Feline Scabies

Feline scabies, or notoedric mange, is a feline disease caused by mites (notoedres cati) burrowing deep into the cat's skin to lay eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae that have six legs, and become adults with eight legs. They mate, and the cycle repeats itself every two to three weeks. This process is excruciatingly itchy and painful for the infected cat, and for the next cat that comes in contact with her, as feline scabies is highly contagious.

  1. Symptoms

    • Cats with feline scabies itch and lose hair on their head, ears and neck. As the mites burrow deeper into the cat's skin, the skin will harden and develop wrinkles and crusty, infected scab caused by the cat scratching. The itching usually starts on the ears and spreads to the rest of the body via the face and neck. It is not rare to find bleeding open sores from constant scratching of affected skin.

    Identification

    • Veterinarians diagnose feline scabies by scraping the cat's skin and looking at it under a microscope. These mites are arthropods, which means they are invertebrate creatures with sectioned bodies and belong to the same scientific class as spiders because they have eight legs.

    Considerations

    • Feline scabies exists all over the world, and no cat is safe from it. It can affect cats of any age, gender and size. It is spread through contact with infected cats. The mite can survive on its own for a few days, so infected bedding is also a way that feline scabies spreads. It can infect humans, but the parasites will die off without treatment, and itching will only be temporary.

    Treatment

    • The first step to treating a cat with feline scabies is to clip its hair short. The infected cat is then bathed with a mild feline shampoo to clean infected areas and soften hardened skin before applying an insecticide treatment. A dip of 2 percent to 3 percent sulfur (commercially known as LymDyp) should be applied to the infected cat once a week until symptoms disappear. Repeat on other cats in the same household to make sure the mites are completely eliminated.

    Prevention/Solution

    • The best way to prevent a cat from getting feline scabies is to keep it away from infected cats and stray cats (strays are infamous for carrying feline scabies). Routinely wash cat bedding, and watch for any hair loss or itching.

    Warning

    • Medications for canine scabies are in theory effective, but they are much too strong for cats. Use only treatments designed for cats.