Internal parasites
Adult roundworms live in the intestine. They look like cooked spaghetti strands. Roundworms are passed from mother to kitten and can infest cats that hunt and eat wildlife. They shed microscopically small eggs in the faeces so unless you see a worm in your cat’s faeces or vomit you are unlikely to know they have roundworm but they inevitably do.
Typical roundworms seen in unwormed cats at SimplyCats
Tapeworm segments look like grains of rice and can appear in your cat’s faeces or attached to hair around their anus. Tapeworm infestation can occur when your cat eats any fleas they groom off themselves and by hunting and eating prey.
SimplyCats recommends regular worming for tapeworms
Lungworms infest your cat’s airways and can cause coughing. They are ingested when cats hunt. Lungworm larvae can only be detected by laboratory analysis of faeces.
The frequency of worming for your cat depends on their lifestyle. No worming medication entirely prevents your cat picking up worms and it must be repeated often enough to cope with re-infestation as it occurs.
Indoor cats free from fleas will only need worming every 6 to 12 months. Actively hunting cats or those in households with small children need worming every 1 to 3 months and strict flea preventative treatment should be undertaken.
Coccidiosis is another parasite of cats and in kittens is often associated with poor hygiene or immune compromise. It can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, weight loss and ill thrift.
Modern worming medication can now clear roundworms and tapeworms with a single dose. Licensed veterinary products are by far the best option eg Drontal worming tablets that your cat can take with or without food or a topical application at the back of the neck with Profender which is great if you are unable to get tablets into your cat. Supermarket products are often ineffective and can lead to false economy. It is always best to dose for the actual weight of your cat rather than guesswork and most veterinary clinics will not charge to weigh your cat. Drontal can be purchased without having to have your cat seen by a vet but due to the licensing of Profender, a veterinary surgeon can only prescribe its use for animals under his/her care, so you must be licensed with SimplyCats for us to prescribe this product.
External parasites
Fleas
There is a common misconception that cats only become infested by ‘Cat fleas’ and dogs with ‘Dog fleas’. In reality cats and dogs can be infested by either type of flea so if dogs and cats co-habit then effective flea control must be used on both. Some people get bitten by fleas and get itchy red marks especially around their ankles.
Fleas lay eggs on your cat which drop onto the floor and hatch into maggot like larvae. These larvae wriggle to dark areas of the house like skirting boards and feed on shed skin cells and adult flea faeces. Larvae then turn into cocoons called pupae which are very resistant to chemical destruction by many flea products. The pupae can survive in the environment for several months but hatch out in seconds if they detect vibration from nearby movement or carbon dioxide exhaled in animals (and humans) breath. Once hatched, pupae can jump large distances to attach to their new host and the whole cycle continues. One female flea can lay several hundred to several thousands of eggs in her lifetime!
Fleas also harbour tapeworms that your cat ingests when grooming. As cats are such fastidious groomers, fleas are often not detected however telltale signs of their presence are often observed like scratching, skin irritation and black ‘flea dirt’ on the skin which if dabbed with damp cotton wool turns red due to the presence of blood in the flea faeces.
If your cat goes outdoors it will catch Fleas !!
Effective products should be used regularly to keep your cat and household free from fleas. If your cat doesn’t have fleas but you want to prevent them becoming infested then topical products such as Frontline Combo or Stronghold should be used as they also provide some environmental protection to your home. If fleas are present, the house should be sprayed with a product effective against the majority of flea life stages eg Indorex, RIP fleas or Acclaim and your cat regularly flea treated with Frontline Combo or Stronghold. Supermarket products like collars and powders are ineffective and can potentially be dangerous to your cat. You should also treat any other animals in the household and thoroughly wash your pet’s bedding and vacuum clean the house, concentrating especially in areas like skirting boards and dark corners.
Ear mites
As the name suggests, ear mites live in the ear canal. They feed on ear wax and cause irritation to your cat often manifested as ear scratching or head shaking. The irritated ear canal produces further wax which is often seen as dark brown/black.
Ear mites can be killed with drops obtained from your vet or by applying Stronghold to the back of the neck.
Ticks
Ticks are wingless blood sucking parasites that are found in long grass and jump onto your cat when they pass by. They attach their mouthparts to your cat’s skin and drop off when their bodies are full of your cat’s blood after about 3 to 10 days. It is important not to pull a tick straight off your cat as the mouthparts will be left embedded in the skin and can cause a reaction. A special tick remover hook can be used to rotate the tick and remove it from your cat in full or a product like Frontline will kill the tick then it will shrivel up and lose its grip.
All these ticks were from 1 cat. The ticks are the small white objects in the kidney dish at SimplyCats
So please remember to keep your cat parasite free but only do what you have to depending on your individual cat ask one of the vets at SimplyCats for advice if unsure
