Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Has anyone had success in treating a feral cat for a severe flea allergy and probable ear mite infestation? Do the products sprinkled on wet food help rid the cat of fleas? Is there a product which is safe for cats that will kill ear mites as well as fleas that can be sprinkled on food? I am attempting to trap him to take to vet for exam, neutering, immunizations and treatment for any parasites but until I can accomplish this, is there anything that can eliminate the flea and ear mite problems for this feral cat who will not let me touch him but comes regularly for food? I would appreciate knowing what has worked for others.
There are many others here who may have a better answer, but it's been my experience that when dealing with ferals it's 'if you can't handle them, you can't medicate them'. The only ones I've had any success with were very young & very sick kittens. To answer your question, I don't know of any flea treatment that could be put on food, and medicine for ear mites needs to be put directly into the ears. So to help the cat, you may have to trap it & take it to a vet.
There is a pill called Capstar that could be administered in food (but I'm not sure how palatable it is in food or if he will eat all the food to make it fully effective). You may wish to call your vet and ask about it before buying.
I don't know of any pill for ear mites, only ear drops, sorry.
Thank you for caring for this kitty. I hope you can trap him and get him treated soon. He must be miserable.
Location: Tampa Bay`·.¸¸ ><((((º>.·´¯`·><((((º>
4,696 posts, read 7,891,319 times
Reputation: 13657
The Capstar will kill the fleas on him, but it won't prevent other fleas. I crush them and place them on canned yummy food.
Thanks for caring about strays!!!
The Capstar will kill the fleas on him, but it won't prevent other fleas. I crush them and place them on canned yummy food.
Thanks for caring about strays!!!
I didn't know about Capstar (love this forum). Wouldn't work for my guys though. They are experts at detecting and NOT eating any food that has ANY medicine in it. Been there, tried that.
OP- good luck and thanks for caring about that feral cat.
The cat seems to have decided I was safe and he could trust me--tonight when I placed the Fancy Feast wet down I was honored with the cat brushing against me and allowing me to stroke it while speaking in a soothing tone of voice. He purred but I have not heard him meow yet. This young cat may be a stray rather than feral and have been abandoned by a previous owner---we have two major universities here and unfortunately animals are abandoned each Spring at the end of the academic year and left to try to survive on their own. I did mix one capsule of a cat flea killer medication in his favorite flavor of wet food and he ate the whole thing so now I will see if there are dead fleas on the bedding tomorrow a.m. and if he is still clawing his ears and face due to severe itching. If he will let me pick him up, next week I will take him to my vet in a carrying kennel rather than trapping him in a cage. We have had severe flea, tick and chigger infestations this summer due to an extremely mild winter this past year. I hope the cat flea killer will provide some relief---it breaks my heart to see his face and ears clawed up and raw from scratching. If it turns out he is a stray rather than feral he will be given a forever home and live indoors only; if feral, be cared for but allowed to stay outdoors in a sheltered feral cat structure.
Sounds like you've made a bit of a breakthrough with the cat. Keep doing what you're doing and you should be able to get hold of him/her and into the carrier soon. Probably not totally feral or you wouldn't be able to touch him, so you have a good chance to save him. Good luck and bless you for trying to help him.
VickyNC--you are an angel! If you can get some Frontline for Cats, Advantage Multi for Cats or Revolution for Cats, those work the best. I'm not sure which are available over the counter vs at the vet clinic. They are the drops you put on their back. But don't use the Hartz kind. Not safe or effective. I think Revolution kills ear mites as well, if I'm remembering correctly. Good luck with your new kitty. Sounds like a lucky kitty. I wish there were more people like you and that more people knew that once an animal is a pet, they don't 'fend for themselves' very well out in the world on their own.
The ear drops for mites did nothing for Bobbles. Revolution did the trick. It killed the fleas and the ear mites. You get it at the vets. Since you are only starting to gain his trust, I recommend the Revolution instead of the drops. Your relationship isn't close enough to be handling his ears regularly, not unless you capture him and keep him inside your house like we did with Bobbles. The problem is if you lose his trust he might run away and stay away. Getting Revolution drops on the center of his shoulders will be much easier because it's a one time treatment per month.
One of the ferals we fed had scratched all the hair off of his neck from fleas, and a lady who takes care of cats gave me some garlic tablets that I ground up and put on their food for a few weeks. He stopped scratching and his hair came back in, so I guess it worked.
Don
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
