Ask the cat Doc: Itchy Cat, Flea control for Feral Cats, moving with Cats, and much more
welcome to our regular “Ask the cat Doc With Dr. Lynn Bahr” segment! once a month, Dr. Bahr answers as numerous of your questions as she can, and you can leave new questions for her in a comment.
Dr. Bahr graduated from the university of Georgia college of Veterinary medicine in 1991. Unlike many veterinarians, she did not grow up knowing that she would become a veterinarian. “It was a cat who got me interested in the practice and I am forever grateful to him,” said Dr. Bahr. Over the course of her veterinary career, Dr. Bahr found that the lifestyle of cats has changed dramatically. As the lifestyle of cats has changed, so did Dr. Bahr’s client education. In addition to finding medical solutions, she also encourages owners to enrich their home environments so that their cats can live long, happy, and healthy lives.
This new understanding led Dr. Bahr to combine her passion for strengthening the human-animal bond with her veterinary background and knowledge of what animals need and want to start her own solution-based cat product company, Dezi & Roo, inspired by two cats of the same names.
For much more information about Dezi & Roo and their distinct and innovative cat toys, please visit Dezi and Roo on Etsy.
Do you have a question for Dr. Bahr?
Leave it in a comment and she’ll answer it in next month’s column!
Cat continuously itches and bites at himself
Hi I have a outdoor cat that I’ve had for 10yrs now he was feral when I moved in I can pet him and love on him now but I cant get him to the vet I’ve tried trapping him even and he wont fall for it my problem is I’m sure hes allergic to fleas I put flea medicine on him regularly but he still continuously itches and bites at himself he has little scabby sores all over and his hair falls out I need to no how to help him without taking him to vet I would appreciate any help you can give me. – Kelly Vasquez
Hi Kelly,
I am so sorry you are having trouble getting your man to the vet. It is a common problem and a big reason cats don’t receive regular medical care. It is never too late to try to train him to enter into his carrier and I would encourage you to start doing so as soon as possible. To begin with, you might want to place an open carrier (top off) with a fleece blanket, bed, cat toy, silvervine or catnip, or even his food dish in it. get him used to stepping into the bottom of the carrier so that he can see there is nothing to be scared of. once he has been doing that on a consistent basis, graduate to placing the top on the carrier without the cage door attached. Again, leave food, treats, silvervine, or a bed inside. After a period of time and when he has adjusted to that routine, attach the door, but leave it open. Then, when he concerns eat inside the carrier, gently close the door for a few minutes, assuming he is comfortable and unafraid. If all of that goes well, the next step would be to carry him around in the carrier for a minute and see how he does. As you can tell, this is a method of slowly and consistently getting him used to the carrier as a safe place where he either sleeps, plays, or is fed. Finally, once he has gotten the hang of it, you are ready to place the carrier in the car and sit with him in it. then return him back to his favorite place outside. all of these steps are leading up to making him comfortable in his carrier, with the car, and going to the vet.
As far as controlling his flea allergy, the best way to do that is with prescription flea medication. many of the time, the ones sold over the counter are not effective enough but if that is all you are able to finish with him then by all implies try using a safe topical flea application. especially if you are able to pet him, this ought to not be too hard to accomplish. In prior messages we talked about using safe outdoor products like beneficial nematodes and food grade diatomaceous earth as ways in which to control the fleas in the environment. have you tried those?
Thank you for writing in and for taking such good care of your kitty. let me know how else I can help.
Beneficial nematodes to control fleas in feral colony
My friend who manages a feral colony with flea problems told me that diatomaceous earth is made up of tiny crustaceans that have sharp edges on their shells and that it could cause eye irritation. She will not use it. I would be interested in the specifics of the beneficial nematodes. – Carol Goin
Hi Carol,
Thank you for your question about diatomaceous earth and beneficial nematodes. These are two safe and effective ways to control fleas in the environment.
There are two types of diatomaceous earth: food grade, which is suitable for consumption, and filter grade, which is inedible but has numerous industrial uses. It is only recommended to use the food grade with using around animals and humans. While it is safe to consume, I would use caution deanullnull