376 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



disposes to it, but the affection is seen also in 

 the cold months of the year. 



Treatment. The animal suffering from 

 eczema should be allowed as much exercise 

 of its functions in the open aii as possible. 

 Grass or freshly boiled green vegetables, or 

 asparagus, should be put within its reach. 

 Raw meat, uncooked fish with the bones in, or 

 birds with the feathers on, or bullock's liver 

 are suitable as ordinary food. Rice-pudding, 

 oatmeal, and milk should not be given. 



The treatment of the skin is chiefly local. 

 The itchiness must be allayed. This can be 

 obtained by applying precipitated sulphur 

 (2 drachms), zinc oxide (2 drachms), mixed in 

 olive oil (2 ounces) twice a day to the affected 

 parts. If the eruptions are spread over a 

 wide area, the hair should be cut off close to 

 the skin before applying the dressing. For 

 internal treatment a powder composed of 

 calomel (J- to J grain) and bicarbonate of 

 sodium (a to 5 grains) should be given twice 

 a day. If the disease runs a chronic course, 

 arsenic bromide or iodide ( T -J- ff grain in a 

 pilule) should be given three times a day. 



EXTERNAL ANIMAL PARASITES. 



The Cat Flea (Pulex serraticeps, var. cati). 

 The cat flea is identical with, but rather 

 smaller than, that of the dog. It differs from 

 the flea of mankind (Pulex irritans) by having 

 black, blunt spines, seven to nine in number, 

 arranged as the teeth of a comb, at the pos- 

 terior border of the prothorax and at the 

 inferior border of the head. It is a trouble- 

 some pest by irritating and disturbing rest. It 

 prefers to attack the cat when she is suckling. 



The flea plays an important part in the 

 evolution of the elliptical tapeworm (Tcema 

 elliptica) by harbouring the intermediary 

 cysticercus, the ingestion of which gives rise 

 to the development of this tapeworm in the 

 intestine. 



Treatment. The cat should have powdered 

 pyrethrum well rubbed into its skin, and then 

 combed out, care to be taken that the combings 



are burnt. The crevices or corners of the 

 cat's house should be sprinkled with oil of 

 turpentine, or Sanitas powder. 



Fortunately for the cat, it is affected with 

 only one variety of louse, the Cat Louse (Tricho- 

 dectcs subrostratus), which differs from the flea 

 in being wingless and not jumping from but 

 only quitting the cat by accident. It has 

 three-articled antennae ; the head has five sides 

 to it ; the body is oval, and in the female 

 notched behind. Its colour is yellowish-brown. 



It is not a blood-sucker, but attacks the 

 hair and eats the epidermis, preferably that of 

 the head, neck, back, and limbs, where it 

 causes intense itching. It develops rapidly 

 upon poorly fed, weak, or debilitated animals. 

 There is, besides itchiness, loss of hair, scurfi- 

 ness, and nits (eggs) in more or less large 

 numbers, which by their presence indicate that 

 the skin has not received sufficient attention. 

 The nits, or eggs, are attached to the hair. 



Treatment. The hair may be sprayed with 

 equal parts of vinegar and concentrated in- 

 fusion of quassia. Moreover, should the 

 animal lick itself after this dressing is ap- 

 plied, it will act as a tonic. Raw meat, or 

 fish, cod-liver oil, etc., should be given. 



PAINLESS DESTRUCTION OF CATS. 



A knowledge of how painlessly to destroy a 

 cat's life is very important to the owner of a 

 cat who is not in reach of a veterinary surgeon 

 the proper person to undertake this duty 

 under ordinary circumstances. 



The most humane method i? to place 

 the animal in a small air-tight box, into 

 which has been placed previously two to four 

 drachms of chloroform on a sponge or piece of 

 lint or cotton-wool, which produces at first 

 anaesthesia or painless sleep, and afterwards 

 death from failure of the respiration and heart. 

 It does not cause a suffocative feeling or sen- 

 sation like coal-gas, or spasm, as does prussic 

 acid. Care must be taken not to take the cat 

 out of the box too soon, or else life, not quite 

 extinct, may return. 



