Feline coccidiosis is a condition in cats that causes watery stool, dehydration, abdominal pains, and vomiting. Kittens and debilitated cats are prime candidates for its more severe manifestations.

Coccidia is not actually just a cat ailment, dogs can also be affected. Recent surveys suggest that about 37% of cats and dogs are infected by coccidia. They don’t, however, all show signs of having contracted it.

Protozoa, which are one celled organisms, are the cause of coccidiosis. These organisms take residence in the intestinal tract of the cat and may cause symptoms that resemble other parasites such as worms.

However, though the symptoms of worms and coccidia are similar, the conditions must be cured using different treatments. You should therefore take your cat to a veterinarian for a diagnosis before proceeding with any treatment, to ensure that you get the correct medicine.

So, how do cats become infected with coccidia? Coccidia are transferred via fecal matter. All cat stool contain immature protozoa (referred to as oocytes), which are relatively harmless until they mature in an open environment. Once they mature, they may infect the cat once again. Cats may also acquire coccidiosis from eating mice infected with the protozoan.

There are various things that, as a pet owner, you can do reduce the risk of your cat or dog getting coccidia. You should:

1. Pay attention to where your pet spends most of its time. You should make sure your catteries and kennels are tidy and well-maintained. Dispose of stool as soon as possible so that the risk of the coccidian spreading is lessened.

2. Use disinfectants. Before doing this, you may want to move your pets to a different location for the time being. The reason being that the fumes from disinfectants are potentially harmful to animals. As for what disinfectant to use, find one that contains a fair amount of ammonia. Alternatively, just mix a little bleach in with some water.

3. Not forget to tend to crevices, and hard to reach areas. You should pay close attention to them as many forms of parasites ? oocytes notwithstanding, could make their home there.

4. Consider repainting. Coccidian oocytes living on the walls of your house will instantly be killed should you repaint the areas where they are.

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