Fleas in Cat: What You Need to Do
Every owner who has ever dealt with fleas knows how annoying these tiny insects can be. Cat fleas are widespread and are usually difficult to control permanently.
They can also transmit diseases to your four-legged friend and cause allergic reactions. Furthermore, cat fleas also affect humans and other pets, such as dogs.
The cat flea at a glance
The cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is a parasitically living insect of the flea order. The wingless parasites are brown or red-brown in colour. Male cat fleas grow to about one millimeter in length. Female specimens grow considerably larger with a body length of two to three millimetres.
Like all insects, the cat flea has six legs, with the hind legs being particularly long and strong. They allow the tiny parasites to jump up to 25 centimetres. This is important for adult fleas in order to reach the body of a potential host.
Despite its name, the cat flea does not only infest cats, but also other mammals such as dogs or even humans. This flexibility makes it one of the most widespread fleas in Europe.
The life cycle of the cat flea
Female fleas lay about 30 eggs in the fur of the cat about 24 hours after fertilization, each with a diameter of about 0.5 millimeters. However, these usually fall off quite soon and spread around the four-legged friend, such as on the surface of the sleeping area.
After four or five days, the larvae of the cat flea hatch and feed on organic material in their environment or on the blood of adult fleas. As the larvae dry out very easily, they prefer to stay in smaller cracks, on carpets or outside in grass and sand.
During their development, flea larvae shed their skin twice before finally pupating into a cocoon. During this phase of their life cycle, cat fleas are particularly resistant and can hardly be killed even with insecticides.
The complete development cycle takes about one month under good living conditions. In cool weather, however, it can take several months.
Once the adult fleas have hatched, they start looking for a suitable host, such as a cat. Their lifespan is normally about one month, and in exceptional cases up to three months.
Where does the cat get fleas?
Cat fleas reproduce at enormous speed and their eggs are distributed practically everywhere a cat is infested by fleas. It is estimated that only five percent of the entire population are adult fleas. The remaining 95 percent are eggs, larvae and pupae of the annoying parasites.
Outdoor cats are particularly susceptible to flea infestation and can, for example, infect another cat who is already infected with fleas.
Especially the following places and objects are often contaminated with cat fleas:
- beds and upholstered furniture,
- Scratching trees and baskets
- Blankets and pillows
- Carpets and cracks in the floor
The often strong spread of the parasites as well as the fact that cat fleas can hibernate in heated living spaces without any problems, ensure that once fleas are present in cats, it is often difficult to combat them permanently.
How do you recognise fleas in cats?
If a cat has fleas, this is usually noticeable through various symptoms. In most cases it starts with occasional scratching, which becomes worse and worse due to the severe itching. However, there are also cats in which the flea infestation hardly causes itching at all. In these cases the cat fleas are usually noticed late.
The typical symptoms of fleas in cats also include the following complaints:
- The quadruped seems increasingly restless.
- Skin inflammations occur.
- The cat has hair loss or hair breakage.
Detecting fleas in cats
If you notice the above symptoms, you should definitely examine your cat for fleas. In theory, cat fleas are visible to the naked eye. However, it can be difficult to detect the small parasites in the cat's thick fur. It is therefore often easier to detect flea infestation using the flea faeces.
For this purpose you need a special flea comb and a white sheet of paper. Comb through the fur of your quadruped and then wipe the flea comb off the paper. Alternatively, you can also use a piece of kitchen roll or a handkerchief.
If you can see small black crumbs on the white background, this could possibly be flea droppings. Moisten the paper a little and check whether the crumbs turn red.
If they do, you can be almost certain that your cat is suffering from fleas. Because the red colouring shows that it is most likely flea faeces, which is made up of undigested blood.
Cat fleas can transmit diseases
Unfortunately, flea infestation is not only unpleasant for affected cats and associated with skin and coat problems. Cat fleas can also cause other health problems and allergic reactions.
The possible consequences of flea infestation in cats include
- Tapeworms
- Flea saliva allergy
- Anemia
Cat fleas as carriers of tapeworms
If a cat is attacked by fleas and swallows some of the parasites, it’s not uncommon for the tapeworm larvae to infect the cat. For this reason you should deworm your cat after surviving flea infestation. We recommend I Love My Cat Vermal for this purpose.
