Chewing Lice On Cats

Left unchecked they can grow to be an infestation on the cat s body.

Chewing lice on cats.

The lice found on cats are not the same type of lice found on people but they can still cause irritation by chewing on the skin or sucking blood. 1 chewing lice are tiny wingless insects that feed off dead skin and can cause irritation and transmit disease. You may notice your cat scratching or biting the area that has been affected by lice. 2 these lice are rare for cats and dogs but more commonly infest old or infirm animals.

If you notice excessive itching grooming or poor hair coat it could be lice says dr. These pests are passed through direct contact with an infected cat or indirect contact with bedding or grooming tools containing the lice or their eggs. Lice are external parasites that feed on the skin cells sloughed from mammals. But only one species of lice makes its home on cats a species called felicola subrostratus this is a species specific to cats and does not infest people dogs or other pets.

Lice are parasites that live on the skin. A heavy lice infestation could lead to a scruffy unkempt look and excessive scratching can lead to raw or bald patches. Chewing lice at a glance. The affected area may include the head ears shoulders groin tail and anus.

Lice are actually very small insects that feed by chewing on the skin of the animal they are infesting in this case the cat. Lice are generally not zoonotic meaning that feline lice can t infect humans and human lice won t infect felines. In general fleas make cats itchier and more uncomfortable than lice do.