All cats are irritated by fleas, but some cats are so hypersensitive to flea saliva that they can suffer an allergic reaction. If left untreated, this can pose some serious health risks. And fleas, don't forget, are bloodsuckers. If your cat is young or frail, losing too much blood to fleas can be fatal.
Your cat suddenly may behave like a wildcat because the fleas are driving them crazy. Such behavior might include growling a lot, shaking their head, aggressively rubbing their head and body on the floor, or darting from one end of the room to the other. If this happens, fleas could be the cause.
One female flea that has a host can infest your cat in as little as one week.
If your cat has – or has recently had – fleas, there's a chance the infestation has spread into your home. Preventing cat fleas is easy, but if you're new to the world of cat ownership, or you've adopted a new pet which you suspect has fleas, it's essential that you take appropriate measures.
Fleas cause cats to feel itchy and irritated, which is why scratching is one of the most well-known ways to tell if your cat has fleas. But, remember that all cats scratch, bite or lick themselves as part of the grooming process, so it isn't always a sign of a flea problem.
Fleas often gather at the neck and shoulder blades of your pets. The base of the tail and along the back of the legs is a favorite hangout for them, too. Those are also places animals will bite to get to the fleas.
Agitation. Flea bites are uncomfortable and might make your cat act restless and erratic. If your cat starts running around the room for seemingly no reason, growling, meowing excessively, or seems stressed all the time, it might be because of fleas.
When it has a host, an adult flea can live about 100 days. But how long can they live without a host? Those fleas typically live only one to two weeks. The entire lifespan of a flea, from egg to adulthood, can last a few weeks or even a few months.
Fleas generally cannot live in human hair. While most species prefer to live on the furs of animals, they can use humans as temporary vectors. In such cases, fleas can infest and bite humans. You may get infected if there is a serious case of flea infestation in your environment.
Fleas can live in beds for about one to two weeks, and they like to burrow under sheets. Fleas need blood to survive, though, so they won't stay in one place for too long if there is no food source.
Comb your cat with a fine-toothed metal flea comb from head to tail several times a day. This will skim off adult fleas and their eggs and ease their itching. Then, dip the comb in a mixture of warm to hot water and liquid dish detergent to kill the fleas.
Flea bites cause horrible itching, and a hypersensitive cat's incessant scratching may open wounds in the skin that are vulnerable to serious infection.
Catching fleas early will make their eradication easier. Daily inspection for fleas is ideal, but even checking once a week can catch an infestation before it becomes severe. Unfortunately, fleas can be difficult to find on cats. Most cats with fleas have minimal scratching and they can remove many fleas by grooming.
A cat's sense of smell is fourteen times stronger than a human's sense of smell with 70,000 smell receptors compared to a human's 20,000. This astonishing sense of smell allows these beloved pets to sniff out any fuzzy invaders that might be making themselves comfortable in your home.
Your cat never goes outside, so surely it's not at any risk of catching fleas? Sadly that's not the case; although indoor cats are at lower risk of getting fleas (as well as other nasties like ticks and worms), they can still get them.
For example, the ingredient in FRONTLINE® products kills fleas by making them hyper excited. This makes them move around up to the top of the pet's hair where they're easier to spot. So, seeing fleas more after treatment is a sign the product is working, strange as that might sound.
You might be asking yourself will fleas eventually go away? While some could last 2 – 3 weeks, they could also live for up to 12 months on the host it finds, so it is unlikely they will go away on their own. Fleas can also reproduce very quickly by laying eggs in carpet, bedding, or garden prolonging the infestation.
Only one flea is not enough to infest your house, because it needs both female and male fleas so they can reproduce and lay eggs. So, if you have seen no fleas for a long time since then, you shouldn't be worried that much.
If you do see fleas and they are moving slow enough to catch – success – they are busy dying!
In just 30 days, 10 female fleas can multiply to over a quarter million new fleas in different life stages. Female fleas start producing eggs within 24 to 48 hours after taking their first blood meal and can lay up to 50 eggs per day.
Cat fleas are your pet's worst enemy
There is no question if cat fleas may be one of our pets' worst enemies at home. There are approximately 2,000 flea species that can be found around the world, in which each species has its own preference for the animal host they prefer to feed.
You can check your cat's fur for fleas by checking the skin after parting the hair. Fleas tend to gravitate towards lower back, hind legs, and stomach so be sure to check these areas carefully. If you notice any of these signs on your cat, you should consult your veterinarian to rule out fleas.
Check shady, moist areas outside for fleas with the sock test. They tend to hang out in areas the sun doesn't shine, as well as under porches, shrubs, and around trees. Once you find out where the fleas are hiding, you can start to treat your house and your yard to rid yourself of the pests.