If you have one or more cats at home, you may know that this is a common problem, both in cats with access to the outside and in cats that do not leave. Like any feline condition, fleas should be avoided in cats, but if it’s too late for this, there are several solutions to minimize your pet’s discomfort and stop the infestation. If you want to know all about this parasite, keep reading this Animal Expert article about cat fleas and learn how to identify them, their causes and solutions.
Cat flea is a very irritating parasite that feeds on the blood of cats, spreads very easily and can transmit various diseases, both for animals and humans. Therefore, it is essential that the caregivers of these animals know how to identify them as soon as possible so that they can eradicate them directly from the body of their cats.
- When a cat is itchy.
- If it is seen that it stings a lot.
- The guardians should be vigilant if there are any problems.
- One of the most common causes of this itching is the presence of fleas.
- A very popular parasite that causes a great discomfort.
- Fleas are very resistant to the outside of the animal’s body.
- As they last several months without a host.
- Being a focus of transmission of various diseases.
Cats are often infested with fleas when they come into contact with already infested animals. However, in some cases, contagion does not occur from animal to animal, but through synthetic fabrics or natural skins, such as carpets, mattresses and blankets, where fleas expect a new host.
Adult flea usually doesn’t change cats, always stays the same, and feeds on blood. However, they spread very quickly, as the females lay about 30 eggs a day.
Eggs are installed in the animal’s environment, on objects such as scrapers or in furniture such as the sofa, so it is so important to stop infestations: not only to fight fleas in the animal, but also to remove eggs and larvae that they can find anywhere in the environment.
Most of the time, it is difficult to locate these parasites due to their small size, so it is necessary to observe carefully the behavior of the animal. The main symptom in cats is the itching caused by infestation: due to this itching, the animal will feel uncomfortable, anxious, upset, irritated, often scratched, licked and even bit. These actions can even cause hair loss or sores in some areas.
Guardians should be vigilant and, when observing any of these symptoms, should inspect their cats. If they find samples of fleas, there is no doubt about it, but, as already noted, it can be quite complicated, due to the small size of the pest. In this case, you can discover them by looking for the signs that the flea leaves on your pet.
The cat should be placed on a clear, smooth surface, such as a bathtub, to recognize flea feces falling from the fur, and should be carefully combed with a flea remover. If your cat has fleas, you can spot black spots on the comb or on the bathroom floor.
To find out if they’re flea faeces, simply pick them up in a white handkerchief and moisten. If the dots dissolve and red spots appear on the handkerchief, it will certainly be flea faeces, because these red spots are due to the blood sucking the fleas of the cat that has not yet been digested.
As uncomfortable as they are, fleas are dangerous because they transmit various diseases.
First, the cat may develop anemia due to significant blood loss if it has been infested for a long time. Similarly, the usual itching may increase if the cat has an allergic reaction to flea saliva.
On the other hand, there is an infectious feline anemia called hemobartelosis, caused by bacteria in the mycoplasma family (Hemobartonella felis). Fleas transmit these bacteria that damage the animal’s red blood cells.
Also, these same bacteria cause bartonelosis, which can be transmitted to people through a scratch or when they come into contact with any wound.
Finally, fleas can also have tapeworm eggs. In this case, if the cat ingests fleas when licking, the eggs reach the intestine and tapeworms (parasites) develop in the intestine and develop inside the cat’s body.
Fleas should be removed from the cat as soon as possible so that the infestation does not develop and does not cause the above diseases. To get rid of the parasites, you should treat the animal and its environment.
To remove fleas in cats, there are several products such as pipettes, aerosols and pest control collars. There are also effective pills for a while. The owner of the animal may choose the means he deems most suitable or those recommended by the veterinarian in the most severe cases.
As for environmental treatment, thorough cleaning should be performed to remove eggs and larvae, making sure that they no longer infest the animal. Carpets and blankets should be washed at least 60 degrees Celsius and vacuumed regularly. The guardian can also treat the environment and all surfaces where the cat usually finds anti-interference sprays.
Remember that not only is the health of the animal compromised, since fleas pass easily to humans, although they are usually specialized in a type of host, so there are fleas of cats and dogs, which are beings. different parasites.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
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