WHat are these tiny black things on my cat???

My cat has these tiny black/brown things in his fur. It looks like tiny particles of dirt, but they jump! Ive seen fleas so I know its not those, its a lot smaller, could they be ticks?

They are too small to make out any features like head or body so I dont think it could be ticks. They are crawling about on his fur rather than on his skin, and there is a large concentrate of them on a certain part of his fur...

What could they be??

They are fleas. You need to get to the vet and have them give you some fleas meds. DO NOT USE OVER-THE-COUNTER FLEA MEDS ON YOUR CAT! IT CAN KILL THEM. The dirt looking stuff is flea eggs. Get her treated ASAP.

Hi, they're not fleas, I've seen fleas before. These things are microscopically small, and they dont jump in the way fleas do.

My cat was given stronghold a couple of months ago, so it could be ticks or something else? We will give him stronghold again cos its time, hopefully these will get rid of these things...

Any other ideas?

could be mites (they're very tiny).
i'd second the recommendation to have the vet treat them.
i don't trust over the counter meds for animals.

What is Stronghold? Is that the same as Strongid? If so, that's a dewormer, and probably doesn't do anything for what is on your cat.
I though what Zissou had wasn't fleas either. It was.
Either way, a vet can tell you for sure. Ticks aren't usually in such a large number. Mites don't typically jump.

Ticks are quite large, always bigger than fleas. whatever these are, you need a vet to see them and give you the right meds, as some parasites have a larval stage in the intestine or carry sush parasites.

It sure sounds like fleas to me. It could be baby fleas or maybe its the flea dirt your seeing and think its moving when you brush the cats hair to see it? Ticks are much bigger then fleas and you can see their legs moving. I would let the vet see if your not sure what it is.

No matter - please get your baby to the Vet so he can get the right treatment...

You should take your cat into the vet and they can tell you exactly what they are. It sounds to me like they are fleas, but I can't see them so I can't tell you for sure.

It is possible that they are seed ticks. Seed ticks are so small you can hardly see them. They mostly are in pine straw or the woods. Anyway, your vet needs to see so you can be sure. DO NOT treat with over the counter meds. They are too dangerous.

It sounds like fleas to me. It is flea eggs. I know exactly what you are talking about because when we took in a cat from outside he was covered in that and fleas. I would still go to a vet though.....just to be sure.

Just get him to a vet to be sure! It sure does sound like fleas though, or mites. And the vet will be the one to determine this~and give you the correct medication for him. Let us know what ya find out plz.

Sibohan had ear mites when I got her they looked like dirt in and around her ears. It is a very east treatment to get rid of them but they do cause the animal some discomfort so I suggest getting them taken care of by a vet befor they spread or get worse. They can cause skin irtitation.

Hi - thanks for the advice. Stronghold is a spot remedy that takes care of ear mites, lice, worms and fleas. Its pretty good, this is the longest hes gone without treatment, so its one of these. Im gonna take him in to see the vet, hopefully this weekend...

Thanks! Will update when I find out what these are...

Originally Posted by chupi

Hi - thanks for the advice. Stronghold is a spot remedy that takes care of ear mites, lice, worms and fleas. Its pretty good, this is the longest hes gone without treatment, so its one of these. Im gonna take him in to see the vet, hopefully this weekend...

Thanks! Will update when I find out what these are...

Click to expand...

Is Stronghold a med that you get from the vet? If its over the counter, please get something your vet approves of instead. You may also want to talk to him about over-medicating your cat. If Stronghold treats so many different parasites, it most likely has highly toxic properties as well.

What is your kitty's name? He sure is a cute little guy!