Ectoparasitic species from Felis catus domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) in João Pessoa city, Paraíba state, Brazil

The goal of this research was to analyze the ectoparasitic species from domestic cats in João Pessoa city, Paraíba state, Brazil. A total of 432 cats of various breeds and ages, of both genders, were included. All animals were submitted to physical and parasitological examination through skin inspection and an otoscopic exam was realized. Parasites were collected in vials containing 70% alcohol for subsequent mounting and identifi cation according to specific keys. The results showed that 62.7% (271/432) of animals were parasitized by one or more species. The ectoparasitic species observed were Ctenocephalides felis (27.3%), Lynxacarus radovskyi (26.2%), Otodectes cynotis (17.4%), Felicola subrostratus (9.7%), Notoedres cati (2.1%) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (1.6%). The results showed that ectoparasites are a common and important skin disease in cats, and variables such breed, age, and sex did not show any influence on parasitism