Kitten Season and Death by Fleas
HIYA! SAVANNAH HERE!!!
I bet’cha I have lots of my readers and followers wondering what’s up with those cutie pit sibling kittens from my guest Sunday Selfie blog post yesterday, right?!
Oh hi! What’cha doin’ up there?
I asked you all to try to guess two things—first…which kitten has a health problem and second—what might that health problem be. These cuties are being fostered by Community Concern 4 Cats (CC4C), and they are very fortunate indeed to be under such responsible and professional loving care. They are from a feral Mom Kat, and arrived during a Doc Josie Kitchen Cat Clinic in the home of Miss Gemma, the current president of CC4C.
They were brought in by their caring foster human for their blood draw to test for FeLV etc, and to get their first vaccinations, worming and flea treatments. They all look just precious, adorable and healthy, right?
The first kitten up was a real cutie.
You’re gonna do what to me??!!
Check out that cute tummy, all white and those paws all pink. He took it like a champ! Not a flea in site.
Next up, a darling little pink nosed sweetie.
Ok, why is everyone staring at me??
Did’ya see that hot pink nose?? And he was looking might fine as well as the first kitten.
Then came the littlest kitten of the four siblings. As soon as this cutie hit the exam table, Doc Josie noted “oh my! this kitty is so white and pale!”
Ummm…I’m a bit scared and not feeling so well, ya’ know?
But the exam went on with the last of the four kittens hitting the exam table at the same time as the third kitten who had appeared “white” to Doc Josie.
Just check out my brofur, leave me be, ok?
And then the last of the four hit the table and Miss Gemma, owner of the Kitchen Clinic, brought out the most important diagnostic tool for kittens, especially those who come from a feral Mom Cat.
The flea comb arrived!
I don’t have fleas! Ummm…maybe one or two?
And then Doc Josie and Miss Gemma brought back the very pale kitten. Guess what? She was LOADED with fleas! Dozens and dozens of fleas! Her first two examined siblings had none—but the last one, had at least a couple. But those vile fleas had found the most vulnerable, smallest and least robust of these four siblings to literally suck the life out of her. She was ANEMIC from a severe flea infestation.
The foster human, as with all present, was dumbfounded! Those blood lusting insects had enough intelligence to source the weakest kitten and attach themselves to her and almost killed her.
LESSON LEARNED
It is kitten season across the USA. Do not lose vigilance when rescuing kittens when it comes to FLEA COMBING every single kitten in a litter!!
Only one kitten in this foursome had the potential death causing infestation of fleas. She was treated under Doc Josie’s medical expertise and will thankfully survive.
How many kittens in a kitten season will die from over looking a flea infestation?
Here is the tell tale photo illustrating how Doc Josie knew immediately that one kitten had a serious problem.
Notice the lack of color in the one kitten
I searched lots to find some reference to this condition in kittens, but most turned out to be advertisements for cat flea treatments. But, here are a few I thought might help if any of my readers are ever involved in the rescue of kittens.
I welcome any reader, follower to add their own advice, information links in comments. Kitten season is a challenge for all countries across the world. In the USA alone there are states, such as Florida, where kitten season never ends. Let’s all try to be vigilant to keep the kittens safe and healthy and promote always—SPAY—NEUTER!!! IT SAVES LIVES!!
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I once met a cat who had been drained by fleas to the point it needed a transfusion. The danger is real
Wow, glad they caught those nasty fleas!
That poor little baby! We are so thankful that Doc Josie and CC4C are on the case, and happy to know that the little one is doing so much better!
Oh my goodness! That poor kitten, and the fleas knew to go for the weakest one. Grrr darned fleas are evil and they need to be removed – thank you for spotlighting the fact we need to be vigilant at all times with every kitten!!
I am stunned…..
Aww, that poor kitty! And can I just say, those EYES in the third picture down.
Pawsome post! I feel so bad for that little one with the fleas. I’m shocked that they didn’t migrate to the others.
they went for the smallest and weakest. The flea comb must have had twenty in it just in the first pass through, disgusting!!
We know flea bites can cause enemia. We’re glad these little ones were treated and will be okay.
just talked with CC4C and within a few days the little kitten was running and playing again and had almost no fleas on her! YAY!
That’s what they do! They seek out the most vulnerable and attack. Nothin’ worse than fleas. MOUSES!
