Flea and worm treatments for kittens
Regular flea and worm treatments for kittens are essential to their health, and can start from as young as 8 weeks. Your options include topical spot-on and tablet treatments. Spot-on treatments for kittens can be applied directly to their skin, whereas tablets need to be ingested.
Whether you’re thinking of getting a kitten or you’ve just welcomed one into your home, making sure you’re ready to begin regular treatments to protect them from parasite-borne diseases will ensure they live a healthier, happier life. It will also give you peace of mind as a responsible pet owner.
Do kittens need flea and worm treatments?
Good quality flea and worm protection is essential for kittens. In fact, it’s even more important you protect your kitten from fleas and worms due to their immature immune systems and inability to groom themselves in the same way as adult cats. This means that if a flea bites your kitten, they’re more susceptible to skin irritation and disease. Not only does this cause a lot of unpleasantness for your kitten in the early stages of their life, some flea-borne diseases, like anaemia, can be life-threatening if they’re not treated in time.
What if my kitten isn’t going outside yet?
There’s a misconception that a kitten, or cat, that doesn’t go outside, doesn’t need flea and worm treatments. But fleas are a risk wherever untreated pets have been. We can bring flea eggs into our homes under shoes or on clothing – and they can lay dormant in our home environments for up to a year. Fleas can also carry tapeworms.
Your kitten needs to be protected from fleas and worms at all times, even if they are staying indoors. The only way to do that is with a quality flea and worm treatment for kittens which must be given regularly, without gaps. That way, any fleas your kitten does come into contact with, will die within 24 hours and can’t cause them any serious harm.
What if I can’t even see any fleas?
There is no truer saying than, ‘prevention is better than cure’ in the case of fleas. Don’t wait to see a flea, to act. At this late stage, you could find yourself fighting a full-blown infestation. An adult flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day which means if you’re seeing fleas, there will be hundreds more eggs around, and the flea life cycle has begun. It can take up to 3 months to get rid of fleas on cats for good.
When do you start flea and worm treatments for kittens?
You can usually start flea treatments for kittens and kitten wormers between 8 and 12 weeks old, depending on the treatment. This should be around the same time you’ll be bringing your cat home for the first time. No reputable groomer would separate a kitten from their mother before this time.
Consider your kittens’ weight
You must also consider your kitten’s weight before you begin their treatment. Most flea treatments and kitten wormers are safe to give to pets over 500g, but every product is different. It’s important to always read the instructions for any treatment. Your vet can advise you if you’re unsure.
Treatments for kittens from 12 weeks
At Protect My Pet, we offer flea and worm treatments for kittens from 12 weeks old when they typically weigh more than 1kg. We’ll always check your pet’s details to make sure they receive a safe and correct dose.
Which flea and worm treatments are safe for kittens?
Reputable providers of flea treatments for kittens and kitten wormers will always recommend regular treatments. When kittens reach the appropriate age, this is usually once per month for flea treatments and once every 3 months for worm treatments.
Spot-on flea treatments for kittens
At Protect My Pet we recommend spot-on flea treatments for cats simply because they’re so much easier to apply, and far less traumatic for your kitten. Trying to get them to take a tablet is no mean feat!
Advantage, Frontline Plus and Imidaflea are three excellent spot-on flea treatments for kittens that we include in our protection boxes.
Recommended worm treatments for kittens
For worming, we recommend Drontal, Dronspot or Anthelmin for cats. They’re some of the biggest names on the market for kitten wormers and offer great value for money.
You will of course find other options available to you online and we always recommend doing your research. Check the manufacturer, any certificates of approval and if possible, try not to be swayed too much by the lowest-cost option. Similarly, the most expensive may not be necessary either. Always make sure you know what’s inside your kitten’s flea and worm treatments too in case of any adverse reactions.
Our professional veterinary team only uses well-known, industry-approved brands that have a long-standing reputation for safety, efficacy and suitability.
Avoid flea collars for kittens
We don’t recommend flea collars for kittens for a few reasons. They can be unsafe, if for example your kitten gets caught on something and can’t get themselves free. Flea collars also won’t last forever and your kitten will grow fast meaning you’ll need to change the size. Any break or diminishing strength of treatment leaves them at risk. Lastly, they can appear unsightly and smell bad!
The dangers of natural remedies for kittens
Natural remedies are known to be available, however these sorts of treatments – even when they’re marketed as flea and worm treatments for kittens – have not been through the stringent checks veterinary-approved treatments have. Some contain essential oils which can be toxic to cats. Herbal remedies are simply not effective flea treatments for kittens, they may be unsafe and they won’t provide the protection they need.
Regular flea and worm treatments in the post
If your kitten is 12 weeks old and weighs at least 1 kg, we can offer you a regular and safe solution to their flea and worm treatments. We’ll deliver them through your letterbox each month so you never forget to protect. The treatments arrive in exactly the right doses too, giving you peace of mind that you’re giving your kitten the right amount.