We all would agree to the fact that the word lice, cringes us all out to the core. Those irritatingly itchy elementary school days are just too torturous to even think of. But arrived has the day where you come across not human lice but cat lice to haunt you even further.
The good news is that you cannot catch lice from you and your cat can’t catch ice from any other animal.
Wondering about the bad news? These maddening parasites are highly contagious and at times, getting rid of them becomes a daunting task.
For a better understanding of how to get rid of lice, let’s look at the life cycle of the infestation of cat lice and possible ways your indoor cat is infested,
- The process starts with lice attaching the eggs at the base of the hair
- The eggs hatch and the new lice spend the rest of the life span on the same cat
- A potential reason for your cat being infested by lice might be when the lice eggs fall off while brushing and be transmitted to your cat
- Using the same comb as on the other cat can increase the chances of lice infestation in your cat.
Lice never leave the infested skin itself, having strong gripping potential on all claws, it doesn’t fall off, neither does it come off easily even with vigorous scratching.
So what to do in order to get rid of cat lice?
These almost invisible, highly irritating parasites are a common problem for outdoor cats but if your pet has been scratching quite vigorously for a few days it’s time to identify and figure out a way to get rid of them.
There are three ways that confirm that your cat has lice so before we jump on to how to get rid of cat lice at home, let’s learn how to identify it first.
- Notice if your cat is out of the ordinary scratching and rubbing itself a lot. A cat with lice infestation strenuously scratches itself and in worse cases, you might notice your cats’ batted coat or balding spots.
- Make it a bit to look for any parasites in your cats’ coats. Lice can be seen with the naked eye, they have a body shaped like a grain of rice and are of sesame seed size. They should be easy to identify just by moving your hands through the fur.
- Noticing lice eggs at the bottom of fur. More like on the scalp. They look like small white glistening specks clustered around the bottom of the hair. They are tightly glued to the hair and thus are very hard to remove without breaking the hair.
Once, noticed and identified, it’s time to go forward to treating the infestation through home remedies. Although these home remedies are known to be effective in getting rid of cat lice and are completely safe for your cat before testing out these home remedies, pay a visit to your nearest veterinarian so you know which remedy will be the best for your pet.
1. Cedar Chips
Lice hate the smell of cedar chips and there’s a high possibility of your cat not being too fond of the smell as well but a little discomfort is worth getting rid of the lice.
Spread a few cedar chips around your cat’s bedding or places that are your pets’ favourite spots. Along with this, apply cedar oil f the fur coat of your cat or a few drop of it on a banana peel to keep other bugs away from your cat.
2. Lemons
Lemons are the most common and effective way to get rid of lice instantly. The helpful element in lemons is citric acid and lemon having a high percentage of it make itself the most widely used for treating lice problems in cats.
If you do not want to apply directly on your cat, boil a couple of lemons, drain the liquid and transfer it to a spray bottle. Avoid spraying on the cat’s sensitive areas and repeat the remedy until it’s treated.
3. Spices
Compounds known as carvacrol and oregano oil are your answer to all your ‘how to kill cat lice’ questions. The compound is present in spices that are commonly present in your kitchen.
You might want to make a solution of 1 teaspoon of oregano oil adding to three teaspoons of olive and applying it to the fur.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Another product available in every grocery store is apple cider vinegar that lice don’t particularly fond of. Although apple cider vinegar does not kill all the lice and is not as effective as the above-mentioned products, using it on your cat’s coat can propel lice to jump off and leave the infested body.
5. Dish Soap
It might come as a surprise to you but dish soaps that are gently formulated have proven effects on lice. Dish soap tears down lice’s exoskeleton and within minutes kill them.
Just wet your cat’s fur coat., dilute dish soap, transfer the solution to a spray bottle and spray it on your cat’s coat. Spread, lather and massage to the most affected area before rinsing it off.
6. Chamomile and Lavender
Apart from the soothing abilities of lavender, it is actually a fast way to get rid of lice infestation. A diluted solution containing lavender is proven to be as effective as any other chemically manufactured lice treatment product.
Keep the fresh lavender steeped overnight, strain the liquid, transfer it to a spraying bottle and spray it on your cats’ coat without having a need to rinse it off later.
Chamomile is another compound that is popular for its soothing effects. Boil chamomile tea leaves and keep it a while in the build-up steam, apply the liquid to your cat’s coat and see how lice are taken care of within a matter of days.
These are the top-rated and incredibly effective home remedies to kill cat lice. Do try them out according to veterinary suggestions.
Give yourself and your cat a time to relax and enjoy a lice-free life!
