The Murkoshi team will help you figure out where lice in cats come from, whether they can be transmitted to humans and how to deal with them. In this article you will learn everything that may interest you about preventing the appearance of lice in your favorite cats. And also about what symptoms may indicate the appearance of an infection.
1) What are lice in cats 2) How can a cat get lice 3) Which cats are at risk 4) How to determine that a kitten has lice 5) Can lice be transmitted from a cat to a person 6) How to remove lice from a cat 7) Prevention of lice at the kitten's
How can a cat get lice?
The main method of transmission of lice is through contact between a cat and an already infected animal. It is also worth noting that these parasites are interrelated with worms. Lice can be transmitted to a cat through tapeworm larvae. The parasite swallows a tapeworm that has hatched from an egg. On the other hand, a cat may accidentally swallow a louse and after some time a tapeworm will begin to grow in the animal’s intestines. An infected pet must be treated not only for lice, but also for worms, since these diseases are closely interrelated
Read more about treatment for worms: Preparations for deworming cats
Most often, lice are especially active in autumn and winter. They are located on the neck, back or chest. And they have the ability to reproduce quickly.
Why do they remove parasites?
These jumping insects, 2-4 millimeters in size, black or brown in color, without wings, have the amazing ability to live without food for about a year under favorable conditions. They get under the animal's skin and drink its blood in large quantities, despite their small size. In the digestive tract of insects there are two stomachs that can stretch.
The parasites reproduce at an incredible rate - females are capable of laying 400 larvae per day. Since the eggs are not attached to the fur in any way, they fall off the cat and are spread throughout the apartment. After 1.5-2 weeks, the larvae in the eggs mature, but hatch when a representative of the cat family is nearby. Having been born, the insect finds a way to get into the cat's fur, settles in it, then parasitizes and reproduces. A week after infection, hundreds of pests can be present on an animal at the same time.
These insects are carriers of diseases. Through bite wounds, infection can easily enter the body of a domestic animal. Too many parasites cause anemia in kittens and weakened cats. Due to decreased immunity, pets may lose weight from fleas. Constant scratching of bite sites leads to dermatitis and hair loss.
Infection in street cats occurs during a walk or when interacting with sick animals. Pets are also at risk of the disease. Parasites enter the apartment through dirty shoes, bicycles, and other objects.
How to determine if a kitten has lice
At the initial stages, identifying signs of the disease is quite difficult. But a cat is a smart animal, and she herself begins to give signals when something bothers her. The main sign of lice in a cat is severe itching, which becomes more pronounced every day. Due to constant discomfort, the animal becomes irritable, aggressive and restless. Scratching and redness can occur from scratching.
Another important symptom is severe molting, which is not typical during this period of time. The fur falls out in clumps and forms islands of bald spots. Parasites are immediately visible; they can be noticed if you look deep into the thicket of wool and look closely. In addition, waste products or lice larvae in the form of black dandruff can be seen on the hair. By the way, lice are more noticeable on light-colored cats.
Contraindications
In some cases, it is not recommended to use flea spray for cats.
This may include situations where:
- The cat is waiting or nursing offspring. Compared to drops applied to the withers area, the spray needs to be sprayed onto the entire pet's fur. If it penetrates the gastrointestinal tract, it can cause severe poisoning.
- The kitten is less than 3 months old. At this age, it is difficult to calculate the permissible dose of the drug. Up to 2 months, drops are the best option against parasites.
- The pet is sick.
- The animal has an individual intolerance to the drug.
- Dermatitis or other skin lesions are visualized.
- There are chronic or acute diseases of internal organs.
Can lice be transmitted from cats to humans?
The Murkoshi team is in a hurry to reassure you: cat lice are not transmitted to people. Even if they accidentally come into contact with the human body, the parasites die instantly without causing any harm to people. But due to the fact that lice and worms are interconnected, there is a possibility of infection from lice with other parasitic diseases. These may be infectious diseases or helminth infestations, which may occur due to the fact that lice eggs in cats are potential carriers of helminths.
Universal sprays
In addition to fleas, our pets are susceptible to attack by another parasite – ticks, which is quite a serious problem for owners. These blood-sucking insects, in addition to unpleasant bites that become inflamed and itchy, are very dangerous to health. They are known as carriers of various diseases, including fatal ones. Therefore, from early spring it is necessary to pay special attention to this issue in order to prevent dangerous situations.
