Urgent! Badly groomed cat!

fatfelix · Mar 17, 2017

I'm currently at a medical mission in one of the provinces here in the Philippines and I found the sweetest stray cat which I want to adopt. Poor littly kitty has the worst case of ear mites, with lots of wax and debris build up and balding of half the head and the ears. Plus he has fleas (I think) so there are also a bit of balding in his coat. The problem is, i'm here for a couple of weeks (I am a volunteer doctor and I cannot come and go as I please since I am needed) and since this area is rural, there are no vets here. How do I take care of his ear mites and flea problem for the time being? I am so worried about this little kitty, I simply cannot wait until I get back to the city before I have him cleaned up and taken care of. Please give me some alternative/home remedies. Also, I have a cat at home so I can't take this stray kitty home without having him cleaned up first or else he'll infect my beautiful persian and maine coon

Please help. I am desperate. This cat looks so pained because of the pests in his fur.

fatfelix · Mar 17, 2017

Bump

thatfilmgirl · Mar 17, 2017

My vet in the past had recommended diluted apple cider vinegar. Mix 1 part warm water warm water and 1/2 part ACV (or even less ACV since kitty has bald spots) and use a disposable towel to gentle rub over the cat. Dilution is important since kitty's skin will be sensitive. make sure the paper towel is damp, not soaking wet.

Also you can wash and shampoo him and then rinse with a warm water/acv mix. Then take a soft bristled brush like a soft bristle tooth brush or a soft cat brush to get rid of the mange. Then lather them up with olive oil or castor oil to suffocate any remaining mange.

I've never cleaned cat ears before but I would suggest that the same dilution would be helpful as well.

Good luck!

orange&white · Mar 17, 2017

Can you get Ivermectin over the counter in the Phillipines? You'd have to search for the proper dosage amount, but rubbed into the ears will kill ear mites. It is also absorbed into the system, so it might also help with some internal parasites. Sounds like you don't have access to a vet and may not have access to flea preventative and other drugs like Ivermectin? You can bath the kitty, use a flea comb and keep the cat indoors. That won't cure the ear mites, but controlling the fleas would be a big help until you can get back to the city and locate a veterinarian.

fatfelix · Mar 17, 2017

Thank you very much for your responses!

We don't have ACV though. Would white vinegar be okay?

And I will try to look for Ivermectin here, if not I will just try to bathe him and try not to make his flea issue worse.

orange&white · Mar 17, 2017

I rinse my dog with 4 parts water to one part white vinegar when he gets "the itchees and scratchees" due to mild environmental allergies during the spring. White vinegar is fine.

Primula · Mar 17, 2017

First thing I would do is give the cat a good bath. You can use a mild dishwashing detergent. Revolution, which is great for ear mites and fleas, can be bought online.

fatfelix · Mar 18, 2017

I rinsed him with diluted white vinegar last night and by some miracle, he stopped scratching... but not for long. This morning, he resumed his manic scratching obsession. It was so stressful. I managed to get hold of Ivermectin but the injectible type. I can inject on people, no problem. But cats? I'd rather not take the risk. Can I just apply it directly to the ear?

orange&white · Mar 18, 2017

http://www.showcatsonline.com/x/ivermectin-dosing.shtml Here are some instructions on using Ivermectin for ear mites. Be sure to dilute it to the right strength.

I'm happy to hear that the kitty got at least some temporary relief with the rinse.

StefanZ · Mar 19, 2017

FatFelix said:
I rinsed him with diluted white vinegar last night and by some miracle, he stopped scratching... but not for long. This morning, he resumed his manic scratching obsession. It was so stressful. I managed to get hold of Ivermectin but the injectible type. I can inject on people, no problem. But cats? I'd rather not take the risk. Can I just apply it directly to the ear?

if you can get hold of coldpressed organic style cocoa oil, it should also be useful. A drop or two into the ears tends to drown and suffocate the mites. Its also mildly inlammaation suppressing, so it can be used on the skin problems. Also, it may even be used on mated fur. Fur which is mated, tends to loosen up with this oil. (I saw this tip on a Facebook group for TNR of homeless cats).

You can drown the mites with almost ANY oil, btw, but not all oil are inflammatory damping as this.

If you manage to take it home, be sure you held it in a quarantine, till you are sure all health problems are over. Hold it in your bathroom, which is easiest to clean off and desifecate. Otherwise you can try with a big dog crate.

Primula · Mar 20, 2017

FatFelix said:
I rinsed him with diluted white vinegar last night and by some miracle, he stopped scratching... but not for long. This morning, he resumed his manic scratching obsession. It was so stressful. I managed to get hold of Ivermectin but the injectible type. I can inject on people, no problem. But cats? I'd rather not take the risk. Can I just apply it directly to the ear?

Can't imagine how white vinegar would work.

I gave you good advice in my #7 post above.

orange&white · Mar 20, 2017

Either an apple cider vinegar or white vinegar rinse will provide temporary relief for itchy skin by neutralizing the ph balance.

Apple cider vinegar would have been preferable because it has an added benefit of being a flea repellent, but FatFelix said he could not get apple cider vinegar where he is, so white vinegar was the next best option.

A bath in mild dishwashing detergent will smother adult fleas as well and provide some relief.

Until the cat can get to the city vet in a couple of weeks to treat the eat mites and fleas (and probably worms), temporary relief is about the best that can be had with the few supplies which are available.

FatFelix – How is the kitty doing?

dustydiamond1 · Apr 15, 2017

fatfelix said:
I'm currently at a medical mission in one of the provinces here in the Philippines and I found the sweetest stray cat which I want to adopt. Poor littly kitty has the worst case of ear mites, with lots of wax and debris build up and balding of half the head and the ears. Plus he has fleas (I think) so there are also a bit of balding in his coat. The problem is, i'm here for a couple of weeks (I am a volunteer doctor and I cannot come and go as I please since I am needed) and since this area is rural, there are no vets here. How do I take care of his ear mites and flea problem for the time being? I am so worried about this little kitty, I simply cannot wait until I get back to the city before I have him cleaned up and taken care of. Please give me some alternative/home remedies. Also, I have a cat at home so I can't take this stray kitty home without having him cleaned up first or else he'll infect my beautiful persian and maine coon Please help. I am desperate. This cat looks so pained because of the pests in his fur.

Please, how is the poor little cat?

Urgent! Badly groomed cat!

fatfelix

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fatfelix

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thatfilmgirl

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orange&white

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fatfelix

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orange&white

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Primula

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fatfelix

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orange&white

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StefanZ

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Primula

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orange&white

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dustydiamond1

Minion to Gypsy since October 2016

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