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Head lice are one of the most common external parasites that affect cats, whether they are kittens, adults or elderly cats. And that is why we must take care to prevent this problem among our furry friends.
Although they are not as contagious as fleas and ticks, head lice cause the same discomfort to your feline friend, such as itching and shedding of hair, in addition to transmitting certain diseases. That's why we prepared this article on PeritoAnimal about lice in cats - symptoms and treatment. Good reading.
How Lice Affect Cats
The louse is an insect of a few millimeters, without wings and without the ability to jump, which lives as a parasite in some mammals. There are about 3,000 different types of lice, other than arthropod animals of the order Phthiraptera, and each one of them is very selective towards animals that become their host, so they usually attack only certain specific species.
The cat louse, whose scientific name is Felicola subrostratus, it is not transmitted to other animals or humans, but transmission between different feline species is common. O cat louse mainly affects young cats that have not yet developed good defenses; the older cats who stopped taking care of their own cleanliness; and all those who, whether due to poor diet or some illness, are weak or have weakened immunity. The long coat is also a determining factor when it comes to suffering from these parasites.
These insects are generally more common in the cold seasons of the year and the most common contagion occurs between cats that spend a lot of time together, as the louse does not fly, jump, or hide in the grass looking for hosts. The entire life of the cat louse is spent in the animal's body, away from which it quickly dies, in just 1 or 2 days. We emphasize once again that cat lice do not affect humans.
In this other article by PeritoAnimal you can check home remedies to deworm cats.
Lice Symptoms in Cats
The presence of lice in cats is quite visible in the fur. They are easily seen with the naked eye due to their dark color and the fact that they walk through the fur. Even in long-haired cats, you can see them if you remove some of the upper layers with your fingers, although the most obvious symptom is the whitish eggs that stick to the fur very easily. You can try using a head lice brush to make sure they're there.
Other characteristic symptoms of the presence of lice in cats are:
- The fur is a little matte and dirty.
- The itching is quite intense, so the cat is likely to scratch often or try to bite the areas that bother him most, even causing self-harm.
- As a result of scratches and bites, we can see wounds that can infect or thicken the skin.
You might be interested in this other article about the best cat deworming products. In the images below, you can see the cat louse in two different felines, one with black fur and the other with white fur:
Cat Lice Treatment
There are currently a wide variety of options for killing cat lice, although none are specially formulated for these parasites as they are the least common.
In all cases, if your cat has a lice infestation, we'll start with a bath with an antiparasitic shampoo. Then we will use a lice comb to remove insects that still remain in the dermis, as well as eggs. Once removed, you should drown the cat lice in some rubbing alcohol or hot water. Be sure to check all your fur.
If you've never bathed your cat before, you should assume that bathing an adult cat for the first time can be very complicated, if not nearly impossible. Therefore, the best medicine for lice it could be the deworming pill that also acts to eliminate other external parasites.
Finally, and in case it is impossible to give a good bath or offer your cat a lice remedy, consult a veterinarian, if only to find the best option to calm the cat.
Two days after applying any lice remedy, we must apply a pipette, use anti-parasite paste or spray to kill the lice that may still be alive in our feline's fur and to prevent the appearance of new individuals.
If you live with other pets at home, you will need preventive treatment to avoid infestation. Lice cannot survive outside the pet, but it would be advisable to clean your cat's beds, sheets, toys and other objects. Use warm water for this purpose.
How to prevent cat lice
It is very important to prevent the appearance of parasites in cats that have access to outdoor areas or those who live with other pets that have access to the street, such as cats who share a home with dogs.
The ideal in these cases is to apply deworming products periodically, such as pipettes, necklaces or sprays. To find out how often to deworm your cat, consult your veterinarian and strictly follow the product instructions.
Now that you know the symptoms of cat lice and how to treat the feline problem, you might be interested in this video from our YouTube channel that explains it to you. how to bathe cats and when to do this:
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Lice in Cats - Symptoms and Treatment, we recommend that you visit our Deworming and Vermifuges section.