Fleas are tiny insects that commonly infest cats. They feed off animal blood. Cats are the primary host for fleas but the pests also infect domestic dogs and other animals. The fleas can bite people and carry disease and parasites. Fleas cannot fly but they can jump many times their body length. They live year-round if protected from freezing temperatures and can live an entire life cycle in a cat home.
Facts
More than 2,000 species of fleas exist but the most common is the cat-infesting flea. Fleas can bit a cat hundreds of time a day while feeding. Fleas have a hard shell and are difficult to kill. Fleas are most active in the mild seasons of spring and fall but are dormant in summer and winter due to the temperature extremes. An adult cat flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day that hatch in cat hair or bedding.
Allergy
Many cats are allergic to fleas. The saliva and flea feces cause great irritation to the cat. Flea dermatitis is the result of hypersensitivity to the fleas. The cat develops inflamed , hot spots and thinning hair. It may bite at the base of its tail or scratch vigorously. Even when the fleas are not visible, the cat still may have a severe reaction.
Parasites
Fleas carry the larva of parasites in their body. When they feed on the cat, they infect the cat with the parasite larva through the bite. The larva enters the blood stream into the cat. This is how many cats are infected with tapeworm. The cat may also lick itself and eat fleas carrying the tapeworm.
Disease
Fleas spread infectious anemia, ehrlichiosis and other feline diseases. These diseases can make a cat very sick. Flea and tick bites spread Lyme disease. Lyme disease in cats is characterized by symptoms such as rash, pain and swollen joints. Similar bacterial infections cause cats to be lethargic, anemic and on rare occasions can cause death.
Control
Aggressive flea control is necessary to protect cats from fleas. Vacuuming picks up most adult fleas. Empty the vacuum promptly so the fleas do not live and lay eggs in the vacuum. Pet bedding should be laundered regularly. Commercial desiccants or diatomaceous earth can be sprinkled on the carpet, left for up to a week, and then thoroughly vacuumed. The desiccants kill fleas as the pests need moisture to survive. A veterinarian will recommend other methods of feline flea control.
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