Fleas worms and your kitten

Fleas:

Fleas simply don’t bother some kittens. Most, however, will scratch and bite themselves excessively and an unfortunate few will have a violent skin reaction.

It’s easy to spot when fleas have made their home on your kitten. They are brownish-black in colour and you’ll see them moving about on his coat. You’ll also notice black specks of flea dirt under his fur.

Ask your vet for advice on treating fleas and, if you do buy a treatment from a pet shop, make sure it’s suitable for kittens and that you have enough to treat all the animals in the house. You should also treat the environment as thoroughly as your kitten. Vacuum everywhere carefully, wash and dust boxes and bedding and spray the area around them. Use an environmental spray but don’t use it directly on your kitten, unless your vet advises you to.

Worms:

Roundworms are quite common among kittens. They can give your kitten a pot-bellied look and cause vomiting, diarrhoea, poor condition and retarded growth. Treatments, which are numerous and highly effective, are usually given every fortnight between the ages of 5 and 12 weeks, and then every 3 to 6 months after that. Make sure you find out what treatment your kitten has received before his arrival, then take advice from your vet on what to do next.

Kittens can also get tapeworms, although they’re more common with older cats. One type is acquired from fleas, another by eating rodents. Symptoms include tapeworm segments in the faeces, or around their bottom. These can be rice-like segments or longer, flat and ribbon-like ones. Roundworm treatments are not effective against tapeworms, so ask your vet’s advice if you spot them.