damn barn cats!

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gardenbunny

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today a stray/ barn cat was at my door injured, I had to go to work but it looked like it needed help so I put it in the basement with some food and water. now that I'm at work I'm realizing my does are in the basement and I'm worried the cat will give fleas ear mites or worms to my does. it was the wrong choice but its too late now I'm at work for a few more hours. I called a bunch of vets they all said if the cat stays away from the rabbits it will be fine, the cat was very injured so I doubt it can move very much.

my question is how can I check for ear mites when I get home?
 
It was nice of you to try and help the poor kitty. :) I hope you can help him... once you get a better look at him maybe we can help you decide on a treatment plan.

I wouldn't worry much about transfer of parasites from the cat to the rabbits with the exception of fleas. Most parasites are very host specific, meaning they only do well on one type of animal.

Dog and cat fleas are the exception because they have become rather "domesticated" like our dogs and cats from living with humans (and both dogs and cats) for thousands of years so they are more opportunistic and will get their blood meal from the handiest host. If, heaven forbid, the poor cat dies down there, the fleas will leave the body as it cools and will go to your rabbits. They sense body heat and CO2.

As for the ear mites, in cats and dogs you will see a very dark waxy buildup in the ears. You can treat them with mineral oil or even olive or vegetable oil massaged into the ears. I would repeat at weekly intervals for three weeks. A day or two after the first application I would remove as much softened wax as possible and reapply the oil for better penetration of the ear canal.

I would treat the fleas with food grade Diatomaceous Earth. Simply apply as you would a flea powder. It will cause the fleas to dehydrate within a day or two. You can also sprinkle it around the rabbit cages (and on the rabbits themselves) if you are afraid the fleas have gone that far.

The only internal parasite that I know of off the top of my head that rabbits can get from cats is the rabbit tapeworm. Cats and dogs are the intermediate host. In your case, it still isn't a problem, because the part of the worm that contains the eggs is passed with the stool of the animal and then the segment will crawl up onto a plant. When the rabbit ingests plant matter with an egg case they develop into worms in the rabbit.
 
wow !! you answered all the questions that have been nagging on my brain all morning!! thank you this is a tremendous help!!! I am amazed by how kind and helpful everyone on here has been to me! thank you for sharing your immense knowledge with a newbie :D

can't thank everyone enough I seriously was sick with worry, we just bought these does and my husband was worried I doomed them to have feline leukemia or something else, thank you again!!
 
Like MamaSheepdog said most parasites are species specific. Cat mites won't infect rabbits, humans, and probably not even dogs. To get worms the rabbits would have to ingest some of the eggs. If they aren't eating off the same ground the cat is on then no issue. Fleas are about your only possible worry but I actually never found fleas on strays that came here. Dunno if they are worse there. Maybe somehow you could spread a bacterial infection since bacteria are not picky but so long as you practice some basic cleanliness like mild quarantine procedures you should be fine. Do not take care of your rabbits right after interacting with the cat, don't share any food or water containers, etc....
 
thank you for all the advice and tips! blown away by how helpful everyone is! I did the best I could in a panicked situation but now I have the knowledge to help the cat without endangering my doe!
 
gardenbunny":3fh83f9s said:
wow !! you answered all the questions that have been nagging on my brain all morning!! thank you this is a tremendous help!!!

You're welcome! I try to be thorough. ;) If one of us misses something, usually someone else will catch it and chime in. :)

gardenbunny":3fh83f9s said:
I am amazed by how kind and helpful everyone on here has been to me! thank you for sharing your immense knowledge with a newbie :D

I don't have much experience with other forums, but you wont find members here slighting you for being a newbie. I am proud to be a member of this forum because we have such wonderful members that go above and beyond to help one another. :D

Be sure to let us know how the cat is doing when you get home!
 
the cat died while i was at work, i even took a half day to get home in time to bring it to a vet but it was cold and stiff so i assume it died right after i left this morning. i removed the body and put DE around the rabbit cages in case the fleas were making their way over there.

i'm sad but i thought it was on deaths door because it would not eat or drink. i'm glad i got to hold it and make it purr before it passed on. i am a big animal lover, so its sad for me but it came to my door and i tried to help that's all i could do. i'm not even sure what it died of, it just wouldn't move, normally the strays around here are skiddish but it let me pick it up and purred when i did so i assumed it was injured.
 
I'm sorry he didn't make it. :(

At least he knew someone cared a little bit at the end. I'm glad you were able to give him the comfort of a safe place out of the weather to die in peace.
 

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