Fleas & Other Bugs That Bother Cats

Owning a cat comes with the responsibility of keeping it healthy. Indoor and outdoor cats can sometimes be bothered by insects such as fleas, ticks, mites and lice, which can cause skin irritation, hair loss and other physical ailments. It's important to know which insects may harm your cat and to contact your veterinarian if you suspect your cat has become a host for these bugs.

  1. Fleas

    • Fleas are small (2-8 mm long) and can live up to two years. Fleas feed on the blood of animals and are not unique to cats; other house pets and wild animals can also become hosts for fleas. Fleas infest animals when an afflicted animal comes in close contact with another animal. Fleas can also live in furniture and carpets, and your cat can catch fleas by walking on or sitting on infested furniture or rugs.

      Symptoms of fleas on a cat include skin irritation, itching, redness and anemia. Flea feces, also known as flea dirt, is another indication of an infestation. When a flea lays eggs on a host, she leaves behind feces that is composed of blood that she has ingested. According to the Pet Education website, one way to diagnose a flea infestation is to comb your cat for fleas and put anything resembling flea dirt on a piece of white paper. If it turns red when moistened, it is flea dirt.

      Treatment can involve over-the-counter shampoos and collars or medicine prescribed by a veterinarian.

    Ticks

    • Ticks feed on other animals' blood and can live up to two years, depending on the species. Like fleas, they are not unique to cats but can affect them. Ticks find their way onto a host animal by clinging to trees, grass or shrubs and waiting for an animal to brush up against the foliage. Cats that walk in tall grass or near wooded areas are most susceptible. Ticks latch on in one place and remain there, sucking blood, until they balloon up and fall off.

      The only symptom of having a tick is the presence of the bug. Ticks prefer to latch on in relatively hairless areas such as ears, so it's a good idea to check your cat's head and ears regularly.

      Treatment consists of carefully removing the tick from the host with a pair of tweezers or a commercial tick removal device. Some ticks carry diseases that can affect humans as well as cats, so wear gloves when you remove a tick. Try to pull the tick out as close to the head as you can. According to the Pet Place website, if part of the tick is left in your cat's skin, you can either try to remove it or you can let your pet's body push it out on its own (the cat's immune system will treat the tick part as a foreign body and create an infected site that may push it out).

    Ear Mites

    • Ear mites are aptly named microscopic insects that infest a cat's ears. They are easily transmitted by jumping from one animal to another, so cats with ear mites may need to be separated from other pets until the problem is resolved.

      Symptoms of ear mite infestation include itching, scratching or rubbing of the infected ear as well as a black crust in the cat's ear canal.

      Veterinarians will suggest a proper form of medication, which may be applied at the veterinary clinic or prescribed for application at home.

    Lice

    • Lice are very small insects that infest their hosts when one animal comes in contact with another. They can be transmitted between species, such as from a dog to a cat. There are two types of lice, one that sucks the blood of its host and another that bites the skin of its host.

      Symptoms of lice on your cat include a dry coat, hair loss, itching and anemia.

      Treatment can include lime dips or special shampoo.