Cat flea (lat. C. fells) belongs to the order Siphonaptera. The adult individual has no wings, is compressed laterally, with strong and long legs, equipped with numerous spikes. On the sides of the head when looking through a magnifying glass, the so-called antennas are visible, which have a club shape. The mouth organs are ideally suited to pierce the skin and suck out blood. Cat flea - the insect is rather small, rarely exceeding 2 mm in size.
This is a temporary parasite that can be completely eliminated. A female flea lays small, almost invisible, non-sticky eggs on the cat's hair and skin, from where they roll onto the floor, bedding, furniture. After a week (sometimes longer), larvae appear, at first having a worm-like body and feeding on food residues and organic residues. Two weeks later, the chrysalis becomes an adult and begins to lead a different lifestyle - a parasitic one. Both sexes of insects (males and females) feed on blood.
Feline flea is ubiquitous, found on animals year-round. Your pet can become infected by contact with invasive animals, and not even close ones (just a few minutes in the same room with cats suffering from parasites). Look at the first photo of how cat fleas look in a several times enlarged version.
It is believed that these insects attack only those animals that are kept in not very good conditions, with concomitant dampness and poor nutrition. However, the statement is incorrect in the root. A well-groomed, healthy cat can also become infected.
Cat flea - the insect is far from harmless. The skin reacts to an itch bite of parasites. The animal is itchy. Scratches and scratches appear, dermatitis develops. The cat is nervous, sleeps little, wasting energy on a futile fight against fleas. The consequence is a decrease in immunity, an increase in the likelihood of introducing infections and viruses, to which the animal would be resistant in a different state. Ectoparasites are easily detected when examining the integument. Favorite places of insects are under the legs and tummy.
How to get cat fleas? The use of dust is a thing of the past. Modern veterinary medicine offers anti-insecticidal aerosols, emulsions, solutions, and powders. When choosing a product, be sure to consider the degree of toxicity and age of the animal. Not all drugs are suitable for young cats, and kittens up to a month are generally not recommended to be processed. You should be aware that anti-cat flea remedies act mainly on larvae (adult forms are slightly more stable) and practically do not affect eggs. Therefore, the procedure is repeated without fail (after 12-18 days).
To exterminate fleas, you can use an aqueous solution of chlorophos (1%), an emulsion of malathion, cyodrin, diphos (abat), trichloromethaphos. A good effect is given by the drug "Oxamat" - repellent (2% water emulsion). This substance is slightly toxic to animals. Synthetic pyrethroids Ektomin, Ektopor, Anometrin, etc. are also noteworthy.
Of the finished veterinary preparations, not very expensive, but effective drops of Bars (produced in the form of a spray), Fiprex, Attorney, and Stronghold are in demand.
Prevention measures:
- treatment of the premises (in particular - the place where the cat sleeps) with preparations such as "Butox";
- exclusion of contact with infected and stray animals ;
- additional protection in the form of anti-flea collars.