Bathing against fleas

[def kitty]

Today I rescued a stray kitten covered in dirt and cobweb, about 6-7 weeks old. I bathed him immediately because he was so dirty, so I used my shampoo instead of waiting till tomorrow to buy shampoo for cats. As the gray fur turned into white I saw dozens of dead fleas attached to his skin! Flea comb was next to useless so I had to pluck them out manually, not just them but also 15-20 living fleas that crawled onto his face to escape water. I still cannot believe my shampoo did that, I thought there were special shampoos against fleas and regular stuff couldn't kill them!

My question is, did one bathing kill all the fleas or should I bathe him again, if so how many times and how often? And in your experience, is bathing sufficient to get rid of fleas or is it just a way to keep flea numbers under control until the kitten is old enough for spot-on treatment? Poor thing is quarantined in my shower now, in case some of the fleas survived the bathing.

[JBerotte]

If you can buy Dawn dishwashing liquid. Dawn can be used to bathe a young kitten and it will kill the fleas. This link has helpful information:

How to get rid of Fleas on Kittens

Good luck!

[pchel]

Insects have a layer of waxy-water resistance substance covering them and they breathe through their "skin", so the soap cuts that and allows the water in and drowns them. I've found with cats and dogs if you soap them up and leave it for a bit then you'll more effectively kill fleas. I don't use 'flea' shampoos anymore.

[def kitty]

Thank you both, it all makes much more sense now! Dish soaps must be the best de-greaser out there so that explains why Dawn is so efficient (though my shampoo seemed to work as well). I guess I will give him another bath just to be sure, it will be easier for me to spot every last one of the fleas when there are fewer of them.