Whether your cat has given birth or you've rescued a litter of abandoned kittens, there's a lot to consider in keeping those kittens safe during their first few weeks. One of the steps that are often overlooked is whether or not your kittens are being protected from flea infestations. It might surprise you to learn that if you have kittens, any adult cats in your home need to have regular anti-flea treatments to keep those kittens safe. Read on to learn how this works and why keeping kittens safe from fleas is more complicated than protecting adult cats.

Danger of Fleas For Kittens

Fleas pose a serious risk to kittens while they're only a nuisance when it comes to adult cats. Kittens are very small and have a much smaller blood supply than fully grown adult cats as a result. If an adult cat is bitten by many fleas, they might be left very itchy and somewhat anemic. With enough flea bites, however, a kitten's blood supply can be so tapped that it can potentially be lethal.

Kittens and Flea Protection Problems

It would probably seem to you that the best way to protect your kittens is to use the same anti-flea care that works for adult cats. However, that's generally not possible with young kittens. Kittens typically can't use most anti-flea protection until they're older. This means that flea collars, topical treatments, and other repellents generally can't be used on young kittens.

While you can regularly bathe your kitten and use a flea comb to remove fleas, they probably will have already been bitten several times at this point. In addition, the fleas may lay eggs on the kitten, making matters even worse.

Protect Your Adults To Protect Your Kittens

Thankfully, you can protect your kittens by making sure that the adult cats in your home are protected. Since adult cats can use all standard anti-flea treatments, you have plenty to choose from to keep your cats safe. Treating your cats means that fleas won't be able to use the adults as a breeding ground, and most will die within moments of landing on your adult cats. With adequate protection, even if your cats go outside, they won't be bringing in dozens or more of fleas with them that can potentially harm your kittens.

Once your kittens are at least 8 weeks old, you'll be able to use a wide range of anti-flea products to keep them safe from infestations. Until then, treating your adult cats is the best way to prevent your kittens from experiencing anemia and other flea-borne diseases. If you have a current flea outbreak in your home, talk to a veterinarian for tips on keeping your kittens and cats safe.

Contact a vet hospital like Animal House Veterinary Hospital for more information and assistance.