Ear Mites

Ear mites are a common occurrence in pets and animals. Due to their ease and speed of spread, they can be transmitted extremely quickly between animals.

Cats and ferrets are the most likely pets to contract ear mites, however they can also occur in dogs and rabbits. There have been some known cases of human ear mite contraction as well, although this is quite rare.

One of the first signs of an ear mite infected animal is that he will be scratching and shaking his head around quite a bit. This is due to having thousands of tiny ear mites in the ear canal - the ear canal is extremely sensitive and any movement in there will cause extreme irritation and itchiness.

The next sign to look for is a brown crusty matter that will be noticeable when you look into the ear. This is caused by the serum from the ear lining which builds up. If not treated, this can turn into a fungal or bacterial infection, therefore it is mandatory that your pet is taken to a vet as soon as you suspect he may have contracted ear mites.

Sometimes you may be able to see very small white mites in the crusty debris. This is because these ear mites do not actually burrow into the ear, they simply live in the ear canal. Obviously if you can see white spots, your pet has ear mites and must be treated as soon as possible.

Your vet will advise on what action to take, however usually an injection or medication is given. Ivermectin is either injected or taken orally. There are special ear mite treatment products for cats as an alternative. These are used on the skin are effective for a month or so.

Ear mites need to be taken seriously and if you notice your pet displaying any sort of strange behavior relating to its ears, please see a vet as soon as possible.

Ear Mites In Cats

Image by Stacy Lynn Baum via FlickrCats are the most likely of all household pets to contract ear mites. Ear mites in cats can thankfully be treated quite easily; however they will likely cause significant irritation to your cat if you do not pick up on the warning signs early.

To eliminate ear mites (in fact ear mites never completely disappear from the cat, they will always be there but the good news is that you can stop the irritation) there are several different treatment options.

Many people do not know that the flea treatment Frontline Topspot can actually be used exclusively to treat ear mites in cats as well. This treatment has been tested on cats, and vets are confident that it works. It is great news as it is a double treatment for fleas as well, so you are killing two birds with one stone.

Ear mites in cats are not just limited to existing in the ears. Ear mites can spread to other parts of the body, particular on top of the head. This is when flea control products will work best. There are also topical treatments that can be used once a month to combat ear mites on other parts of the cats’ body.

If ear mite treatment is not effective in eliminating your cats irritating ear mites, then it could be that he has a more serious ear disease. Please see a vet if you feel the ear mite treatment is not working as it should.

If you have more than one cat then it is highly possible that the ear mites will spread between them as they are highly contagious. You should have ALL your cats checked at once, not just the one that you suspect already has ear mites.

Ear mites, whilst annoying, are not serious if treated early. That is why it is vital to take your cat straight to the vet as soon as signs such as:

Itching
Scratching and;
Head shaking are noticed.

This will ensure the best outcome for your beloved cat!

Neutering Your Cat

There are a large number of homeless and feral cats in the world. This fact has begun to impress upon people the importance of neutering.

Feral cats are unaltered pets that may have been released into the wild. Some are cats that were born and never handled by people so they are wild and uncatchable. Feral cats can spread diseases to other pets because they will raid trashcans, fight and can become infected with diseases and parasites easily.

Another good reason to have your cat sterilized is because of the racket that occurs when a cat is in heat. When females are in heat they attract males who will sit outside, yowl and fight with other males all night. She will literally attract every tomcat in the neighborhood. Tomcats will also mark their territory inside and outside your house.

Intact cats are also prone to certain types of cancer. They may develop cancers of the reproductive organs. These cancers are rare in cats that are sterilized by one year of age. They may also develop contagious reproductive diseases.

Cats can be sterilized at a young age. Most humane societies will do this at eight weeks. Veterinarians agree that is best to do this at five to six months unless they are feral kittens.

Neutering is harder on females as the surgery is more invasive. If you have both male and female cats, it is often best to neuter males first and then wait until females are six months of age to spay.

These surgeries are very easy and typical, however cats are prone to infection in their incisions. This is because they tend to lick and chew at the stitches. If this is the case you may have to use a plastic surgery collar to keep your cat from licking the stitches. Females will also need to stay indoors for three to five days after the surgery.

How Old Are Kittens When They Open Their Eyes

When do Kittens Open Their Eyes
On of the greatest things to witness it the miracle of birth. Being an owner of cat that is expecting, with kittens is a wondrous thing. When kittens are born there and delicate ball of softness and fur which seem too dainty touch. Their survival depends solely on their mother. The mother supplies the nourishment to them as well as teaches them to relieve themselves and how to defend themselves and live amongst other creatures.

When a kitten is born, their ears are back and their eyes are closed, which means they are literally both blind and deaf. For humans, to look at the little newborn kittens, they find that they have a natural instinct to want to keep them warm and safe.

The best thing you can do is make sure that they are safe with their mother and their surroundings are safe so they will not hurt themselves or get into trouble once they start moving around.

Kittens are very weak when they first come into the world. The best they can do is crawl around their mothers side. This is all part of nature. This allows a mother to be able to keep up with each of the kittens in her litter. As they get older or their strength will improve and they will begin to walk.

Cats generally have very sensitive ears when they are born and that is only to help protect them. During their first few weeks of life their ears will continue to develop, keeping them closed and back, helps protect the very sensitive parts of the years as loud noises can hurt their ears. They're hearing will fully develop around 16 weeks of age.

Kittens are also born with a great sense of smell as their only contact with the world when they are firstborn is by smelling it. They cannot see it or hear it and have to rely solely on their sense of smell. Kittens get use to how certain things smell such as the mother and the humans around them.

They will hit us at things as they are not familiar just from their sense of smell. As to alert their mother that there is danger in the area. Many people wonder how long it will take to the kittens eyes actually open. It actually depends on the length of their fur. The cats with long hair will open their eyes much later than a short haired cat.

Some of the shorthaired kittens will actually get to see the world for the first time after just five to eight days from their date of birth. It may take up to 10 to 14 days for a long-haired kitten to open their eyes.

Litters that are mixed all have different rates of development where opening the eyes are concerned. Even when the eyes are completely open it can still take several weeks for them to grow into the special eyesight cats have. Cats truly are amazing creatures from them and that they're born until they become an adult cat.