Mites Cats
Mites Cats – don’t confuse with Bed Bugs
When it comes to mites cats do not have it easy; our feline companions are prone to suffering from a number of different types of skin mites, and can be quite badly affected should the condition be left to escalate.
Let’s get something clear before we go on: mites are not fleas, which are another common parasite found on cats, but members of the arachnid family that come in many forms and, like fleas, drink blood to survive.
Mites cats may have to suffer are widely found and come in many forms: the harvest mite is one that is often found on cats that roam outdoors, while the ear mite is a common mite that – as the name suggests – likes to live in the ear where it is warm, moist and cosy, but will also exist anywhere eon the cats body, and scabies mite – or itch mite – is perhaps the most troublesome of the three and also occurs on humans. All three, too, can also be found as skin mites on dogs with similar worrying results.
Dealing with the scabies mite first, this little creature is one that has a disgusting habit: feeding off our blood is one thing, but actually burrowing under our skin to lay its eggs is quite another. This makes it difficult to find when present on cats, and as a result the best indication of mites – as it is with all – is the appearance of irregular scratching in a particular area, and possible hair loss as a result.
Indeed, it is the scabies mite that is the cause of the serious skin condition we know as mange, and this occurs when an infection is allowed to get out of control and the colony to multiply, resulting in a lot of burrowing in one area and the attendant scratching. In people, this condition is known as scabies, and has much the same results.
Ear mites may be indicated by an animal repeatedly shaking its head as if to get rid of something attached; appropriately so, as that is exactly the case. Ear mites are more prevalent in cats than dogs, but can affect canines too.
Treating ear mites is different to treating scabies mites and harvest mites, and any indication of mites on cats should be followed by a proper examination by a vet, after which either the appropriate insecticide lotion or cream or, if preferred, a natural based remedy can be applied.
