The EneMy: Starting froM Scratch

F

LEAS ARE JUST one of the pests that can afflict our

beloved cats. They are persistent and determined pests

and affect every cat.

You MAY FIND the last comment surprising, or even

offensive, but all cats are susceptible; although many

owners are reluctant to accept this. In our own homes fleas

are unpleasant, uncomfortable and vaguely dirty. To our

cats they must be horribly irritating, at best, and at worst

can cause anaemia, flea allergy dermatitis, and even worse,

if you happen to be a kitten. In a cattery fleas are all of the above but most importantly they are very

catching. There must be nothing that a flea likes better than a whole cattery full of cats! Of course, one

does not expect, quite rightly, to bring a cat into a cattery only to find that, upon collection, the animal

has acquired an infestation of fleas. However, we cannot prevent a flea infestation happening alone -

owners and catteries must work together.

IT IS DIFFICULT to see, as an owner, how a cat that maybe does not go out or, "go out far" (as I have

been told), and has no obvious contact with other animals, could possibly carry a flea burden. Even

more so when no fleas have been seen.

BEFORE I HAD a cattery and my cats went into an outside run to play I was once utterly horrified to see

fleas crawling on my three-week-old kittens; kittens who had never met another cat apart from mum,

and had never left my bedroom!! They had never visited a vet's waiting room, never walked through

grass, had never seen the outside world, or even encountered another animal who went outside as a

matter of course - canine or feline - BUT THEY HAD FLEAS. Fleas are spread by all of the above,

and in many other ways.

IN THE CATTERY WE always know when a cat has fleas. One of the reasons for

choosing our pens is that they are white and impervious, which makes detecting

fleas easy and leaves them no place to hide from treatment. Flea dirts can show

as small specks which look like grains of soil. When water is dropped on them,

they turn red. This is because the flea feeds from the cat's blood and excretes

partly digested blood. Sorry - a bit graphic - but must be said. We do not

necessarily see an actual flea! If we do then statistics tell us that there will be 40

more on the cat and 200 more in the cat's home!

IF A CAT does come in with fleas, we do not refuse it - but we treat it, and

we do not make you feel awful. The flea is a formidable adversary and I

cannot afford to be smug - it could be my own cats tomorrow! At Martlets

we change all the bedding, and the hammock top, we also disinfect and

treat for fleas (especially the rope and carpet scratching post), change our

own clothes, bath and hairwash. You can now understand why we inspect

all cats.