Purrs,
Seville
We knew fleas can cause anemia (you should have seen how many fleas came from Ashton when she first arrived!), but we didn’t realize only one kitten in a litter might have the bulk of the fleas. We thought they would be equally distributed. Very good information. Thank you for sharing!
We had no idea fleas could do so much damage:( We hope that cute little
“white” kitty will get well soon.
Woos – Ciara and Lightning
arwooo! Thank you Ciara and Lightning. Just talked with CC4C and that kitten was up and playing again within about 4 days and NO FLEAS!!
Awwww poor baby, we hate fleas – we call them juffa’s here. So glad mew had the juffa’s exterminated and the little kitten is on the mend now!
Purrs
Basil & Co xox
Thank you thank you for sharing!!!!! Will be on the look out for sure when I see the wee ones around!
Poor baby! I am so glad the vet discovered the heavy flea infestation and the kitten will make a good recovery.
Mee-you Savannah mee an LadyMum thott it was thee paler kitt who mite bee sick…butt wee had NO idea it was fleass!! An to fink they went fur thee most vulnerabull kitt…..
Fankfully that littul one iss treeted an will survive…
LadyMum has Advantage 18 fur mee an shee putss 2 dropss on mee neck fur an rubss it inn efurry 14-17 dayss…it werkss purrfectlee an mee can bee inn walkin vest an not get stew-pid fleass…..
Now wee are hearin about tickss here…thee Advantage 18 killss them all so!
**shuddersss**
~~head rubsss~~ Dhartha Henry~~
Excellent post. I hate fleas, I can’t believe they all went after this poor kitty. When we adopted Millie, he was anemic from fleas too.
I am so grateful the kitten is OK. What a close shave in deed and a very timely warning to everyone during kitten season…. Death by Fleas would have been a tragedy!
Such important information, and I’m so happy that precious baby is going to be ok. The adorable captions you gave each picture really touched my heart.
purrrs for your kind compliment Miss Melissa. I try to help Mom L get those captions just right!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I had no idea the signs to look for with anemia.
our rescue has had kittens die from this when we get them too late to save them. the rescue treats every adult and kitten (old enough) when they come in. the little ones with their moms get looked over very well. and mom has bathed more than one kitten in dawn to get rid of fleas if they are too little for meds
YAY, I guessed right, and it was purely guess work on my part. But I noticed the unusual pink too, which the others did’t have. The eyes were not quite as bright either. I didn’t suspect fleas tho – poor baby.
Poor babies. They are in good hands now
Lily & Edward
Thank goodness the vet got rid of all the fleas from the kittens. We would have hated it if it had died from blood loss.
My boy Oscar had to get a transfusion this summer because he was so anemic ! He was current on his flea meds and repeated tests revealed nothing wrong – he produced new red blood cells and got better. He is 9 years old and I have had him for 6 years. The other cats were not affected (but not flea-free, either) You can bet I am on top of this now – but thanks for letting everyone know how easily this can happen !
Fleas. Yikes! We never knew fleas could make a kitty’s pink things turn to white things. It makes sense., plus it’s scary.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Thanks for the information, Savvy. Now we know that it wasn’t the one that we thought it was. Granny’s Angel had a lot of fleas too when she brought him home with her, but TC he didn’t get anaemic. Healing Pawkisses to all the gorgeous little ones 🙂 ❤
Oh, yes, we know all about that. Shimshi was so infested with those bloodsucking vampire fleas when he came to Us, that the vet said there was no choice but to use a flea-killer that was really intended for slightly older kitties. She said he was so anaemic from having his bloods sucked out by the vampires that the flea-killing spray was less of a danger to him than the fleas.
But see what a mighty little kitty purr-ince he has grown into!
We hope all the kitties in the pictures above are now thriving.
The moment you mentioned the pink nose on one kitten, I knew, and went back to the photo to see which kitten was pale! Poor little kitty. I’m glad she was under expert veterinary care so that she could make it!
Oh wow this darned fleas caused such a serious health problem. That darned flea-beasts are really made in hell. Kitten season is a challenge, that’s so true…sadly in our area some people are id*ots, although the vets offer low price spaying/neutering , this people rather do cruelty things instead to prevent an unwanted litter :o(((
When I had gotten my new female in 2011 I had to take her and the tom to the vet. And there, all of a sudden and for the first time (I had the tome for 5 years by then) they found fleas on my tom. They must have come with the female and so both got treated. My cats were both adults, and there were not that many fleas, still I was very unhappy!!