You can cope with this problem with the help of universal sprays that have a wide range of actions. They contain special substances that have a detrimental effect on both fleas and ticks. Regarding the opinion of the owners, reviews indicate that it is these sprays that are most effective and provide reliable protection. Another advantage is that there is no need to purchase several drugs; one spray is enough.
When choosing such a spray, you need to familiarize yourself with its purpose, proper use, features, and contraindications. It is better to visit a veterinarian, who, after an examination, will give recommendations and advise the correct option. It is necessary to take into account the animal’s weight, age, health status, presence of diseases, allergic reactions and other characteristics. An incorrectly selected spray will not provide the desired result and may even harm your health.
How to remove lice from a cat
Lice in cats are quite an unpleasant phenomenon for the animals themselves. Therefore, it is very important to take measures to eliminate them immediately after detecting the first symptoms of the disease. Now, understanding what lice in cats are, we can identify the disease in time and provide qualified assistance. We need not only to get rid of parasites, but also to cure the pet of already formed wounds and bald patches. First of all, you need to contact a veterinary clinic. The doctor will confirm the presence of lice and prescribe a course of treatment.
The main thing in treatment is moderation. You should not exceed the indicated dosage of the drug in the hope that the cat will get rid of lice faster. Be sure to ensure that the animal does not reach the treated area with its tongue. Because getting a substance into the oral cavity can cause undesirable consequences in the form of poisoning.
Do an allergy test. If after applying the drug your pet’s condition worsens, stop using it and contact a qualified specialist to correct the course of treatment. As we wrote earlier, an integrated approach is the most important thing in treating lice in cats. This approach involves the use of specialized shampoos, sprays, drops, collars, etc. If you do not immediately notice lice on a cat and do not provide timely help, it may be left without fur.
Lice shampoos should be selected based on the age of the pet and the effect of the detergent. These are special products with insecticides that repel parasites and nits. Such products inhibit insect activity, protecting your pets. Plus, as a bonus, these detergents can soften your kitty's hair and make it look well-groomed.
Shampoo “Ms Kiss” was created by Swiss specialists and can rid a cat of lice after the first use! It is great even for small kittens, starting from four months.
BioVax shampoo is a whole line of special products based on plant extracts. Suitable for the smallest kittens, pregnant and lactating cats.
“Clandestine” shampoo is a common product on the Russian market. Contains aloe, vitamin B5 and permethrin. Destroys nits in one application. Suitable for use by everyone except pregnant cats and kittens under eight months of age.
Read more about how to wash a cat: Should you wash your cat?
Lice sprays also contain insecticides that effectively fight the disease. By the way, after use, such products do not need to be washed off with water!
Bayer Bolfo spray is an absolutely safe and anti-allergenic product. We recommend treating not only the kitten itself for lice, but also its toys, bed, and other things. But, unfortunately, it cannot be used if the cat is under three months old. Use in lactating and pregnant animals should also be avoided.
“Sentry” is suitable for lovers of products based on herbal preparations. The essential oils contained in the composition are excellent at fighting lice due to their very strong odor. After two weeks, a control treatment of the cat will be required. Can be used for all pets starting from 12 months.
Lice drops are the least toxic way to get rid of parasites. They also contain insecticides. Manufacturers advise not to bathe the animal several days before and after wool treatment. In addition, at first, exposure to direct sunlight is contraindicated.
Hartz Ultraguard drops are made in America and are particularly popular and effective. After the first application, lice will leave your cat's fur. There are contraindications for kittens up to three months.
Celandine drops are a Russian remedy that remains effective for two weeks, but is contraindicated for kittens up to eight months of age.
Lice collars are the most durable and safest way to get rid of parasites. It acts as gently as drops and shampoos, repelling nits from your pet. Let us dispel all doubts: collars are absolutely safe for cats. When choosing a manufacturer, you can pay attention to the brands Bars, Doctor Zoo and Bolfo.
Instructions for use and precautions
If you are interested in how to use flea spray for cats, you can refer to the instructions for the product. The instructions indicate that due to the toxicity of the drug, it is better to treat the animal in the fresh air. The owner should wear work clothes, gloves, and a respirator.
