Fleas and ticks can be deadly to a newborn kitten. Make sure to never use general tick medication on newborns, as this can be fatal. If a kitten has ticks, it is highly recommended to talk to a vet first, to see what can be done. Refer to Episode 05 for further details on flea treatment.

Before trying the two bathing methods mentioned in Bathing A Newborn, it is advisable to lightly dampen the kitten’s fur with warm water, before wetting the kitten whole. 

For the following method, flea combs or lice combs [which can be tricky as the edges of most of these combs are pointy] can be used. Flea combs can be purchased on Daraz.lk, labelled "stainless steel pet flea combs". 

Instructions

Step 01:

Dampen a cloth, squeeze out the excess water, and wipe it along the kitten’s body to dampen the fur. 

Step 02:

Using a thin meshed comb, gently brush through the kittens fur in the direction of the fur growth. Keep a bowl of warm water to get the ticks off the comb or have a dry, disposable tissue in hand to make sure no ticks get back onto the kitten's coat. 

Step 03:

You can now bath the kitten using a warm water bath [refer to Episode 06].

Step 04:

Dry the kitten with a soft dry towel in the direction of the fur. Once dry, wrap the kitten in another dry towel until there is no trace of water on its skin. 

Remember to only bathe kittens when it is absolutely needed. Always provide a suitable warm bedding and ensure that the fur is completely dry before laying it down.

Photo by Tomas Ryant from Pexels.