My kittens have fleas. Is castor oil safe or toxic if they ingest it?

Question

My kittens have really bad fleas, and my aunt recomended coating them in Jamaican Castor oil to suffocate the fleas. Is Castor oil harmful to cats if ingested?

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

It is harmful to cats if ingested, and this will not work at all for fleas. All you get is a greasy cat. I can give you a flea treatment program for them that is safe as long as they are at least 7 weeks of age. First, I would give them Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. 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, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If they are younger than that, you can use Frontline Spray on them. It's safe to use on kittens as young as two days of age. You will still have to disinfect the environment. I hope this helps!

My kittens have fleas. Is castor oil safe or toxic if they ingest it?

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