After disinfection, clothes should be washed, and hands and face should be washed thoroughly with soap.
When a cat is treated, before using flea spray for a cat, you need to buy a special cervical collar. This will protect your pet from getting the product into the respiratory tract. If you don’t have a unit, you can build it yourself from cardboard, foam rubber or plastic.
In addition to the funnel collar, you can protect the animal with a muzzle. For cats, it is only needed while spraying the flea spray; when the product dries, the restrictor can be removed.
You need to calculate the dose taking into account the age, weight, length and thickness of your pet’s fur. On average, this figure is equal to 1-2 spray presses per 1 kg of animal weight.
Flea sprays for cats are sprayed according to this algorithm:
- The animal is dressed in a protective collar.
- Shake the bottle with the mixture.
- Part the fur and spray the preparation onto the pet’s skin at a distance of 20-25 cm from the surface. In this case, the bottle must be held vertically.
- The head is treated by applying a small amount of the drug to the glove. Do not spray from the bottle, as the drug may get into the eyes or respiratory system. You need to wipe the ears and face, avoiding the eyes, nose and lips. If the product gets into your eyes, be sure to rinse them with water.
- 30 minutes after treatment, the pet should be combed with a fine-toothed comb.
- Smooth-haired breeds can be completely treated without a spray bottle by wiping the skin with a glove.
- Repeated disinfection, if necessary, is carried out no earlier than 1-2 weeks later.
When using sprays, do not pet your pet immediately after treatment. It is better to postpone this for 10-14 days. At the same time, it is not allowed to bathe your pet if the drug does not involve rinsing off.
Prevention of lice in kittens
Compliance with basic precautions is the main method of prevention in the fight against lice. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not let your cat roam outside. Self-walking is a potential source of not only a variety of parasites (including lice), but also infections, wounds, injuries, etc.
Read more about self-walking: Self-walking - when freedom means death
Murkoshi specialists advise regularly treating your cat and its household items for nits and parasites. Specialized drops are suitable to protect your pet. For example, Russian drops “BlochNet max” protect a cat from lice for a whole month. Can be applied to the coat once every two months.
Protective collars can be used as an additional means of preventing lice in cats. This is a very convenient, cute accessory that can be used for animals of all ages. When choosing, pay special attention to the size and stiffness of the collar so that your pet feels comfortable in it. As you can see, if you follow simple rules, you can provide your beloved pet with a happy life, without strangers on its fur!
Determining the disease
The first signs of infection appear quickly and are visible to the naked eye.
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If your pet has fleas, it can be easily determined by the following signs:
- The animal experiences itching caused by insect bites. The flea-ridden cat is constantly itching, licking itself and biting itself, rubbing its ears on the door frame.
- When examined in bright light, traces of parasite activity are visible - eggs, excrement.
- Irritation of the skin leads to dermatitis and hair loss.
- When combing, you can find insects. Sometimes they can be seen not only on the animal, but also in the apartment, as they jump high.
Start checking from the cat's head, neck and tail. This is a favorite place for parasites to gather. It is theoretically possible to catch a flea from a cat with your hands, but you cannot destroy the eggs manually. We will have to radically raise the question of what to do next and how to clean the cat from fleas at home.
Allergic reactions
Unfortunately, there is simply no drug in which you can be 100% sure that it is safe and cannot cause allergic reactions. The fact is that each organism is individual and no one knows how it will react to one or another component. Therefore, when purchasing a new drug, it is necessary to pay maximum attention to your pet.
After treatment, you need to observe him a little to see if any changes in behavior occur. If you notice redness on the skin, inflammation, your pet begins to itch severely and any symptoms appear, you should immediately contact the clinic. After the examination, the doctor will tell you what the reason is and if it is an allergic reaction, then another drug will be selected that does not contain the allergen.
Remember that the symptoms in this case are very important; if you do not pay attention to them immediately, the allergic reaction can develop into a more severe form, which is very dangerous to health.
Signs of defeat
The activity of lice leads to the development of the following painful symptoms:
- Itching - the louse bites into the edges of the wounds, releasing an allergen that irritates the skin and makes it itch. The same effects are produced by the movement of the parasite on the skin or hair.
