Possibly mites?

[sadiesmom]

Wow. It's been a while since I've even logged into TSB. Life has been crazy with planning my wedding around college. Sadie has been doing well. No complaints there.

I do have a question, though. My cat caught a mouse in our home early this morning. I was surprised, as we didn't even know we had one. We are very careful about having uninvited critters in the house because I'm terrified something might bring in a disease on Sadie. Despite it all, this morning I walked in on the dead mouse laying on our livingroom floor, with the cat perched on our couch just as proud as a peacock.

I picked it up with a gloved hand and placed it in a zip-top baggie to do away with. Then I noticed that there were little bugs crawling all over it. They are very tiny and white-ish colored. Definitely not fleas. I suspect that they may be mites because they are smaller than even lice should be.

Just to be safe, I ran my hands against Sadie's fur to see if she may have picked up any of the bugs from the mouse, because I have no idea how long it has been in our house. I didn't see any, but I'm still scared that I may have missed them or she still might pick some up if they are lingering around wherever the mouse has been hanging out.

Am I being paranoid, or should I go ahead and treat her just to be safe? What is best reccommended? Is it still an Adams product?

[prgault]

I'd wait until I saw them before I treated, mite can be pretty host specific, even down to genera.

P_

[Pointy Tale]

Sadiesmom—Hi! I am not a rehabber but there were some good suggestions about what to do recently…Personally, I like the first link to Shaky has parasites. Good Luck!

The Squirrel Board > Help Needed! > Non Life Threatening Help Needed > Need help. Shaky has parasites

Hard to know what is on Shaky, but I would try Zodiac flea and tick spray for cats and kittens. You would spray a towel (even a paper towel) and wipe her with it. Normally, parasites will jump off. I doubt that DMG caused them to come to the surface. I would imagine that she had eggs on her and now they hatched. It is important to get them off of her regardless. You can also try the original blue Dawn dishwashing liquid and bathe her with it. That kills external parasites as well.

That's my 2 cents. Let's see what other members think. I do hope you get rid of them quickly!

The Squirrel Board > Off Topic (or Feeling Nutty) > Off Topic Posts > Ahhh!!!! FLEAS!!!

Zodiac Flea & Tick Spray -- good for spraying the critters themselves AND the carpets and furniture. Saved my life years ago when I had fleas so bad they swarmed my feet as soon as I stepped out of bed

Put moth balls in your vacum cleaner bag every time you change it. That kills eggs and adults. Zodiac spray for the rugs, couches ect... And frontline spray for the animals. Safe for kittens, puppies and old animals.

The Squirrel Board > Help Needed! > Non Life Threatening Help Needed > Flea Bombs & Squirrel Sensitivity

The Squirrel Board > Help Needed! > Non Life Threatening Help Needed > Yard squirrels and fleas

[Giftee's Mom]

I think to be safe you might consider using Frontline Plus topical. The new formula is effective against chewing lice and might also work for mites. (Or Revolution, another topical preventative.) Extremely safe products, having a neurotoxin that is specific to a parasite's anatomy; in case your kitty was to lick or ingest some of it, it wouldn't harm her like some OTC products. Please use caution in over-the-counter products for cats and kittens! In the vet clinic, I've seen many cases of toxicity with permethrin or pyrethrin-based products; many cats are just fine with OTC products, but some are not and can suffer violent reactions. Just a word to the wise!

[sadiesmom]

Thanks so much, everyone! I will keep an eye on Sadie and check her thoroughly each day for signs of the little beasts. I will probably go ahead and order some Zodiac flea and tick spray as a preventative and to have on hand. Spring is on its way, so I have a feeling that I'll need it one way or another!