Lice are some minute insects that thrive on their host sucking blood and causing irritation. Lice prick the body of their host, making the host very uncomfortable.
Fleas and ticks are common with cats, but a louse occasionally finds its way to cats’ colony. The unusual presence of lice on cats often makes some cat owners ask in wonder, ‘’can cats get lice?”
Feline lice are the type of lice associated with cats. These lice closely look like and are always confused with a species of mite.
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Causes Of Lice In Cats
When there is an occurrence of lice on cats, it can lead to a full infestation, tapeworm infestation, and other health problems. This is usually the case when a cat owner is careless and negligent about treatment.
One good thing about lice in cats is that it is not transferable from a person or another species to cats. But many situations can lead to transmission of lice from one cat to another cat.
The following are some of these circumstances;
- Unsanitary conditions can lead to the infestation of lice in cats.
- Inability to clean up properly is another causative agent for cat lice infestation.
- Direct and constant contact with another cat already infested with lice will lead to the infection of another cat.
- Sharing of items between cats also acts as an agent of lice transmission between from one cat to another.
- Overcrowding is yet another circumstance through which cat lice may be transmitted. As cats move and touch each other, lice can quickly spread.
Symptoms Of Lice In Cats
We can easily detect the presence of lice in cats through some physical observation or changes in their behavioral patterns. These changes include frequent scratching of the coat, irritability, restlessness, scaling, and scalding, as well as excessive loss of hair.
Lice are very stubborn on cats as they leach the body essence from them. Usually, they’re not easy to remove from the cats by little combing or brushing of the fur or the coats. Lice stick their eggs to the cats’ hair. They may appear as tiny white, grey or brown patches.
The best and most recommended way is to take the cat for full diagnosis by your veterinarian. The vet will systematically check the entire body of the cat.
Usually, the lice eggs (nits), the tiny immature, and the adults can be clearly seen. A full diagnosis will indicate the presence of other insects like fleas, ticks, and mites.
Types Of Lice
Basically, there are two types of lice. First, there are the large-mouthed lice which chew or bite on the cat. The other type is the narrow-mouthed lice which are the sucking type. The activities cause of the two results in your cat’s incessant scratching. This may be achieved through microscopic diagnosis.
The diagnosis will produce an informed result. This will help your veterinarian to recommend the right treatment to free your cat from lice.
The only known type of cat lice is the species known as Feline lice or Felicola subrostratus.
How Are Lice-infested Cats Treated?
Before you commence the treatment of lice-infested cat, there must be a full-scale source of infection. Unless and until the cause of infestation is identified and treated, there could be re-infestation of your cat.
The life cycle of lice is about 3 weeks. Hence, the treatment must last 4 weeks. No wonder, some cat owners who self-treat their cats complain of re-occurrence after treatment. They are probably oblivious of the life cycle of lice. As a result, the treatment period they offer turns out to be too short to kill the eggs (nits), the immature adults, and the full-grown lice.
But whether you go for treatment by a vet or self-administered therapy, remember it must cover the entire coat of the cat. Long-haired cats often breed more lice than the short-haired cats. Hence the long-haired cats need to be shaved before treatment. You can remove vinegar by bathing your cat in a solution of 1:4 dilutions of water and white vinegar.
You can achieve a full-scale treatment of an infected cat by using Capstar (Nitenpyram). Though it is actually recommended for the treatment of fleas, it has proved to be very useful for treating cats with lice. Many product formulations that contain, as well as Imidacloprid and Fipronil, have all prove helpful in the treatment of lice in both cats and dogs.
The use of one or combination of the above could do well in the treatment of cats for lice. Meanwhile, experts recommend monthly sanitary prevention of lice. This serves the double purpose of treatment and prevention of lice in your cat.
Make sure that all the materials that belong to your cat are thoroughly steamed and washed in hot water. For double assurance, you may spray them with Fipronil to kill the parasites and their eggs.
Other Clear-Cut Methods Of Doing Away With Lice In Your Cat
1. Using sport on products
Many spot-on products for cats conventional treatment are available for purchase over the counter. Look out for Fipronil.
Similar other products like frontline and Effiporo are available. Both contain Fipronil and work effectively for cat lice. Spot-on products are easy to use.
An even spray over the entire coat of the cat will do well. NOTE: When using spot-product, be mindful of the sensitive areas like the nose, ears, mouth, eyes, and the anus.
2. Lice thrive mostly on cats by attaching to the hair shafts
Hairy cats and long-haired cats need to be shaved. This is a gentle exercise through, but it is a worthwhile one. Shaving gets rid of lice and the eggs that stubbornly glue themselves to the hair shafts.
It also exposes any louse on the coat. To achieve a successful process, a good bathe with 1:4 dilutions of water and white vinegar after shaving your cat is a good therapy against lice.
3. The use of shampoo
This also could be very helpful for your cat. The use of shampoo involves lathering her with shampoo followed by an excellent gentle bath with warm water.
Conclusion
It is crucial to avoid the agony of lice on your cat and save yourself the cost of treatment. To do this, you have to maintain a sanitary environment around you and your cat. Don’t allow your cat to stray away and yoke with strange companions.
Prevent contact between her and unknown cats. This way, you will end up with a cat healthy and free from lice. You also won’t have to worry about where you will get the money to pay for her treatments. So, this is a win-win situation; for your kitty as well as for you.
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