My aunt was hardly mobile for much of 2017 and for the spring and summer of 2018. So while it’ll likely feel surprising, if you suspect your indoor cat does have fleas or some other parasite, go with your gut because it very well may be. But again, it’s not common. Outdoor cats average life is just 2-5 years. Quick Answer … Ear mites spread so easily, your cat can get them from casual contact with another infected pet either inside or outside your house. What’s It Mean. No matter the animal, the point is the same: any animal that picks something up outside the house can typically transfer the issue onto another pet, who may never have left home recently. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases; learn more here. See more of this duo on my personal blog, E&T. They play in gardens and sand which have germs. It definitely is not likely at all, and I would be sure to stress that you should never let the potential discourage you from letting your cat have supervised backyard visits. Ear mites are microscopic parasites that live in and on the ears of cats. If you check these areas and see some small insects of an orange colour, it is clear that your cat has mites. Cats have a lower tolerance than dogs for pyrethroids (a common ingredient used in flea and tick prevention products), for example. Isolate any new pets and quarantine them in a room away from your existing pets until they are treated as well. Obviously – start with keeping up to date on vaccines and having those regular vet visits. Picture from post The Pesky Houseguest: Weiss the Cat. Did you think your cats might be able to get parasites or uncommon diseases that are ones only outdoor cats typically get? Outdoor cats are not safe and they tend to get severe diseases. We never really figured out how that happened, but maybe we didn’t clean up enough after the first round. But how did such an odd thing happen? Vaseline. If you thought of a few of the ways listed above, which did you think of? Each species of demodex mite only has one host species on which it can survive. The blood vessels are those little red lines you see in the delicate skin in your cat’s ears. From leashed-walks or time in the garden While it’s mostly harmless to put your cat into a harness and take him or her out for walks or (more frequently) flops on the ground in your garden, it is possible, however unlikely, for your cat to catch a parasite or disease while out. Cats are excellent escape artists. Dig KittyClysm? The easiest way to deal with this potential problem? Ear mites cause uncomfortable itching for your kitty and will affect at least 90 percent of cats during their lifetimes, according to VetInfo. What are hamster mites, and how do you treat hamster mites? Does He Want Something? How Do Cats Get Ear Mites, how to recognize them in your pet and what is the best suggested treatment. My plan is to keep the bumps clean and to watch them closely until they heal. Humans can get infected with mange mites … A hard look at a picture and some Googling later, I figured the diagnosis pretty much had to be roundworm. Why Does My Cat Lick My Hand & Fingers so Much? toys like these that allow cats to play by themselves. Rarely diagnosed in cats but one of the most common conditions affecting dogs, mange is a skin disease caused by several species of tiny mites. This dark discharge consists of wax, blood, mites and other debris caused by inflammation, according to Veterinary Partner. A quick application of a topical flea medication that also prevents mites is usually all it will take to ensure that all of your pets are healthy and mite-free. Thus far I’ve had the luck of avoiding most problems, but we’ll have to see if that luck continues into the future! If you like the posts on KittyClysm, please take a moment to subscribe to the email newsletter! Indoor pets like hamsters, on the other hand, do … Dogs get ear mites by spending time in close physical contact with other animals who have ear mites. If your cat is scratching and shaking his head, then there is a good chance he has ear mites. Ear mites can also be extremely annoying for cats, and it is likely that you will notice them shaking their heads, scratching excessively, and even pulling out their own hair in an effort to get … I’m sure the fact that some mats formed made her less happy to clean herself, and that caused more and more mats. Your cat may not go outside with you, but you certainly do, at least every once in a while. This means that each and every time you, someone you live with, or a visitor walks through your front door, there’s an ever so slight possibility your house cat could end up with fleas. Facts about cats, training tips, odd behaviours, pet care advice - I talk as much as I can about it all here! Mange/feline scabies and ear mites can spread this way, especially if the cat you’re visiting has regular access to the outdoors. Check out all the other blogs I pen & photograph. Sometimes referred to as scabies, sarcoptic mange is caused by mites that are oval-shaped, light-colored and microscopic. Good food rich in vitamins A and B will assist in its prevention. If you plan on having pet play-dates for your cat, ask that any animals he comes into contact with be treated with a mite-preventative medication. The most common type of ear mite in cats is Otodectes cynotis. Cats of all breeds and ages can be affected by demodex mites, although Burmese and Siamese cats