Many owners think that cats will not be infected with parasites if they stay at home. In fact, this is a big misunderstanding. Balcony flower pots, carpets at the door, the soil on the soles of shoes, the owner's trousers... These places may lurk parasites, and they have a strong reproductive capacity. They like to hide in corners or in cats' hair, and they are harmful to humans and cats. Cat’s skin health can be seriously affected.

There are many types of parasites, with different sizes and shapes. The following parasites are more common in cats and can affect humans.

Mites

Cheyletiella is a mite that lives on the surface of the skin, causing stinging, dandruff and itching. This type of mite is very large, with four pairs of legs that end in a comb-like shape. The most distinctive feature is the hook-like accessory mouthparts. Most of them are parasitic on cats, dogs or humans. Although humans are not the natural host for these parasites, they can live in humans for long periods of time, causing an itchy rash.

Yellow fly

Yellow flies are opportunistic parasites found under the skin of small mammals. These parasites are the larval stage of flies that use animals as hosts to complete their life cycle and are common in summer and autumn.

Ear mites

Ear mites are tiny parasites that live in the ear canal. They are a very common parasite that can cause severe irritation and itchy ears in cats.

Heartworm

Heartworm disease is caused by parasites that live primarily in the blood vessels of the lungs and heart and are spread by mosquitoes. This condition can be fatal and difficult to treat, but fortunately, they are easily preventable.

Fleas

The last thing I want to talk about in detail is fleas. This is a very common parasite among pets. Just thinking about it makes me itchy all over. There's no single way to eradicate them, and once you find one flea on your host, there may be 100 more around. Their life cycle is quite complex, so it is necessary to understand the various stages and take early countermeasures or remove fleas regularly.

The life cycle of a flea

· Flea eggs

The surface is smooth and will slide off the pet hair to the ground after 2-3 hours. As your pet moves around, flea eggs are spread to the rooms the pet passes through.and outdoor environment, and develop into larvae in 2-5 days.

· Larvae

If you are afraid of light, choose backlight and hide in dark places such as floor seams, carpet fibers and sofa mezzanines. After 7-14 days, flea pupae form.

· Flea pupa

In the cocoon, they develop into adult fleas. The flea pupa has a very strong resistance to the environment. There is no effective drug to kill flea pupae on the domestic and foreign markets. When they feel the heat, carbon dioxide or vibration generated by surrounding animals or people, flea pupae will break out of their cocoons within a few seconds and become new fleas that jump to the animals. If forced by circumstances, flea pupae can lie dormant in their cocoons for up to a year until a host emerges.

· Adult fleas

After fleas jump on dogs and cats, they immediately start sucking blood and mate and lay eggs within 24-48 hours. A female flea can lay 50 flea eggs a day and 2,000 flea eggs in a lifetime. In a normal environment, the eggs develop into new fleas within 21 days, jump to the pet to suck blood, start the next round of reproduction, and lay new flea eggs. In this way, the pet will continue to be infected, and the infection will The number will increase, causing countless troubles.

Feline diseases carried by fleas

·Anemia

Flea infestations may cause anemia, which can be fatal to cats, especially young cats. Pale gums are a sign of anemia, and your cat’s gums should be checked regularly.

· Haemococcidiosis

A more severe form of anemia, caused by microorganisms carried by fleas, usually requires a hospital visit.

What are the dangers of fleas?

· Intense itching and scratching

Severe cases may lead to hair loss.

·Flea allergy dermatitis

It is one of the most common skin diseases in cats. It is an allergic reaction caused by saliva stimulation when fleas bite pets, causing severe itching, cortical deterioration, hair loss and behavioral changes in pets.

· Spreading tapeworms

Fleas are the intermediate hosts of tapeworms.Cats often inadvertently eat fleas while grooming themselves in an attempt to get rid of fleas and become infected with tapeworms.

·Anemia

Fleas live by sucking large amounts of blood and can survive on cats for more than four months. In the case of a severe flea infestation, a cat may bleed to death if it does not receive appropriate treatment. Anemia caused by flea bites is more common in young cats.

·Cat-scratch fever

Cat scratch fever is caused by Pattonella henselae, which is mainly spread by fleas. Most infected cats do not often get the disease themselves. People get the disease through cat bites or scratches. Most healthy people get the disease. People will not have symptoms, but a few will develop fever, swollen lymph nodes near the bite site, and small red papules on the wound. However, people with weak resistance may experience more severe systemic symptoms.

How to kill fleas?

·Understand what fleas look like

Most people think of fleas as microscopic, but you can actually see fleas without a microscope. Adult fleas are very small, reddish-brown in color, and have no wings, but they can still jump very high. Fleas' bodies are compressed laterally, so their bodies are wider from back to belly than from the sides.

·Looking for signs of fleas

Take a fine-toothed comb and comb your cat's hair from back to front to look for signs of flea bites. Because fleas feed on blood, their bites leave red welts. Fleas can also be found in dirt or excrement. After you comb your cat's fur, shake the dirt and spots from the comb onto a wet paper towel. The dirt will turn reddish-brown.

· Use anthelmintics regularly

Use deworming medicine according to the instructions, apply it on the cat's neck, brush away the hair and use it on the skin. Then comb their hair to prevent cats from licking.

· Frequently vacuum areas where pets are found

Such as sofas, floor gaps, and under large furniture, it can effectively remove flea eggs and stimulate the fleas in the flea pupa to jump out and be sucked out together. Clean pet beds and blankets regularly with hot water (60°C for at least 10 minutes)

Note: After deworming, you may experience symptoms such as lack of energy, diarrhea and vomiting of worms. These are normal reactions. Check the cat’s health before dewormingWhen encountering these conditions, please hold off on deworming for a while. Newly moved cats; when they are sick; when changing their environment; and it has not been more than ten days since the last vaccination.