Cat parasite

[andrewlee]

My Siamese cat has a couple of insects running around on his skin, under the fur. They don't jump, so I presume they are not fleas. What might they be, and are they harmful to either the cat or me?

[Elfin]

If they are dark coloured they probably are fleas. They don't tend to jump around on the cat itself (only when going from one animal/place to another) - they prefer to run around under the fur as you describe, where they are more difficult to catch! Look for tiny black grains of "flea dirt" at the base of the hairs to confirm the presence of fleas. If you do find some dirt, put it on a damp tissue - it should leave a red residue (blood - parasite proof!). They can be harmful to both of you if they get out of control, so get some Frontline treatment from the vet (I use the spot-on one - easy - you just squeeze the liquid onto the back of the cat's neck and you're sorted for weeks!). You should then have a proud and happy siamese :-)

[PurplePixie]

They still sound like fleas. Fleas only really jump if you try and catch them or they need to leave the host in a hurry (ie if you spray them) They are harmful to the cat as they can cause anaemia if there are enough of them & you know how itchy & annoying a single bite can be..imagine having a couple of dozen itchy bites all over you & not being able to fix it. A good product I use is frontline spot on...get from the vets & apply on the back of the neck..hey presto fleas R.I.P Don't forget that where there are fleas, there will be a lot of eggs in the environment that also need to be zapped & you can get a household spray for that.

[andrewlee]

Thanks for the advice; funnily enough he had his Program anti-flea injection a few days ago, but was overdue - I've also got a few bites on my ankles, but thought that was from a friend's cat which is always scratching itself! I'll speak to the vet again.

[honkytonkman]

Elfin and Purple Pixie are both right. And if your friend's cat is scratching then it also has them, so tell him/her that a trip to the vet is due too.