Peripheral lymphadenopathy is present. Diagnosis is confirmed by skin scraping and the mites are more easily found than Sarcoptes . Other cats in the same household need to be treated. The mite does not survive for a long time off the host so most of the time just a thorough cleaning of the house may be sufficient. Notoedres can cause a papular and pruritic dermatitis in people but the mites are not able to survive for long on human skin and the dermatitis should regress within 3 weeks after the animals are treated.
Clinical signs are variable but pruritus and scaling are considered classical.
This disease is zoonotic. Cheyletiella mites are large and have 4 pair of legs bearing combs instead of claws. These mites are not burrowing mites and are not associated with hair follicles. They are obligate parasites and they spend all their life cycle on the host. They feed on host lymph by piercing the skin.