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Cat Tick
These disgusting creatures bury their heads in the skin and suck blood until theylook like fat, brown beans. At this point, probably because it is so fat that it can't hold onany more, the tick falls off the host and lays the5,000 or more eggs. The eggs hatch one or two months later. The next two phases in the development of the tick are called the larval andnymph stages. These stages may last quite along time, because different ticks need differ-ent hosts to feed on. In the dormant stages, the ticks can patiently wait for months - or even hibernate during the winter under bushes, inthe ground, or in your own home until a suitable host comes along. Ticks seem to be more common on dogs than on cats. This may be due either to a distinct chemical attraction for the dog or to the cat's fastidious grooming habits. Ticks can be found anywhere on the skin, but they prefer the ear flaps, interdigital areas(between the toes), head, neck, and shoulderareas. Cat Tick Treatment Tick removal is surrounded by manymyths and old wives' tales. Some of the popular methods using a match to burn off the tick or using gasoline or kerosene are overkill: they will get rid of the tick, but they may also injure your cat! Instead, just use tweezers andgrasp the tick close to where it is embedded (by the way, a tick does not get its whole bodyunder the skin!) and firmly pull it out. Don't pull a tick off with your fingers. Ticks can carry Lyme's disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Soaking the tick with alcohol or nail-polish remover (acetone) will plug up its breathing holes and make removal easier. Burn the tick with a match after removal.Please do not flush one tick down the toilet;ecologically, it makes no sense to waste several gallons of water on one tiny insect. After a tick is pulled out, a scab will form over the area. (This is not the tick growing back!) Occasionally, a tick bite may get infected not from the bite, but from your cat's scratching or biting the area where the tick was embedded. Since female ticks can lay 5,000 or more eggs, you can see that if those eggs are laid inyour home or kennel, a serious infestation willoccur. (The sight of thousands of ticks crawling up the walls is enough to tick anybody off!) Your veterinarian can dispense products touse in the home environment. An exterminator may be necessary to getrid of heavy tick infestations, because ticks canlive for a long time in the cracks and crevicesof floors, woodwork, and walls without havinga blood meal. "Chiggers" is the popular name for thered or harvest mite. In its larval stage, it is or-ange or red, the size of a pinhead, and parasiticon most mammals (dogs, cats, humans). Thelarvae hitch a ride on your leg or your pet's legin the woods. Their bite causes severe rednessand itching. Chiggers can be found anywhereon the body, but their favorite hangouts are thehead, neck, ear canals and flaps, and abdomen.After getting a good blood meal, the larvaedrop off and become nymphs. Later they de-velop into adult chiggers, which feed on plants.The adult chigger lays eggs that develop intolarvae. which are the only parasitic form. If only the ears are affected, use the sametreatment for ear discharges. Yourveterinarian will dispense a safe insecticidalpreparation if a generalized infestation is pres-ent. An antibiotic-steroid cream will controlthe itching. You can prevent chigger problems onyour cat by using an insecticidal preparation Follow home treatment during warns weather. The white mite known as "walking dan-druff" is large enough to see. This mite causesitching and can affect cats. humans, and dogs.The same insecticides administered for fleas.used for about three weeks, are effective. The adult fly and its larvae (maggots) oc-casionally cause skin problems. Maggots de-velop from eggs that are laid by flies. If they arein wounds, remove them with tweezers. Cleanthe area with Phisohex and apply an antibioticointment to the wound. Lice look like very small white ovalspecks and are seen best with a magnifyingglass. They are spread by direct contact andcause severe itching. They spend their wholelife cycle on the pet. Fortunately, lice are notseen very often on cats. A bath is an effectivetreatment. After drying, an insecticide can beused.
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In my opinion, any parasite that sucks your own or your pet's blood, lays approximately 5,000 eggs, andtransmits fatal diseases to humans (Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme's disease) is not a good citizen of the world!