My mama cat has three 2-day old kittens. She has fleas and they are on the babies. Can I use a flea collar on her or what can I do??? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 100 years and 11 months old | 6 lbs

Advantage has been used safely in pregnant and nursing cats. I would let the kittens nurse, then remove mom to apply the medicine. It will take about 30 minutes for the medicine to dry, so I would keep them apart for that time frame, you do not want the kittens to lick that area.

No, the kittens should not nurse from their mother after a bath with flea shampoo because they could develop tremors and neurologic side effects depending upon the active ingredients in the shampoo. At this point, try bathing your cat in original blue Dawn dish soap to remove any residue from the flea shampoo and then allow the kittens to nurse. Advantage flea prevention is safe to use in lactating cats, and can be found in most pet stores.

Unfortunately, that product is NOT safe for cats that are nursing because the kittens will ingest the product as they nurse. You are correct that the safest option for the kittens is to bathe them with Dawn, but be careful to keep them warm because kittens cannot regulate their body temperature normally. For mom, there are very few products that are safe for nursing moms. I would recommend contacting your vet and see if they have any of the prescription products that are listed as safe for nursing moms. If they don't, then the safest thing to do is continue with regular baths and flea combing for now until the kittens are no longer nursing. (You can get a flea comb at a pet store which will help you remove the fleas.) Good luck! I'm sorry you're having too deal with this. I hope that was helpful.

What's safe for fleas on my nursing cat and her newborn kittens?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My mama cat has three 2-day old kittens. She has fleas and they are on the babies. Can I use a flea collar on her or what can I do???

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS 102

Veterinarian

Published on May 2nd, 2017

Great question! I don't recommend using a flea collar, they aren't very effective and often cause skin problems. You can give her Capstar, which is a one time pill that starts killing fleas in 30 minutes. It is safe to give nursing mothers. Then follow up with Revolution. It's a spot on treatment that is also safe to use on nursing mothers. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash their bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house such as Indorex.. Make sure Miss Kitty and her kittens are away from where you sprayed the flea spray until it is completely dry. As for the kittens, they are too young for flea treatment and do not put anything on them. You can gently bathe them in warm water and Dawn dish soap, using a flea comb to get all the fleas out of their fur. Be sure to dry them completely so they don't get cold.

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What's safe for fleas on my nursing cat and her newborn kittens?

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