Question:
I have been totally devastated by the deaths of two of my cats in as many weeks. I read your column faithfully and understand your reluctance to use monthly chemical flea-and-tick treatments on cats. However, my cats did not die as a result of using one of those treatments, but from it not being effective enough to kill ticks carrying Cytauxzoon felis.I have not seen this topic addressed in your column and assume that's because this is a problem in the South Central region of the United States and might not be of interest to most of your readers. Unfortunately, I let my cats roam freely on our semi-rural lot near a lake where bobcats live. I thought they were sufficiently protected from fleas and ticks by the monthly treatment prescribed by my veterinarian because I saw no evidence of ticks on them.My veterinarian has told me that there is research being done at our state school of veterinary medicine to create a vaccination and an antibodies test for Cytauxzoon. I hope you will address this topic so other r
C.L.F., Norman, OK Dec 18, 2005
Answer:
My sympathies go out to you over the loss of two cats so unexpectedly, from a communicable disease. Compared to domestic cats, bobcats may have developed some immunity to this tick-transmitted bloodstream parasite. Florida panthers also carry the disease.Fortunately for domestic cats, this disease is restricted to where dwindling populations of wild cats live. But, with repeated exposure to free-roaming house cats, this parasite could become more prevalent in the cat population across the United States if it became less lethal. More infected cats live to infect more ticks, to infect more cats!The only solution is to keep house cats confined and never allowed to roam free, especially in Southern and Southwestern states. Monthly anti-flea-and-tick drugs are useless, as you discovered, because these drugs work only after ticks have fed, and, in the process, transmitted this and other diseases.
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