do appear to be overrepresented. John took the picture and a stool sample to his vet, who confirmed – it couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. While it absolutely is a lot less likely for a house cat to end up with parasites like ear mites, fleas, ticks, or worms like ringworm, communicable cat diseases like feline infectious peritonitis, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia, and feline herpes, as well as other unpleasant diseases like rabies, mange, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, rat bite fever, tularemia, and even variations of the plague, it unfortunately is possible. The easiest way to make sure this type of thing doesn’t happen to you? The visitor likely stepped in something like dog poo on her way over, and by eating those laces, the roundworm transferred their way into Beau’s system. My indoor cats have had some of these. I’m not quite sure what those bumps are (they could be a number of things I think), but it sounds to me like your plan of action will work. If your cat has been diagnosed with demodectic mange, this is what you can expect to happen next: How Do Dogs Get Ear Mites? While outdoor cats get exposed to the open environment, they are more likely to get diseases. Cats can also get mange from infested dogs or other animals. Thats often our first thought when we see a cat with bare patches on his head, neck and ears, or elsewhere on his body. By Dr. Jennifer Coates, DVM. Physical contact with another animal allows the mites to crawl onto a new pet, which is the main way these parasites are spread. Tia is a middle-aged cat at least, so it could be that she is just getting old and her skin more sensitive… at any rate she had a fair to large amount of small mats for a short-haired cat. Read on to find out how ear mites in cats affect your pet’s health and what to do to get rid of them. And finally, do your best to keep your cat’s environment as clean and tidy as possible – keeping potential sources for parasites regularly washed and/or hidden away as well as you can. Thankfully, they’ve been free of all things since then, and it’s been over 13 years now. in some cases especially where there is a bump, I have later found that there has been some oozing from the area subsequent to my clearing the mat. How? This point is along the same lines as the last one. Find out the best ways to get rid of these pests right here. Mangy old cat. She writes about many subjects including pets, finances, crafts, food, home improvement, shopping and going green. The most common areas are: amongst its fingers, internal legs, arm pits and, above all, in the auricle. Is He Sick? What are cat ear mites? 2. How? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Newborn kittens can get the mites from their mother if she is infested. Dogs and cats receive regular parasite prevention. How Do Cats Get Ear Mites? One of the most frustrating problems I’ve had to deal with as a pet parent is staying on top of my cats’ desire to play. However, there are (unfortunately) many different ways your cat can end up with ear mites. If your cat has them, they're not alone. But it is possible, and the risk increases the more of a rodent problem you have on your hands. A few years back, my brother from Pets Overload found some oddly shaped semi-transparent, semi-white looking critters in his indoor-only cat, Beau’s, stool. Is it really likely your indoor cat will pick up a disease from a rat or mouse that’s made it’s way into your home? It’s just not feasible. It’s pretty common that outdoor cats suffer from ear mites, but it’s also easy for an indoor cat to be infected, too. Have your indoor-only cats ever gotten parasites or uncommon diseases? Now, if you think keeping your house cats from meeting and greeting any other animal is enough to prevent them from being exposed to parasites that can be picked up outdoors, you’d be wrong, because your cat can still have exposure to these through you. With how much trouble they cause, how do cats get ear mites in the first place? Depending on the extent of the infestation, your cat may need special baths in shampoos containing pyrethrin to combat the mites that have migrated onto other parts of your cat, according to Catster. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Demodex mites are species-specific. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s actually possible for fleas to jump onto a pant leg, or even the human body itself, hitch a ride into your home, and then make it’s way onto one of your pets to breed. While it's easy to assume that your cat has ear mites if he is displaying some or all of these symptoms, a proper diagnosis with a veterinarian is necessary to rule out other types of ear infections. We’ll get into exactly how indoor only cats can get parasites and unlikely-for-them-to-catch diseases in the next section, but first, a word to the wise on prevention. Consult with your veterinarian when treating a cat diagnosed with ear mites. Not sure if this is the most likely way for indoor cats to get worms like roundworm and ringworm, but it sure would seem one of the most likely ways to me. The main signs of an ear mite infestation in your cat include incessant scratching and shaking of the head, along with an unpleasant odor coming from inside the ears. How Indoor-Only Cats Can Get Parasites & Improbable Diseases 1. 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