and her kittens is to spray them with Wondercide. This product is all natural so it’s perfectly safe to apply to a nursing momma kitty and her kittens. If the momma kitty won’t let you get close enough and allow you to spray her, you can spray her kittens, following the directions on the bottle and it will at least kill a lot of the fleas, keeping them safe.
If the momma kitty is allowing you to per her, just spray the Wondercide on your hands and rub as much on her as you can, even if it’s just a light coating to begin with, it’s better than nothing at all. At least with the babies treated for the fleas, they have a better chance of not getting lethargic and dehydrated from the fleas.
If the momma kitty has a particular spot that she is eating and if it’s a spot where you can put a blanket or something down, I’d spray that as well with the Wondercide, if she lies down on it or anything at least she’ll get more of it on her fur.
The Wondercide that I linked you to is the perfect size bottle for what you’re looking to do and a little bit of this goes a long way. You can also reapply daily, weekly as you see fit with the kittens and the momma because it is all natural and doesn’t have any harmful ingredients like most flea meds do.
I hope this helps you out and if you have any more questions please let me know!! Best of luck with your new kitty family!!!
Kimberly
I have spent a number of years studying from vets. I have been a vet and kennel and surgical assistant during this time. I have also bred and born many litters of dogs and a few litters of cats to stay brief. I am convinced,(after reading all replies on this page) that the sale of Wondercide is the objective. With kittens so young, I personally would not take the advice given. I truly hope for the “innocents” sake, that you speak to a vet or similar professional. I don’t mean to offend or down talk this site or people involved. I’m sure it is a great product. I only care for the cat and kittens you’re doing well by, and wish to offer knowledge.
This ferrel cat had 6 babies in my back yard, they have flies and fleas they are about 2 wks old i feel sorry for them. What do i do????
Hello Mary, Honestly the first thing I would do is contact your local vets to see what animal rescues are available in your area. I wouldn’t take the kittens away from their mother without having someone who is knowledgeable about the care of the kittens at whatever age they are at. The mother is surely feeding them if they still need her. Just contact your local veterinarian or animal rescues for some help on what to do.
Best of luck I know it’s hard to just leave the kittens when you want to help but it’s probably the best thing to do until you can get advice from people that deal with ferrel cats.
It’s really great that your trying to help them!! Please let me know how they do!!
Kimberly 🙂
Is all dawn safe on kittens?
Hello Lisa, yes dawn is perfectly safe for kittens just be careful not to get into their eyes. Have a great day and let me know if I can help you with anything else 🙂
Kimberly
My cat just gave birth to a litter of kittens they all had fleas so I gave the all flea baths and went through all the steps yesterday I waited 24 hours and checked , but they still have fleas what do I do
How many times can I bath them
Hello Alek.. I’m sorry I have been working through this crazy time and just had a chance to see your ?. I would honestly check with your vet to see how often is safe to bathe your kittens. You could use the wondercide around the area that the kittens are sleeping and playing. The wondercide is all natural and very effective at killing the fleas and the flea eggs, you can find it at Amazon here or directly on the Wondercide.com website.
Let me know if I can help you any further 🙂
Kimberly