Every cat owner will experience some form of parasite attaching itself to your cat at one time or another. The most common ones are Fleas, various internal worms or the rather grisly tick, all of which are easily treated or prevented. As long as cat owners are ever vigilant for any of the signs that our furry friend have some unwanted visitors, and treat as soon as possible, there should be little or no ill effects to your cat.
Fleas are very common and nearly all cats will at one time or another have them. Due mainly to the fact that they can be transferred in so many ways and that they can lay dormant for quite some time, in wait for their host to walk by. Fleas are mainly passed to cats via other cats, from garden wildlife, such as hedgehogs or even old second-hand furniture.
The first signs that your cat may have fleas is that they will begin scratching a lot more than usual, and may also become skittish and dash around the room for no apparent reason. Check around the neck area for signs of little black dots (these are the dirt's of the flea), use a special flea comb to get deep down into the fur.
Treatment for fleas should be obtained from your vet, as these are the most effective and will last for a whole month as well also providing protection against some internal worms. The treatment simply consists of dabbing a small amount of liquid on the back of the cat's neck, next to the skin every month.
Cat worms are next on the list for unwanted visitors to our pets. There are eight different types of internal worm that a cat can have, but the main three are Roundworms, Tapeworms and Hookworms. All three if not treated can cause stomach upsets and anaemia, which in some cases can be very severe and can cause death.
The general signs that your cat may have internal worms are vomiting or/and diahrea , sometimes the worms can be seen in these.. You may also notice your cat's stomach looks bloated and their skin becomes flaky.
The best way to protect your cat from getting worms in the first place is to give them regular worming tablets throughout the year. If however you suspect your cat has worms already, a prescribed medicine from your Vets is the best solution.
Ticks have to be the ugliest of all the cat parasites and have the added threat of carrying Lyme disease, which can also be passed onto humans. Ticks live on blades of grass and when your cat brushes up against them they climb onto the fur and burrow their heads into the skin for their grisly meal. For someone who has not encountered a tick before it may not always be apparent what it is when they first see one on their cats skin. The general description of a tick is that it looks like a small grey lump, sometimes the legs can be seen near its head. Ticks are normally a millimetre in size and will increase in size during its feed and can get as big as a centimetre.
Unfortunately once the head is attached, it can be difficult to remove them and if not removed completely can cause infection. There are a few tried and tested methods for removing a tick completely, which one you use depends on how squeamish you are. Always wear rubber gloves when removing a tick and destroy it once removed, preferably by burning it, as this will also kill any bacteria it may be carrying.
The first method is to use tweezers. Pinch the tick as close to its head as possible and pull firmly straight up, do not twist or you may leave the head behind.
The second method is to cover the tick with Vaseline to suffocate it. They should drop off, but it can take up to 15 minutes.
The third method is to spray the tick with tick remover spray, which can be bought from pet shops. Once again the tick should drop off.
Once removed bath the wound on the cats skin with salt water and check the area regularly to make sure that no infection develops.
More cat health and cat care tips can be found at our site http://www.our-happy-cat.com A feline friendly community full of helpful advice and fun things to do to make sure you have a happy cat and a happy you.
Copyright 2007 Kate Tilmouth
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