To keep your cat healthy a majority of time, all you really need to do is give him good shelter, food, and plenty of water. Like other living things however, cats can get sick from time to time no matter what you do. As a cat owner, you will want to ensure that you feed your cat only the best. Premium cat food is the ideal for cats, as the food is designed to keep your pet happy and healthy. you will also need to pay attention to his behavior, so you will know when hes sick and when to take him to the vet. Most of the more common ailments and sicknesses are minor, although there are some cases where a vet can be the determining factor between life and death for your cat. Your cats behavior will be one of the most critical factors when you are trying to determine whether or not he is under the weather. Acting sluggish, laying around all the time, lack of energy and not eating are all signs that you need to take him to the vet immediately.

His coat is also a good thing to watch as well. If you notice his coat dull and patchy or notice him shedding abnormally, you should contact your vet as soon as you possibly can. Diarrhea and vomiting are sometimes common, even with basic sickness. On the other hand, if your cat seems to be doing either one of the two for more than a day, you should contact your veterinarian. Coughing is common as well, simply because coughing will cats dislodge hairballs. If your cat seems to be coughing for another reason, you should have him checked out as soon as possible. To ensure that your cat is not subjected to various diseases, you should always make sure that he stays up do date with his vaccinations. There are several diseases out there that require vaccinations, including rabies and feline distemper. Feline distemper is one of most devastating diseases a cat can get, yet it is also one of the easiest to prevent as well. The disease strikes cats very fast, and leaves you as an own very little time to seek treatment. Feline leukemia is another disease that is very deadly, yet can be prevented early on with the proper vaccinations. Although the disease is not possible for humans to contract, it can be spread quickly among cats.

There are vaccinations that can treat the disease these days, although you will still want to be careful and not expose other cats around a cat you know has feline leukemia. Another problem, which is very common with cats that stay outdoors, is worms. Cats that have worms will normally have a lackluster coat and little to no appetite. There are several different types of worms, including ringworm and hookworm. Worms can come from fleas, lice, or even the organs of dead rodents that cats consume. Normally, the cat will digest the eggs which will later mature and attach themselves to the walls of the intestines. If you feed your cat garlic frequently during feedings, it can help to protect him against worms. If you take care of your cat, chances are you will keep him healthy for years to come. You should always make sure he has quality food, and does not miss any of his scheduled checkups with the vet. If he gets the proper vaccinations when he is required to get them, he should be safe against numerous pests and diseases. Taking the proper steps with your cat now will prevent anything from happening in the future.

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The cat flea Ctenocephalides felis , is one of the most abundant and widespread species of [[flea]] on [[Earth]]. ==Overview== The cat flea is a small, sucking, insect of the order Siphonoptera. Adults range from 1–2 mm long and are usually a reddish-brown colour, although this can vary. The cat flea, and all other fleas, are compressed laterally, resulting in an extremely thin insect that can be quite hard to find in an animals coat. The cat fleas primary host is the [[domestic cat]], but the cat flea is also the primary flea infesting [[dog]]s in most of the world. The cat flea can also maintain its [[Biological life cycle|life cycle]] on other [[carnivore]]s and on [[omnivore]]s. [[Human]]s can be bitten, though a long-term population of cat fleas cannot be sustained and infest people. However, if the female flea is allowed to feed for twelve consecutive hours on a human, it can lay viable eggs.{{cite web|url=http://www.ct.gov/CAES/cwp/view.asp?a=2815&q=376710|publisher=Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station|title=Cat flea|accessdate=2008-10-17}} == Life cycle == [[Image:catflea2.jpg|left|thumb|Photo showing some characteristics used to identify from other fleas, including genal comb]] The female cat flea lays her eggs on the host, but the eggs, once dry, have evolved to filter out of the haircoat of the host into the resting and sheltering area of the host. [[Image:Flea Larva.jpg|thumb|Flea larva showing red ingested blood]] The eggs hatch into [[larva]]e, which are negatively [[phototaxis|phototaxic]], meaning that they hide from light in the substrate. Flea larvae feed on a variety of organic substances, but most importantly subsist on dried blood that is filtered out of the haircoat of the host after it is deposited there as adult flea fecal material. Thus the adult population on the host feeds the larval population in the host environment. Image Fleadirt.jpg Flea larvae metamorphose through 4 stages before spinning a Pupa Cocoon and entering the pupa The pupal stage varies greatly in length; the pre-emergent flea does not normally emerge as a young adult flea until the presence of a potential host is perceived by warmth or vibration. Newly emerged fleas are stimulated to jump to a new host within seconds of emerging from the cocoon. The new flea begins feeding on host blood within minutes.

Effects on the hosts

Image OLIVERFLEAS.jpg A few fleas on adult dogs or cats cause little harm unless the host becomes allergic to substances in saliva. The disease that results is called flea allergy dermatitis Small animals with large infestations can lose enough bodily fluid to fleas feeding that dehydration may result. Cat fleas also may be responsible for disease transmission through humans, and have been suspected as transmission agents of Plague (disease)

Disease transmission

Cat fleas can transmit other parasitism and infections to dogs and cats and also to humans. The most prominent of these are [[Bartonella]] murine typhus and apedermatitis The tapeworm [[Dipylidium caninum]]can be transmitted when an immature flea is swallowed by pets or humans. In addition, cat fleas have been found to carry Borrelia burgdorferi the etiologic agent of Lyme disease but their ability to transmit the disease is unclear.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1991 May;44(5):469-74

See also

* Pulicosis (Flea bites)

References

External links

* http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/IntegratedFlea.shtml Integrated Flea Control from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County] * http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/occas/catflea.htm cat flea] on the University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Featured Creatures Web site * http://www.metapathogen.com/flea/cat-flea/ About Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea): taxonomy, life cycle, transmitted diseases, eradication at MetaPathogen]

Flea treatment

* Dog_flea Treatments * http://www.wikihow.com/Rid-Your-Pet-of-Fleas How to Rid Your Pet of Fleas from Wikihow] * http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1112211 Finding and Eliminating Fleas on Your Cat from the BBC] * http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm169831.htm Safe Use of Flea and Tick Products in Pets]
Category Fleas Category Cat health Category Veterinary entomology Category Biting insects Category Insect vectors of animal pathogens Category Animals described in 1835