Mange

Mange in cats is a skin condition caused by non-burrowing and burrowing mites. This is not a fatal disease but it can make your cat extremely uncomfortable. The burrowing mites get into the skin and live there for their entire life span. Non-burrowing mites just live and feed on the cats skin. Either way this causes them to itch and cause raw irritable spots on the skin.

There are two different types of cat mange that can all types of cat breeds, the first one being Notoedric Mange which is also called Scabies is brought on by the burrowing mites. This is the kind of mange that will cause your cat to scratch until the hair is missing and the skin is very crusty. This can be passed on to humans as well so it needs to be taken care of right away.

The second kind of mange is also known as ear mites. These are the non-burrowing mites that feed on your cats skin scales. Inflammation and scratching of the ear are symptoms of this type of mange. It may lead to an ear infection which can turn into something more serious if not taken care of right away. One of the most important responsibilities of owning a cat is preventative cat care. Stay on top of things and pay close attention to your cat and nip it in the bud before it causes major health problems.

Flea Prevention

It's always a bummer when you first notice your cat itching like crazy and chewing at it's legs. That's when you know they have a flea problem. Your cat may even be allergic to the fleas and they could form hot spots. There is always a threat of a flea infestation every year which we all know as "flea season". Now just because your cats stay indoors doesn't mean they can't get fleas. They could come in on your shoes!

You can use spot treatments and sprays on your cat but when it comes to kittens, it's a different story. Using what you normally use on an adult cat could be very harmful to a small kitten. Bathing them in warm water is a great way to start. There are many people that use dawn dish soap to bath their kittens as it kills fleas on the spot. After doing so, you should comb your kitten with a flea comb to get rid of all the excess residue or fleas that have been left behind.

Just because you have treated your cats for fleas doesn't mean they have left the building. Treat your home and make sure that they don't come back in by using some form of flea prevention.