Expert: Ali - 8/22/2009

Question
I feed a bunch of feral cats in our neighborhood.  One had kittens 8 weeks ago.  I want to de-flea the kittens and take them in.  I know I can use Frontline on them at this age, but I am wondering how long it takes for them to be flea-free.  I don't want to bring them into my house until they are so (I have an indoor only cat and don't want to expose him or my family to infestation.)  So, is the medicine immediate, or will I leave them outside for a few days after applying?  Thanks!

Answer
Pattie,

To be completely honest I wouldn't recommend Frontline for kittens, Advantage is less expensive since it's been around longer and veterinarians consider Advantage to be among the safest prescription topical flea treatments for use in cats. It's best to avoid using flea treatments sold online or in pet stores since you don't have any guarantee as to how the drugs were handled and mishandled medications can sometimes cause potentially deadly reactions. I've only ever had one flea problem in the last 10 years or so since my cats all strictly indoors. My last flea problem happened when I moved in with a roommate and didn't know that her cat was allowed outside so my cats caught fleas from her indoor/outdoor kitty. I was worried about using flea collars or shampoos since I had a nursing queen at the time (fleas were all over her newborn kittens). My veterinarian recommended Advantage and I was surprised at how quickly it worked and how effective it was at safely getting the fleas off of the nursing mom without hurting her baby (he didn't get a dose, his treatment was sort of an extension of mom's). In a situation like this my recommendation would be to purchase the appropriate dose of Advantage from your local veterinarian and apply them as directed. You should start seeing fleas jumping ship almost immediately - they really aren't fond of Advantage. Within roughly 12 hours or so the flea problem should be history - you can actually comb out the dead fleas if they don't all fall off within 12 hours or so. The best way to be 100% sure that you avoid having any fleas hitch a ride onto your indoor kitty is to consider treating him with one dose of Advantage (good for a month) as a precautionary measure since fleas aren't picky and will bite any warm blooded host.

Cats are very territorial by nature so it's very important to gradually introduce your resident cat and these rescued kittens - this means you'll want to set up a quarantine room with all of the usual kitty creature comforts and necessities before bringing these little ones inside. If the kittens are simply brought inside without being properly introduced it's quite possible that your resident cat may become aggressive with these babies to the point of hurting them. If you'd like to learn more about proper new cat/kitten introductions in a home with one or more resident cats you may want to consider reading my previous answers related to new cat introductions or I can send some information about this topic your way. I can also help you out in terms of teaching these babies to use their litter boxes and provide you with information that will minimize the risk of having the kittens or your resident cat relieve themselves outside of the litter box if you're interested. If you have any further questions, concerns or you'd like me to clarify anything in this answer I'd be happy to help you out to the best of my ability.