- The rash is an allergic response to repeated lice bites. Sensitization occurs, immunocompetent cells extinguish inflammation, destroying surrounding tissues.
- Formation of crusts and scabs. Bacteria multiply in the exposed skin structures, destroy capillaries, and ichor is released, which dries out. The skin cracks, a new portion of blood sweats out, and the process develops.
- The nutrition of the hair follicles is disrupted, hair falls out, and areas of baldness form.
- The secretion that lice use to attach eggs glues the fur together and tangles form. Long-haired cats suffer more than other cats.
- Worms or their fragments are found in the feces.
- When the immune system is weakened, subcutaneous Demodex and Notoedrus mites become active.
Common fleas
To most people, they are tiny amber-colored creatures capable of setting world records for high jumps and driving pets and their owners crazy. In fact, these are real bloodsuckers and carriers of serious infections.
Scientists believe that fleas originated from flying insects about ten million years ago. Those individuals that, while living on the body of their “master”, lost their wings turned out to be more tenacious. Therefore, the winglessness of fleas today is explained by their parasitic lifestyle. The body structure of fleas is adapted to movement in the fur of the “host” animal - it is strongly compressed from the sides and is so strong that it can withstand the claws of animals. You need to have great skill to crack its “shell.” The transition from one host to another is easily accomplished by active crawling when meeting host animals or by jumping in their permanent habitat, since the hind legs of fleas are jumping. In order to jump on a passing dog or cat, a flea must move with an acceleration 140 times greater than the acceleration of Earth's gravity (9.8 m/s). (For reference: a person’s bones begin to break even at twenty times acceleration.) Such jumping ability is ensured by the content of resilin in their body, a special protein substance.
Fleas on dogs. A specialist can determine at first glance who the potential victim of a particular individual is. Fleas can exist and reproduce normally on animals suitable for them.
Fleas pose a great danger as carriers of human and animal diseases, such as plague, which affects rodents, camels and other animal species, as well as typhus, tularemia, and rickettsiosis; fleas are intermediate hosts of the causative agent of dipylidia in dogs, cats and humans.
Humans are parasitized by the human flea (Pulex irritans), which can also live on dogs, cats and even horses, that is, animals that have constant contact with humans. Nowadays, if a person complains of flea bites, then most likely the troublemaker is a cat flea (Ctenocephalus telis), which, in addition to cats, can live on dogs and hedgehogs. The cat flea is quite happy with modern conditions, and even in our relatively hygienic homes it feels just fine.
Fleas on dogs. Dogs are parasitized by the dog flea (Ctenocephalus canis). Parasites are transmitted to puppies from their mothers. Fleas on dogs are more common under unsatisfactory conditions and poor nutrition. Fleas, being hematophagous, pierce the skin when sucking blood and inject saliva, which has toxic properties. Flea bites cause itching. Scratching leads to the development of dermatitis. Young dogs are affected more intensely and have a harder time enduring the infection. Fleas are easy to detect when examining the outer coverings of dogs.
Until now, entomological scientists are racking their brains over the question of how to get rid of fleas that plague domestic animals and humans. Any apartment in which an animal is born is a haven for fleas. In order to get rid of them, you need to understand their life cycle.
How do fleas appear on a domestic dog?
Fleas can even live on a clean, well-groomed pet dog. Insects jump beautifully. From the starting point to the destination can be more than 30 cm in length and height. For this reason, a pet can become infected in a variety of situations. Most often, the appearance of parasites is observed after:
- forest walks. Many fleas live in rodent burrows;
- visits to places of mass walking. Infected pets often shake off their eggs into the grass, foliage, or asphalt, from where the larvae easily stick to their fur;
- contact with other animals. The main carriers are dogs, cats, rats. Even with simple sniffing and close proximity, relocation of pests can occur. In the case of joint games, the risk is several times higher;
- contact with a person. Fleas love to move on people's clothes. In addition, eggs often stick to pants and shoes;
- visit to an infected house. If a flea gets into the house on an animal or person, it will successfully reproduce in furniture and fleecy carpets. From there, the bloodsuckers will certainly jump on all the guests in search of food.
