How to recognise and effectively combat mites in your cat
Unfortunately mites are a common problem. Especially outdoor people can easily get infected. What consequences the parasite infestation has for affected cats depends mainly on the exact mite species.
In the following you will learn which mites are common in cats and how to recognize a possible infestation. We also explain what is necessary for the treatment of your quadruped.
How you can tell if your cat has mites
The symptoms of mite infestation depend very much on the species. While some mites cause comparatively harmless symptoms, others can have serious consequences for your four-legged friend if left untreated.
Some of the most common symptoms that mites cause in your cat include
- Cat hair loss
- Severe itching and associated scratching
- Encrustations, papules and pustules on the skin
- Dandruff on the skin of the cat
- Excessive earwax formation
These mites can infest your cat
Mites are among the arachnids. At the moment about 50,000 species are known, but by far not all cats are affected. If your quadruped suffers from the annoying ectoparasites, there are usually only a handful of different mite species.
If your cat is attacked by mites, it is most likely one of the following species:
- Ear mites
- Grass mites
- Room mites
- Fur mites
Ear mites in cats
As their name suggests, ear mites primarily infest the ears of the cat. Sometimes the ear rash can also spread over the entire head and other parts of the body.
The ear mites are transmitted through direct body contact. Young cats in particular are affected by this mite species.
Sometimes ear mite infestation in cats is inconspicuous and causes at most a slight itching in the ears. Nevertheless, it is estimated that almost 50 percent of ear infections in cats are caused by ear mites.
If you notice that your cat scratches his ears very often and produces an excessive amount of dark earwax, you should take action as soon as possible. Systemic and locally applicable preparations are available for the treatment of ear rashes.
Ear care is important for cats
Especially in view of a possible infestation with ear mites, the subject of ear care in cats is of particular importance. With ear care drops from I love my cat you can clean the ears of your four-legged friend especially gently every day.
This not only helps to prevent general ear problems, but can also make a valuable contribution to avoiding ear mites in cats.
Grass mites in cats
Grass mites, or autumn grass mites, are another type of mite that can infest cats. Unlike other species, only the larvae of the autumn grass mite live as parasites.
The female mites lay their eggs on damp soil. The larvae hatch out of these from summer to autumn, waiting on grasses and mosses for a suitable host, such as a cat.
Once the larvae of the autumn grass mite have infested a cat, they feed on lymph and cell juices for several days. After their meal they drop off again and develop on the ground into adult mites. The mite larvae are often visible to the naked eye as small red dots on the cat's skin.
Autumn grass mites cause itching in cats as well as pustules, crusts and wheals on the skin. In the case of a recurring infestation, they can cause sometimes massive hypersensitivity reactions in affected animals. To counteract an infestation with grass mites, various sprays with chemical or natural active ingredients are available.
Manure mites in cats
Räudemilben, and/or headroom mites (Notoedres cati) are particularly feared with cat owners. The mite species primarily infests the head of the cat, where the adult parasites bore ducts into the skin and lay their eggs there.
Cats with head weeds are very infectious. The predatory mites are transmitted mainly through direct contact between conspecifics. However, since the mites can survive up to three days without a host in a cool and humid environment, indirect infection via contaminated objects, such as a scratching post, is also possible.
Head rashes are associated with massive skin changes and very severe itching. It is not uncommon for bacterial skin infections to occur in the further course of the mite infestation. In the worst case, cats can even suffer life-threatening blood poisoning.
For the treatment of a possible head rash in your cat you should definitely consult a vet. This can prescribe your quadruped suitable preparations to kill the mites as well as counteract existing skin infections if necessary.
Fur mites in cats
Fur mites actually prefer dogs as hosts. However, the fur mite species Cheyletiella blakei can also infest cats. Mostly kittens as well as cats with a weakened immune system and quadrupeds from group housing are affected by them.
Fur mites are highly contagious. They are transmitted to cats through direct physical contact with an already infected host. The possible consequences of fur mite infestation include itching and the formation of dandruff.
In addition, fur mites can cause allergic reactions and thus lead to hair loss and incrustations on the skin of cats. However, some quadrupeds cope quite well with fur mite infestation and show hardly noticeable symptoms.
To diagnose mite infestation, skin scales and hair or a skin sample can be examined microscopically. Often fur mites can also be identified on the body of the cat with a magnifying glass. If treatment is needed, your cat's vet can prescribe antiparasitic drugs that kill the fur mites.
Mites can be transmitted from cats to humans
Some mites can also be transmitted from cats to humans. This is primarily the case with mange and fur mites. The complaints caused by them are usually relatively harmless compared to your four-legged friend.
Nevertheless, you should be careful when handling a cat infested with mites and take care of the animal as soon as possible.
Strong defences as protection against mites in cats
As you can see, mites are a problem especially for cats with weak defences. In order to reduce the risk of infestation, or to mitigate the possible consequences, it is therefore advisable to support your cat's immune system.
You will find the following food supplements in our range of products for this purpose:
Both products consist exclusively of natural ingredients, which provide your quadruped with numerous valuable nutrients and can make a valuable contribution to strengthening the immune system.
Marsavet Tick & Flea Protection against Mites in Cats
If you want to reduce the risk of mite infestation in your cat, we recommend Marsavet Tick & Flea Protection. This natural spot-on contains selected ingredients that have a deterrent effect on skin parasites such as mites. At the same time, you can rely on the fact that you are not unnecessarily endangering your cat's health by avoiding chemical agents.
Buy Marsavet Tick & Flea Protection >
Mites in cats - our conclusion
Unfortunately, an infestation with mites in cats can never be avoided with absolute certainty. For this reason, it is important that you pay sufficient attention to the personal hygiene of your four-legged friend and ensure a good general condition with a species-appropriate cat nutrition.
If you notice that your cat is suffering from mites, you should take care of the treatment as soon as possible. In this way, the consequences of the parasite infestation for your four-legged friend are usually kept within reasonable limits.
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