Fleas are blood-sucking parasites that are quite common even in domestic cats. Infection with these insects causes anxiety, irritability, and unbearable itching in the animal, which causes scratching to appear on the body. If the owner does not take measures to remove them, the cat may develop serious diseases. In addition, although these parasites do not usually live on humans, their presence in the house can cause a lot of trouble for household members. Some human diseases are transmitted through these blood-sucking creatures.
What do fleas look like?
Fleas belong to a large order of insects, which include different subspecies. They feed on the blood of various animals and are parasites. Using a photo of fleas on a cat, you can determine the type of flea and understand that the animal is attacked by these insects.
The cat flea is one of the most common species; its body length reaches up to three millimeters. The flea has a body that is flattened on the sides, and their hind legs are very long.
- It is thanks to their long legs that they are so easily carried along the fur; female fleas are larger than males, since they lay eggs and carry them in their abdomen.
- The flea has a sucking and piercing mouth, with which it pierces the cat's skin and drinks its blood.
- There are many bristles on the surface of the flea's body, which also allows the parasite to cling tightly to the fur.
- The color of the flea can be light brown and reach black.
Presence of cucumber tapeworm segments in feces
Another way to tell if your cat has fleas is to look in the litter box immediately after your pet defecates and examine the fresh feces. In them you can find white moving inclusions of oval shape, similar to Fig. These are segments of the cucumber tapeworm, an intestinal parasite that enters the body of cats through fleas.
A little history of cucumber tapeworm infection
Dipylidiasis is a disease that develops when a cat accidentally swallows an infected flea that contains parasite eggs in its stomach. A flea that enters the gastrointestinal tract is digested, and the tapeworm egg goes through several stages of development in the intestine.
As a result of metamorphosis, the worm grows up to 70 cm in length. Parasitologists call it the cucumber tapeworm.
For 1 year, the helminth lives in the cat’s intestines and constantly excretes parts of its body (segments) filled with a new batch of eggs with feces. It is also possible for the worm's segments to randomly fall out of the cat's anus when the pet is sleeping or sitting in the owner's arms. Subsequently, the eggs end up on animal bedding and are eaten by flea larvae, and the development cycle repeats.
Important! A person can become infected with dipilidia only if they swallow a flea.
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Chepa Natalya Semenovna
Veterinarian
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Among cats, fold-eared breeds are most prone to otitis, because... they have a small closed ear and a narrow ear canal that is poorly ventilated. Hairless breeds produce a lot of sulfur, which can also be a predisposing factor for the development of otitis media. A common mistake owners make when caring for their ears is using a cotton swab. It will not be possible to clean the ear well with a cotton swab due to its structure, but leaving the cotton swab, “compacting” the wax inside the passage and causing irritation of the skin of the ear canal is quite likely. For home care, it is best to use special lotions no more than once a month. You should not use multi-component ear drops on your own. Medications should be prescribed by a doctor based on a cytological examination.
How do fleas get started?
There are many ways your pet can become infected with parasites.
- Walk outside (fleas can be on the grass, ground and asphalt).
- Human contact (fleas can be brought home on clothing or shoes).
- Transmission from the mother (if a pregnant cat has fleas, there is a high chance that the parasites will be transmitted to newborn kittens).
- Contact with rodents.
Fleas: The Danger of Parasites
It is important to know that fleas on a domestic cat can be very dangerous for your pet.
- Fleas carry various diseases and even worm eggs.
- Because of the bites, wounds appear on the cat's skin, the fur becomes dull and begins to fall out.
- If the number of fleas constantly increases, this leads to feline anemia and negatively affects the health of the animal.
- Development of allergies.
Fleas particularly affect cats in poor health, as well as newborn kittens and older cats. In addition, the presence of fleas can be potentially dangerous for humans; if a flea gets into food, poisoning is possible. The parasite can bite through human skin, which will lead to dermatitis and various skin diseases.
Detection of insect feces
Reliable signs of the presence of fleas (in addition to the detection of live insects) is the presence of their feces. They look like brown-red or black dots located on the skin at the base of the hairs. When crushed between the fingers, the feces crumble and leave a reddish mark.
With a small number of insects, black spots are most often localized in a cat in the abdomen, spine and at the base of the tail.
Symptoms of infection
Flea infestation has three main stages, each of which is accompanied by certain symptoms.
- Initial stage - at this stage, parasites can be detected if you carefully examine the cat's fur and skin.
- At the second stage, the pet’s health becomes worse, the cat becomes nervous and constantly chews something out of the fur, eats and sleeps poorly.
- The third stage is accompanied by severe hair loss, weight loss and anemia. Ulcers and redness are clearly visible on the cat’s skin.
It is important to notice the appearance of fleas in a cat in the early stages and begin treatment immediately.
Knowing how to remove fleas from a cat, you can help your pet recover and start living a full life without constant scratching and pain.
Removing fleas at home
If fleas are found on your pet, it is necessary to carry out a thorough general cleaning of the premises so that the parasites do not spread throughout the house.
