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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Kitten Arrived Riddled With Fleas

93 replies

ItsSnowJokes · 19/08/2021 17:14

We have recently adopted a 16-20 ish week old kitten. She was found abandoned by a friend and then we have ended up with her. She has arrived yesterday absolutely riddled with fleas, but most of them were very slow and sleepy. We have treated her with advantage and a very good flea comb and I have indorex coming tomorrow. She is confined to the lounge at the moment which is hard floors but she has taken a space on the sofa so that is likely riddled as well!

She has lovely pink gums, but she is very very quiet for a kitten, just sleeps or hides a lot of the day, not really into playing she looks like she doesn't know how to! She is also really not eating a lot of food. She has used her litter tray for 3 wees in 24 hours but no poops (but then she's not eating a lot!). Her nose is a nice temp and wet, she just seems a very sleepy kitten.

She is booked in the vets the end of next week (the earliest I could get) but she has had her jabs as friend got those done straight away.

Is it normal for an abandoned kitten to be this quiet? I know it's very confusing for her currently as it's a new house but she is just so quiet. She has no other unwell signs other than being quiet and not eating much (she has drunk water a few times though).

I am annoyed that friend didn't flea treat her as friend has had her at their house for 5 weeks! They have had a stern message from me today! As its now costing us a fortune and we are all itching like mad. It was also unfair to leave a kitten that is tiny with that many fleas! If her guns weren't such a great colour she would be at an emergency vet for anaemia! There were about 20-30 on her and so much flea dirt.

OP posts:
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thecatneuterer · 19/08/2021 17:33

Poor kitten. You're right, it would be an emergency if her gums were pale. When did she have her second jab? That can sometimes make them feel ill.

Original poster
ItsSnowJokes · 19/08/2021 17:36

About 1.5 weeks ago apparently. To be honest I'm concerned friend has lied about jabs but they told me to call up the vets to get the exact dates, so I can't see the point in lying about it all as I would easily find out.

I'm concerned that she is just so quiet. She is hiding again now and when she does come out she just snuggles up to sleep on a blanket.

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SquirryTheSquirrel · 19/08/2021 17:42

I had this many years ago with a rescued kitten. The fleas were all over him, coming out of his nose even. I treated him straight away, but he was lethargic for a couple of days afterwards and I was very worried.

Happily he made a full recovery and lived to the grand age of 19.

I'm sure your wee girlie will be OK but continue to monitor what she's eating and drinking and if you're worried, go straight to the emergency vet.

thecatneuterer · 19/08/2021 17:43

Well the friend should have given you her vaccine card with the kitten. I'd be skeptical too. And the vet won't be able to give you any details due to data protection. Ask for the vaccine card.

Have you tried tempting her with, for example, hot roast chicken, or poached fish fillets?

Whenitsjustyourclockreading505 · 19/08/2021 17:55

Without a vaccine card I wouldn’t trust they had been done tbh.

My rescue cat was very quiet because she was nervous and had previously been badly looked after. She spent days hiding under a sideboard and only came out to eat at night when we were in bed. She also didn’t play for several weeks as she didn’t know how but we have totally spoilt her with lots of toys that she now goes and gets out of her toy box when she wants to play!

It’s good her gums are nice an pink, she’s probably a bit overwhelmed and just needs to settle. When she’s more at home do post a photo for us, thems the rules Smile

Has your friend replied to your text? I hope she doesn’t have other flea riddle pets -poor things. Congratulations on your new kitten.

Original poster
ItsSnowJokes · 19/08/2021 18:20

Thank you everyone! If she has had her injections and we give her more at our vets will they damage her? "Friend" (that term is getting looser and looser by the minute) has said they are looking for the card at the moment but if they can't find it what can I do? Can you overdose on initial vaccinations?

We normally use the same vet but we are going to see how she is tonight and if she is the same we are going to get her in somewhere different tomorrow. Not happy to leave her like this.

Last night she was OK ish but not really eating, sat on my lap having cuddles and then suddenly today like this. I did wonder if it was the advantage flea treatment we have given her, but it was the correct weight for her, and I have used it on my 7 cats I have had before. I also did flea comb her a lot today and I think she is avoiding me completely now. However, when she does come out of hiding she just curls up on the sofa and sleeps. Never seen such a lethargic kitten.

Picture as I know it's the rules! This is how she just sits on the sofa!

Kitten Arrived Riddled With Fleas
OP posts:
amylou8 · 19/08/2021 18:34

🥰😻 she's lovely.
Can you call your regular vet and tell them what you've said here? They'll be able to decide if it warrants an emergency appointment. They'll fit her in if they think it's necessary.

urbanbuddha · 19/08/2021 18:51

She's really cute!
Strange that the vet didn't treat the fleas.

Original poster
ItsSnowJokes · 19/08/2021 18:53

@amylou8

🥰😻 she's lovely. Can you call your regular vet and tell them what you've said here? They'll be able to decide if it warrants an emergency appointment. They'll fit her in if they think it's necessary.
We are going to do this tomorrow. I am so worried, anxious and also fucking angry about the situation. It could be from the fleas as she honestly had so many, and so much flea dirt. It could be from the flea treatment, it could be something else entirely. I just have never known such a quiet, lethargic cat. Even when left alone she is not eating her food. We have left her now in the lounge and all come upstairs in the hope that she will come out from under the sofa and eat, and do whatever.
OP posts:
SquirryTheSquirrel · 19/08/2021 19:40

Your vet will be able to advise you on whether extra vaccinations could do any harm - I imagine if they think so and it can't be confirmed it would just be a matter of waiting till they are safe to start the course from scratch.

