Feline Mange Symptoms

Feline mange is also known as notoedric mange or feline scabies. It is caused by Notoedres cati, a tiny mite whose life cycle only takes 3 weeks and spends the entire time on the cat. Any cat is at risk for this mite infestation regardless of the age, breed or gender. The N. cati mite can spread through direct contact from cat to cat, but can live a few days off the animal to spread via shared bedding. Treatment involves shaving long hair if necessary and treating the skin with a gentle shampoo followed by a medicated dip to kill the mites.

  1. Itching

    • Female N. cati mites burrow into the cat's skin in order to lay eggs. This causes extreme itchiness in the cat's skin, resulting in an increase in scratching. The ears are usually the first areas to itch, followed quickly by the face, eyes and neck. The mites soon travel to feet and lower abdomen, due to the grooming habits and curled sleeping position.

    Skin Problems

    • The skin inflammation caused by the mites makes the cat scratch excessively, which can lead to irritation. Scratching can also introduce bacteria into the skin, resulting in skin that looks red, scaly and crusty. These skin problems generally follow the same pattern as the itching, starting at the ears and moving down the neck. Secondary skin infections can also occur in cases of extremely intense scratching.

    Hair Loss

    • Due to the extreme itching, the cat can begin to lose hair as it scratches. As with the itchiness and skin problems, this hair loss usually begins at the edges of the ears and continues down the head. It will spread down the neck and over the rest of the body as the mites spread across the cat's body due to grooming or reinfection from sleeping areas.