The flea saliva allergy in cats
While fleas seem to cause few problems for some cats, the exact opposite is true for other animals. Because in many cases the flea infestation of the cat leads to a so-called flea saliva allergy. In affected animals, even a small number of fleas is enough to cause massive itching and allergic skin reactions.
Anemia due to fleas in young cats
A heavy infestation with fleas can cause young cats to lose up to 10 percent of their entire blood. However, anemia as a result of flea infestation is very rare in adult animals.
Fighting fleas in cats
If your cat suffers from fleas, you will probably have to be aware that fighting the annoying parasites involves quite a lot of effort.
Because to get rid of cat fleas permanently, it is not enough to eliminate the bloodsuckers on your four-legged friend's body. Furthermore, you must take the same care of the cat fleas in your home and remove them completely.
Flea products for cats
For the flea treatment of your cat there are several possibilities available. Which flea treatment is the right choice for cats depends, among other things, on the severity of the infestation.
Apart from that, you should always treat all cats and other pets like dogs in your household against fleas. This also applies if you have not yet found flea infestation in them.
You can combat cat fleas with the following measures:
- A flea comb helps you comb adult fleas and eggs out of the cat's fur.
- A spot-on dripped into the neck kills the fleas on the cat's body.
- A special flea shampoo can also help fight cat fleas.
- Sometimes tablets against fleas are also used in cats.
Conventional flea products for cats have risks
The choice of fleas for cats is large. In addition to spot-ons and shampoos, there are now even combination products that can protect your four-legged friend against several cat parasites at once.
However, before you decide on a specific product against fleas in cats, you should be aware that conventional flea products are often associated with health risks.
The insecticides they contain inevitably represent a burden on your cat's organism that should not be underestimated. For this reason we advise you to use a natural alternative or a household remedy against cat fleas if possible.
In combination with thorough personal hygiene you can also counteract the flea infestation of your cat without unnecessarily burdening the health of your four-legged friend.
Cat fleas in the flat
The vast majority of cat fleas are not on your cat's body, but in the form of eggs, larvae or pupae in your home. As long as you don't get rid of the cat fleas in your home, your quadruped will therefore be infected again and again.
The following measures will help you to eliminate the flea infestation of your cat permanently:
- Wash all blankets and pillows that your cat comes into contact with at 60 degrees.
- If an old blanket or similar is no longer needed, we recommend disposing of it.
- Clean existing carpets thoroughly.
- Vacuum and mop floors daily.
- Clean smooth surfaces such as tables carefully with a suitable household cleaner.
- Vacuum upholstered furniture thoroughly and dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag directly in the trash.
Do not use foggers against cat fleas
So-called foggers, which fog your home with active substances against fleas, are available in the trade. Due to the insecticides they contain and the associated health risks for humans and pets, we generally advise against this measure.
Only really use Fogger if the cat fleas in your household cannot be controlled in any other way.
Cat fleas on humans
Cat fleas do indeed prefer cats as hosts. In contrast to other flea species, however, they prove to be extremely flexible. Their wide range of hosts includes dogs and humans.
The infestation of cat fleas in humans is usually recognized by several bites directly next to each other. To avoid skin inflammation, affected persons should avoid excessive scratching despite itching.
Since cat fleas can also infect people with various diseases, such as flea spot fever, you should be appropriately cautious in the event of flea infestation in your cat and take prompt measures for treatment.
Preventing cat fleas
A complete protection against cat fleas is not possible. In order to prevent fleas in your cat as reliably as possible, you need to check the coat regularly.
Marsavet Spot-on: Natural Tick and Flea Protection for Cats
We recommend using Marsavet Tick and Flea Protection to prevent cat fleas in your four-legged companion. The spot-on was developed in collaboration with veterinarians and is made exclusively from natural ingredients. Therefore, despite its high effectiveness, you can rely on the product's good compatibility.
Order Tick & Flea Protection >
Fleas in cats - our conclusion
Fleas are a widespread problem in cats, which, in addition to itching and skin problems, can sometimes have serious consequences for the health of the four-legged friends. If your cat suffers from flea infestation, it is therefore important to combat the annoying parasites effectively and quickly.
If possible, use natural flea control products for cats and take appropriate hygiene measures to ensure that the fleas are also completely eliminated from your home.
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