The vets where it was done should have a record though. If the card is missing they can redo it for a small admin charge.

Whenitsjustyourclockreading505 · 19/08/2021 20:35

Our vet gave extra vaccinations as our cat didn’t have a vaccination card.
My cat avoids me after flea treatment and gives me the death stare, if I tried to comb her as well she would have the hump for days! I hope your kitten perks up soon, she’s lucky you have her. Imagine the state she would be in in another couple of weeks! Angry

She is such a cutie, what’s her name?

HalzTangz · 19/08/2021 21:13

If your friend can't find the card she can request a copy of the vaccinations from the vet

Oldraver · 19/08/2021 21:33

She's lovely poor thing

My friend has a cat that had its first injection with the breeder but the new vet started the course again

somethinginthewater · 19/08/2021 22:08

Has she been wormed?
If she has fleas she most probably has worms which can make them very sad and flat.

Original poster
ItsSnowJokes · 20/08/2021 06:59

We have had progress overnight. She let me flea comb her again last night and managed to get out more dead fleas and a few that were dying and very slow. She has also eaten 2 small bowls of food, not the very high meat content food I would have liked but at the moment I just want her to eat. She has done a wee in her tray and she is still hiding behind the sofa this morning but did come out for food. Will be calling the vets just to check her out as if she is all OK I will be a lot more relaxed. At the moment I am just so worried about her, fingers crossed it is just a combination of new home and the fleas.

OP posts:
MotherOfGremlins · 20/08/2021 07:10

I think new home and fleas are probably the answer, but the vet will be able to check her over for you and provide reassurance Smile

Mumdiva99 · 20/08/2021 10:02

Bless you it sounds a worrying time. One of my cats hates me after flea treatment! You'd think I had assaulted her not just put a drop on her neck.

Did you get the flea treatment with worming in? If not get some of that from your vet.

You can have more than one set of vaccinations. Our kittens had jab 1 and one of the vets we called used a different brand and said if we went to him he would have to start again with the brand he used - as the kittens need 2 doses of the same brand jab.

Original poster
ItsSnowJokes · 20/08/2021 11:08

We have an appt at 11.20 for her. She has perked up a lot though. 2 poops and a wee so far! And eaten 4 small bowls of food now. I do think she was on the verge of flea anaemia, and she would have got very sick quickly if she hadn't been treated with Advantage.

Will see what the vet says and let you all know.

OP posts:
SparklingLime · 20/08/2021 18:11

The little darling. How is she doing?

Original poster
ItsSnowJokes · 20/08/2021 18:50

@SparklingLime

The little darling. How is she doing?
We have had a nightmare day of stress. Flea situation has been mostly resolved thank god, 1 dead flea this morning and none this afternoon. Sprayed the house while she was at the vets so that will start working.

The vets are very concerned about her, they are not 100% sure what's wrong, they think when she was a younger kitten she may have suffered a head trauma or it could have been from a difficult birth and they think she may have some sort of brain damage and is probably partially sighted as well. Her jaw won't open very wide, and they said currently they couldn't even spey here as they couldn't tube her as her mouth doesn't open wide enough. We can cope with a partially sighted or blind cat no worries. I have had deaf cats, we can deal with it and give her a quality of life.

Then at about 4.45 this afternoon she started walking really funny, foaming at the mouth and just kind of drooling and vomiting up this foamy saliva. We rushed her straight to the vets and they saw her straight away, they have taken bloods and we are awaiting a phone call. I think it may have been a seizure, but then husband said she perked right up in the vets and was wanting cuddles and fuss and displayed happy cat behaviour. The vet is very confused. We have an appt Monday morning so fingers crossed she is OK over the weekend.

I am devastated as I have fallen in love with her already. It took me a lot to get another cat after my last one, and I just want her to be OK. She is so cuddly and just loves sitting on your lap or next to you on the sofa having her cheek rubbed. I know she isn't right though. She doesn't display normal kitten behaviour.

Photo just because she is too cute and amazing.

Kitten Arrived Riddled With Fleas
OP posts:
SparklingLime · 20/08/2021 18:58

Oh goodness, how incredibly stressful. She was lucky to find you.

(Do you follow the Kitten Lady? She does amazing work with kittens with health problems when things look difficult.)

viques · 20/08/2021 19:01

She is gorgeous, but that last post was a hard read. It does sound as though she has multiple problems, poor little scrap.

Whenitsjustyourclockreading505 · 20/08/2021 19:09

Poor little thing Sad
I hope things aren’t too serious physical health wise. It sounds as if she has the perfect home with you for lots of love and attention.
I hope she will be ok 🤞

stupiduser · 20/08/2021 19:13

Thank goodness she found you. What would that 'friend' have done to help her?

Frazzled2207 · 20/08/2021 19:20

No advice but I really hope you get to the bottom of this
“Friend” has acted appallingly. Did they realise that the kitty had lots of issues then try and offload her ASAP before the vet bills started stacking up? I’d be ex-friending them tbh.