fleas

[Beanmistriss]

Right I have been reading up and apparently all cats bring fleas so there is no way it is coming inside! I did put one of those flea treatments on the back of the cats neck last night. Looking closer though I can't actually see any fleas so perhaps what I thought was fleas eggs on my arm after I picked it up was sand or something?

So my question - if the cat had fleas would I be able to see them when I looked in its fur?

[redman41]

You should be able to spot the Fleas but not the eggs. I used to give my Cat oral flea Tablets which I got from the Vet and it killed the eggs. Cannot remember the name of the Product I used as I no longer own a Cat due to living in a Flat at present.

[stonekicker]

if you have used a dropper flea treatment on the back of its neck, it will work. and cats do like to roll in dust, so maybe what you had on your arm was a little bit of what i call 'fust' that they pick up. yes all cats, dogs and other critters have fleas, but then so do you! if you keep them under control, there is no reason that you or your house will become infested. Yes you can spot fleas on cats, they are easier to spot in lighter coloured fur (obviously!). if he is infested it will be obvious - scratching, rolling and bald spots/scabs appear on the skin. lighten up and give him a little love! i remember once rescuing a baby squirrel that had fallen out of its nest and despite waiting for hours from afar, its mummy did not come to retrieve it. so, i wrapped it in my jumper and took it home and did not realise until i had got there that the fleas were literally hopping off him in their droves and onto me - i mean, you could literally see a migration! after much screaming, hopping and stripping off in my back garden, i managed to deflea myself (much to the amusement of the neighbours!) and ensured the little critter stayed outside until the rspca picked it up. now - that's a flea problem! your little gent or lady will be fine to have in the house and will love you greatly for the rescue x

[Beanmistriss]

I the 2 hours since I posted that I have opened the door for it to wander in if it wants cos I couldn't bear to see it peering at me through the glass any more with its sad eyes. God I am so weak - no wonder it followed me. I don't even particularly like cats!
I can't see any on him/her and had a good look right in the fur so hopefully there are none. And I went to the pet shop and got a brush so i could brush some of it's loose fur off incase that was making it scratch.
When you give his a good clappie it starts to do little mouth dribbles. Its quite cute. its definatly not living in the house all the time though.

[stonekicker]

i hope he is dribbling with happiness (one of my ladies does!) and not because he has a mouth injury (also because you mentioned the lack of miaowing). just make sure you can see he eats and drinks normally and washes himself without any issues. might be just that he is a strange beastie - but then that is what makes them so lovely! i think you'va fallen for him hook, line and sinker - first feeding, then de-fleaing and now trips to the pet shop for grooming equipment. he must be a handsome smashing fella! x

[Schutzengel]

We'll see :-) He sounds like a little heartbreaker.
Seriously though, if you get Frontline Spot On, which goes at the back of his neck. You just separate the fur and put the spot of liquid on his skin. Happy cat, Happy You, and no fleas. You will need to keep his Frontline up-to-date, it tells you on the packet how often, about 4 to 5 weeks is fine. I picked the same date each month (such as the lst), so it's easy to remember. I have had a succession of cats for as long as I can remember (2 at present), and have never had any problem with fleas. I do hope you keep him, I think he has chosen you as his protector. Good luck. Please let me know how you get on. Schutz.

[Beanmistriss]

It fairly munches up food and seems to be licking its self quite a bit. I havent seen it drinking but there is water in the garden and I havent been watching it all the time. Do you think I should get it checked incase there is something wrong?

Also how do you tell if its a boy cat or a girl cat. Dogs have visible bits - cats dont appear to! Good lord, how can you get to my age and not be able to tell the sex of an animal! lol

[Beanmistriss]

I'll give it a few days and see if hes going to hang around or if anyone comes looking for it. If not I'll get the frontline stuff. he hasn't moved out of the garden all day apart from hopping over the fence to see the next door neighbour this morning. Maybe his people will come looking for him.

[pastafreak]

beany....if his.'people' have not come looking for him/her by now....then I doubt they will. If they have let the poor thing get into the state it is in...then they don't care ,and should not have pets.
Once you treat it for fleas,get a household fleaspray from the vets. (NOT from petshops)...you will have no worries then if you use that and Frontline.

I am willing to bet that if you keep this wee cat-it will find its way into your house,and your heart. Cats are lovely creatures,and know when they are loved......and come winter there is nothing like a warm moggy purring on your lap ;-))

[bensmum]

Congratulations - you have been adopted! You might think you don't like cats very much but he/she will find a way in to your heart - sounds like it's halfway there already. I would do as pasta suggests and get some spray for the house - this will ensure that it's clear. I think a check up at the vet would be in order just so you know what it is, how old etc and whether there are any health problems.

[tamborine]

Keep the bluddy thing indoors so it can't raid birds nests! That's Y I hate cats!

[pastafreak]

How can you 'hate' an animal for doing what is natural to it??? Do you hate Lions or tigers for hunting down gazelles??? Or birds for catching butterflies???
Many of the birds caught are most likely weak,and may have succumbed to being'hunted' anyway.

[Schutzengel]

Boy cats do have a visible difference to she cats. That is until they're castrated. If there's nothing obvious, then it's probably a female. If it does turn out to be male then you should arrange with the vet for the minor op, as male cats spray and the urine is very strong smelling. Female cats crouch to wee, whereas male cats stand tail in the air and spray. From the behaviour you mentioned my guess is the cat is probably female. Is he/she still sleeping in the shed.
Please keep up with the progress reports. I'm hoping this has a happy ending.

[tamborine]

Am talking of well fed domestic cats who raid for the sake of it. Put bells on them!

[Rosetta]

The vet could tell you what sex it is.

Cats have wonderful characters and he sounds a friendly little thing. I wouldn't worry about the flea issue once he has been dosed with Frontline, its very effective. let us know how you are going on please.

Have you thought of a name yet?

[seadogg]

Bravo Beanie. Seems like your little moggy has a lot of supporters.
If its scratchy it may not be fleas causing it. It may well be a deficiency in its diet. For dogs Vetzyme tablets do the trick and I'm sure there is a cat equivalent. A good pet shop will soon tell you.

.

[seekeerz]

I'm loving every minute of this - Beanmistriss, you're a treasure and that wee cat knows it !!!

Don't worry because of the things you've not encountered before, like what sex it is etc, that will all easily pan out, just keep going with the caring and everything else will sort itself out.

I do hope that you both enjoy the fun that's to come - cats are the most marvellous companions [ not saying that dogs are not, I have 3 and they are ] but a cat can be a real confidante - I know, I used to tell mine everything !!

So good luck to you both and bless you for caring.

[reefgal]

obviously you are not a lover of cats so why dont you phone the rspca or cats protection league. instead of waiting for someone to claim the cat which will prob not happen as it may be a stray. at least with these charities the cat wil be seen by a vet and have a warm enclosed comfortable pen to keep it safe.

[tamborine]

Cats have legal rights; in particular 'Freedom to Roam'. See halfway down googled page. The cat has the right to be in your garden - but if you feed it, that's seen as enticing another's pet.

http://www.cats.org.uk/catcare/leaflets/EG10-C atsandthelaw.pdf

[pastafreak]

Tambo....are you trying to put Beany off doing what she is doing?

[tamborine]

no, pasta.....just a warning in case the owner turns up, trailing 4 wailing & weeping kids followed by journalists to demonise her for enticing the errant pet.