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Roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms come to mind when people think of parasites. But fleas, ticks, and ear mites are also parasites that can affect your cat's health.
There are two groups of parasites that can infect your cat. External parasites, including fleas, ticks, and earmites, need blood to reproduce. They either bite your cat or burrow into his skin. The second group of parasites includes roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. These internal parasites also need blood to survive and reproduce. They live by attaching themselves to the inside of your cat's intestine. External Skin ParasitesFleas are probably the most common skin parasite in cats. Fleas seem to be attracted to kittens, probably because their immune systems are immature. A kitten with a severe flea infestation can become anemic from blood loss, so it's important to treat any kitten that has fleas. Adult cats can develop a flea bite allergy, which causes intense itching and scratching, often to the point of hair loss. Fleas are an intermediate host for tapeworms, so if your cat has fleas, he can get tapeworms too, by swallowing an infected flea. Ticks are especially dangerous for cats, as they carry bobcat fever, a disease that is almost uniformly fatal in domestic cats. This disease is most common in the southern and south central US. If your cat goes outside, check him carefully for ticks at least twice a day. Ticks usually prefer areas on cats where the fur is thinner, including inside his ears, on his lips, between his toes, and on his belly and the inside of his legs. Inside cats aren't necessarily safe, since they can pick up ticks that are carried inside on people's clothing. Be sure to check yourself and your clothing carefully before you come back in the house if you've been outside. A cat with ear mites suffers from intense itching in his ears. He'll scratch his ears constantly, and may shake his head. If you look in his ears, you'll see lots of dark brown or black ear wax. Ear mites can lead to ear infections and hematomas from the constant scratching. These parasites are extremely contagious, so it's necessary to treat all your pets at once, to keep them from reinfecting each other. Internal ParasitesRoundworms are probably the best-known cat parasite. These three-to-five-inch-long worms live in your cat's intestines. Kittens can get roundworms from their mother's milk, if she is infected with them. Adult cats can pick them up from eating a mouse or rat that has roundworms. These particular worms are not usually a problem for adults, although they can cause intestinal blockages if there are enough of them. A kitten infected with roundworms can suffer from anemia, so it's best to treat both kittens and adults to break the cycle. Tapeworms are another common feline parasite. Most cats get them by swallowing an infected flea or from eating a mouse or rabbit that's infected. If you see something that resembles grains of rice attached to the fur around your cat's anus, he probably has them. People find tapeworms pretty disgusting, but they usually don't cause problems for an adult cat. Hookworms are thread-like half-inch-long worms that live in your cat's intestine. A severe infestation can cause anemia due to blood loss, but they're easy to treat. You can usually avoid them by cleaning your cat's litter box every day. Parasites are an unpleasant fact of life for your feline. You probably can't eradicate them entirely, but you can keep them under control to avoid health problems for your cat. References: How To Identify and Treat Feline Parasites Gastrointestinal Parasites of Cats
The copyright of the article Parasites And Your Cat in Cat Care is owned by Darlene Norris. Permission to republish Parasites And Your Cat in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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