 Ticks
and fleas
Ticks are small spider-like
acarids and fleas are insects, but these two tiny creatures have
at least one thing in common—they are both parasites that feed
on your cat’s blood and can cause a lot of discomfort and more
serious health problems.
Flea bites may go
unnoticed on some pets, cause slight irritation in others and
produce extensive itching, red lesions, hair loss and even ulcers
in those animals with flea allergy dermatitis, which is the result
of extreme sensitivity to flea saliva. Severe flea infestations
can cause anemia, especially in kittens. Fleas can also transmit
several diseases, as well as tapeworm. Ticks are “vectors” or
carriers of a number of diseases, including Lyme disease and Rocky
Mountain spotted fever which can sometimes be transmitted to humans.
Adult fleas are wingless
insects, generally smaller than a sesame seed, who feed on the
blood of animals. Their proportionately enlarged back pair of
legs gives them an extraordinary jumping ability. Hanging on to
your pet’s fur with their claws, their needle-like mouth parts
bite through the skin to suck up blood—in quantities of up to
15 times their body weight daily in the case of female cat fleas.
If one flea finds
your cat an attractive food source, you can be sure that other
fleas will, too! They mate, with females laying 30–50 eggs per
day. These eggs will drop to the ground within 8 hours and, as
soon as 2 days later flea larvae will hatch and hide in dark places
on the ground, on carpets or in upholstery. After about a week
of feeding on adult flea droppings, crumbs, flakes of skin, etc.,
the larvae spin cocoons to become pupae. The pupae can remain
in this stage for very long periods of time. As early as a week
later, the pupae develop into adult fleas and emerge from their
cocoons when they sense that a cat or other animal host, is near.
The cycle—which can take as little as 12 days or as long as 180
days—can then begin again.
And ticks...
Ticks are wingless
creatures that live exclusively on the blood of animals for
three of the four stages of their life cycle. They are equipped
with an apparatus called Haller’s organ which senses heat, carbon
dioxide and other stimuli to allow the ticks to locate the presence
of an animal food source. Once found, they crawl on and embed
their mouth parts into the animal’s skin and proceed to suck
up its blood.
 You
should inspect your pet regularly for ticks, especially if they
have been outside in areas where there are woods or tall grasses.
A thorough combing within 4 to 6 hours of exposure to such environments
can help prevent ticks from attaching themselves to feast on
your pet. Should you find a tick, it should be removed immediately,
as the longer it is attached to its host, the greater the chance
for disease. Do not touch the tick. Wear gloves and use tweezers
to carefully grasp the exposed section of the tick’s body near
your pet’s skin. Gently pull until the tick lets go. To dispose
of the tick, wrap it in several tissues and flush it down the
toilet. Do not crush, burn or suffocate it, as any one of those
actions may spread infectious bacteria.
Controlling
fleas and ticks
The best way
to control flea problems is to prevent them from happening in
the first place. Fortunately, developments in veterinary parasite
control in recent years have made the twofold goal of eliminating
fleas on pets and preventing further infestations much easier
to achieve. Available for both cats and dogs, new insecticides
and insect growth regulators in easy-to-use topical or oral forms
not only eliminate any existing fleas, but also work long-term
to prevent future infestations. This is accomplished either by
killing the parasites before they can reproduce or by preventing
their eggs from developing into normal adult fleas. Consult your
veterinarian for advice about the proper product for your pet.
Furthermore, thorough daily vacuuming of high-traffic areas and
frequent washing of your pet’s bedding will also go a long way
in reducing the flea population in your home.
Some of the same
types of topical or oral products used to control flea infestation
are also effective against ticks. Such treatments should be combined
with daily examinations and tick removal for those pets, especially
cats, who are frequently outdoors in areas with high tick populations.
Ask your veterinarian for information about the situation in
your locality. Clearing brush and long grasses and removing leaves,
grass clippings and other organic debris will also help reduce
the presence of ticks by disturbing their natural outdoor habitats.
When a parasite picks your pet for a meal
If, despite your
best efforts at control, you find that fleas or ticks have crawled
(or jumped) on board your pet, you will have to use a product
that will kill and/or repel the parasites. These include once-a-month
topical treatments, or more regular use of sprays, powders, dips,
shampoos, collars and, to combat fleas, oral or injectable medication.
Once again, you should ask your veterinarian for advice about
what the most appropriate product is for your pet . And remember,
it is perfectly normal to see live fleas or ticks on a pet immediately
after a topical treatment, spray, shampoo, collar, etc. is applied.
Many believe that this means the product is not working, but the
fleas or ticks have to fully absorb the product before they will
be affected, which may take from a few hours to a few days.
Facts about fleas
Worldwide,
there are about 3,000 different types of fleas, but the cat
flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is the most common to
be found on cats and dogs.
Adult
fleas can jump 600 times an hour. Each jump, in terms of the
flea’s size, is the equivalent of a person clearing a 50-story
building.
The record
jump for a flea is 13 inches.
In just
30 days, 25 adult female fleas can multiply to 250,000 fleas.
Tips about ticks
A female
tick can lay up to 3,000 eggs.
Except
for eggs, ticks need a blood meal to progress to each stage
of their life cycle.
Some
ticks can live for more than a year without a meal.
In very
rare cases, toxins secreted by ticks can cause pet paralysis.
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For
your cat pet to enjoy time with you, she must always be in good health. Like
you, if the pets are feeling pain they are unable to feel the mood of having
fun!