Most often, flea eggs and the parasites themselves can be found on carpets and upholstered furniture, which should be vacuumed and treated with special products.
To remove fleas at home, you can use the following remedies.
- Special shampoo;
- Flea drops for cats;
- Spray;
- Medical collar;
- Pills;
The best option is to use several remedies that will give a positive effect. Many drugs can be dangerous for a cat, so it is advisable to consult a veterinarian or not use too aggressive drugs.
Emergency help for bites
The site of any insect bite should be washed well with running water and soap. When scratching, there is a high probability of introducing an infection from a neighboring area of skin.
Any alcohol-containing tinctures or antiseptics are suitable for treatment. You need to lubricate not only the wound, but also the area around it. Applying cold can help reduce itching and burning.
If there are signs of allergy development - severe swelling, sore throat, lacrimation - take an antihistamine.
For severe itching - Golden Star balm, plantain tincture, Fenistil, any remedy available in the home medicine cabinet.
Flea prevention
The easiest way is not to treat your pet, but to prevent the appearance of parasites. It is important to keep your home clean and practice hygiene regularly. It is important to change and wash outer clothing, wash shoes, and keep the floor clean.
If your pet goes outside, it needs to be bathed and its paws washed. If your cat is often outdoors, use a flea-repellent collar.
They contain a special flea remedy for cats, which repels parasites and prevents them from settling in the animal’s fur. It is important to change such a collar on time, taking into account their expiration date.
The positive properties of the collar include the following qualities:
- Easy to use.
- Suitable for animals that do not like water treatments.
- Protection not only from fleas, but also from ticks.
- Can be used by pregnant cats and small kittens.
Home disinfection
After treating a cat, an important step in the fight against fleas is treating the home.
Professional disinfection
Professional disinfection is the most effective. A team of specialists will arrive at your home, assess the sanitary condition of the home and choose the most appropriate disinfection method. Typically, disinfection is carried out either using a heat gun or using chemicals. The owner is only required to prepare the house and pay for the services.
Important! A few days after professional treatment, you may find fleas on the floor. However, do not think that the service was provided poorly. Insects could easily remain in the cracks and gaps, but upon contact with the treated surface they quickly die. A similar phenomenon can be observed within 5 weeks after the visit of specialists.
Disinfect yourself
You can disinfect your home yourself using a spray or powder.
Processing stages:
- Remove children, animals and indoor plants from the house.
- To throw out the trash.
- Move furniture away from the walls. Remove from the walls all objects that hang on them.
- Put on work clothes.
- Spray the entire home, including carpets, upholstered furniture, clothing, shoes and bedding. Particular attention should be paid to the animal's belongings.
- Close doors and windows. Leave the house for several hours, ideally all night.
- Upon return, ventilate the rooms well, wash all surfaces and wash all items that have been processed.
Unlike sprays, powders are less effective, but when using them you do not need to leave your home. It is enough to scatter the granules in places where fleas are most concentrated (cracks, areas behind the baseboard). Upon contact with the granular substance, not only adult individuals die, but also their larvae and eggs.
Traditional methods for fleas
If for some reason you do not want to use store-bought flea products, you can turn to traditional medicine and rid your pet of parasites.
- It is necessary to prepare an infusion of celandine and salt, in which the cat must be thoroughly bathed and allowed to stand in this water. For 50 grams of celandine, take 1 liter of water.
- Two or three cloves of garlic need to be turned into a liquid pulp and mixed with 700 ml of water. This infusion must be rubbed into the cat's fur at night, and the pet must be combed in the morning.
- A strong infusion is made from dry and fresh wormwood. The product is applied to the cat's fur, then the animal must be bathed with shampoo and combed well.
Insecticides: Rules for use
Flea allergies in cats can have dire consequences, so it is best to use proven insecticides that will give positive results.
- Under no circumstances should the insecticide come into contact with the cat’s mucous membranes;
- The cat should not reach with its tongue the place where its fur was treated with drops;
- Spray treatment should be carried out carefully; the spray should not come into contact with the cat’s eyes, nose and mouth;
- After treating your pet, you need to ventilate the room;
If the product gets on the mucous membrane, you need to rinse it with plenty of clean water.
Wet paper test
If the cat has a dark color or very thick fur, then visual diagnosis of the presence of ectoparasites will be difficult. There is a simple and proven method with wet paper. With its help, you can check the fur quickly and without stress for the animal.
To do this, you will need to spread sheets of white paper on the floor (you can use pieces of old wallpaper) and place a cat in the center. Next, caress the pet, pet it, comb it, fluff the fur a little to shake out any debris and dust particles. Particular attention should be paid to cleaning the fur in the area of the belly, tail and muzzle.
Then you need to carefully examine the surface of the paper. If black dots are found, they are sprayed with water from a spray bottle.
If the result is positive, black dots on damp paper will be blurred by a dark burgundy (brown) halo. This is flea feces. Since insects feed on blood, it is present in their excrement and, under the influence of water, colors the white sheet. The more dark stains there are, the more fleas there are.
