Welcome to the Wednesday Cats of Catster! Each week, we share a narrative from considered one of our cat-loving Catsters. This week is about Crystal and her soul cat, Ivy.
The final time we spoke, I shared a few of my favorite memories of Ivy throughout her first couple of months with us.
This week, I wished to the touch on considered one of my not-so-favorite recollections: Ivy’s flea infestation.
Have you ever ever seen a kind of buggers up shut in a kind of extraordinarily zoomed-in photographs? These issues are straight out of a nightmare! And, very tough to eliminate.
Ivy is a rescue kitty, and seeing as if she was nonetheless a kitten when she was given up, she didn’t have any vaccinations and wasn’t spayed. As I’ve talked about earlier than, she acquired her vaccinations, and was fastened earlier than I picked her up.
It truthfully by no means occurred to me that her earlier household wouldn’t have given her tick or flea medicine, both, nevertheless it ought to have!
One morning, I awoke and had some cuddle time with Ivy in mattress. She was sitting on my chest purring away, and all was properly.
That’s once I noticed it. A tiny black fleck moved throughout her little white chest. I initially thought it was only a speck of filth, however upon nearer inspection, I noticed that it was undoubtedly shifting. I parted her fur and shock, shock: there have been extra!
Additionally value mentioning right here is that since we acquired her, she was very energetic and did unusual issues. Some issues particularly stood out and made extra sense upon my flea discovery.
Within the earlier days, she would scratch herself towards each floor in the home. She can be laying calmly, sleeping soundly, after which abruptly get up, ferociously lick herself and begin darting round. What appeared like regular, kitten conduct at first (which I’m positive a few of it was), truly was her attempting to rid herself of the itching the fleas precipitated. Realizing what signs to look out for in the case of your cat having fleas is essential!
Panic mode ensued. She had been on each floor in the home by then, exploring and snoozing on the sofa and in mattress with us.
I instantly went to our native pet retailer and acquired the required provides to eliminate these horrible little critters.
She acquired flea and tick medication, and inside a few hours, the fleas have been dying off. I might actually decide them out of her fur with a tweezer—which I did—and she or he was already performing calmer.
It hadn’t occurred to me to verify her fur once I first acquired her as a result of I used to be simply so overwhelmed by the thrill that the thought didn’t even cross my thoughts. I felt horrible for some time about it, figuring out that she was in all probability extraordinarily uncomfortable and itchy, and we didn’t do something to assist sooner.
After the flea-bus (Ivy) was handled, it was time to sort out the remainder of the home. I put all the things she had touched within the washer and disinfected all the surfaces, together with the sofa and the mattress. My pores and skin was crawling at this level, and it felt just like the fleas had infested me, too!
After scrubbing the home, myself, and medicating Ivy, issues calmed down. For the following couple of days after that, Ivy had her fur parted and checked tons of of occasions a day till, finally, there have been no extra indicators of fleas, together with the poo and the useless ones.
It was additionally evident that she was rather more snug, and she or he not jumped up when sleeping or scratched herself towards surfaces as usually. I informed Ivy to please converse up subsequent time one thing was fallacious, and she or he replied with silence. As anticipated.
PSA to all cat house owners, new ones and seasoned ones: verify your cat for fleas commonly, be according to their tick and flea medicine, and don’t ignore conduct you assume is even a little bit bit out of the extraordinary.
If the fleas stay untreated, it could actually result in serious health problems and even loss of life on your kitty. Fleas can be dangerous to people and carry some illnesses.
On this case, it’s completely higher to be secure than sorry.
Have you ever ever needed to take care of a flea infestation? I positive hope not, however be happy to share your story with us in case you have!
Thanks for studying, Catsters! We’ll catch you subsequent time on Catster.com!
CHECK YOUR CAT FOR FLEAS!
Okay, bye!
This text options Crystal and Ivy in our Wednesday Cats of Catster sequence.
