Q: We just found out our son has head lice (yuck!). The school
nurse said he is the only one she has seen in the school and
suggested that he may have gotten them from our cat. Is this
possible?
Q: We just found out our son has head lice (yuck!). The school nurse said he is the only one she has seen in the school and suggested that he may have gotten them from our cat. Is this possible?
A: Poor cats. They always seem to be the ones blamed for so many problems. And although it’s true they can occasionally give infections to humans, this is one time we can safely say the cat is innocent.
Head lice – technically known as pediculosis capitis – can only survive on the human scalp. These bugs require human blood to survive. And they can’t live more than about 24 hours off their host. Cats, dogs and other pets are not hosts to this parasite.
Of course there are a number of diseases that can be transmitted between pets and their owners.
Among these are ringworm (which is actually a skin fungus), scabies (caused by a skin mite named sarcoptes), streptococcus pyogenes (the organism responsible for strep throat in humans), contagious ecthyma (found in goats and also known as orf), and rabies.
These diseases are called epizoonoses because they can be passed between animals and humans. Head lice don’t fit into this category so your kitty is off the hook for this charge, and perhaps the school nurse should be looking elsewhere for the source of your child’s infection.
Q: It seems as though there are a lot more cats wandering through our yard in the past few weeks. I hear a fight at least every other night, and sometimes these tussles go on for a half-hour. Is there anything I can do to discourage these cats from turning my back yard into a fight arena?
A: The short answer is no. But you should realize that most of these “fights” you hear are probably not altercations at all. Here’s why.
This is the early part of the breeding season for cats. Females started cycling into estrus (heat)
as the daylight hours got longer, starting in January. Many are in full estrus now, looking for a mate. Male tomcats, sensing this, are now also on the hunt. There’s a whole of reproductive activity going on this time of year.
For whatever reason, cats are very vocal during the mating ritual. Often it sounds confrontational, to say the least. Breeding cats can sound as though they are in a desperate fight.
The best solution to this dilemma would be if everyone would have their kitty spayed or neutered.
Wishful thinking, I know, because all you are hearing are the romantic antics of neighborhood felines. And unfortunately, this will go on for a few more months.
