This section is to give you some insight on the different kinds of parasites that infect your cat, since at some point, most cat owners will have to deal with parasites.

By definition, parasites are organisms that survive by feeding off another creature, gathering nutrition by ingesting blood, lymph, cells or tissue from their host. Left untreated, parasites can cause substantial damage to the cat's health.

There are two types of parasites - external (ectoparasites), which live in or on the skin or in the ear canal, and internal (endoparasites), which inhabit the internal organs - usually the intestines.

The most common external parasites found on cats are fleas, ticks, lice, mange mites, and ear mites. Some of these parasites are so minute, they are not detectable to the human eye, but must be placed under a microscope to be seen. Most are highly contagious, which means that if one resident cat becomes infected, other pets in the household are likely to be infected as well. External parasites cause severe itching, skin infections, and loss of hair. Left untreated, they can cause such diseases as Lyme Disease and tapeworm.

The most common internal parasites (endoparasites) live in the cat's intestines, and include roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, coccidia, and toxoplasmosis. Left untreated, they can cause serious problems such as chronic diarrhea, mucus-covered stools (which may or may contain blood), anemia, poor coat condition and coughing. In the case of a young kitten, pale gums, a pot-bellied appearance and a lack of energy may be noticed Some internal parasites attack other organs, such as the lungs and heart.