Cat fleas or Ctenocephalides felis are the most common species of fleas. Cat fleas can also be found on dogs, ferrets, rabbits, and other fur-bearing critters. Cat fleas are a parasite that lives and breeds in the fur of an animal. Although one fleas only makes one small bite that one bite will cause the animal to bleed and the flea will drink the blood. What can fleas do to your animal?
The Cat flea’s saliva contains apyrase an anticoagulant that keeps the blood free flowing. The anticoagulant apyrase is very irritating to the skin of a cat. That is why fleas itch. Allergic reactions to apyrase can be severe. Fleas multiply like crazy, in fact one single flea will lay up 600 eggs. It is pretty obvious why you should control fleas. One you have an infestation you will have a big problem that is why you must prevent the problem before hand!
Prevention of fleas:
Treatment of fleas:
Does my cat have fleas? When grooming, cats may eat fleas that they discover, making it difficult to find adult fleas in the coat. An itchy cat, or insect bites on human ankles, may be the only sign of infestation. The best way to demonstrate the presence of fleas is to comb the cat meticulously with a fine-toothed flea comb over a clean white surface such as a piece of paper. Fleas and ‘flea dirt’ (flea excrement consisting of undigested cat blood) will be deposited onto the surface. If placed on damp cotton wool, flea dirt will slowly dissolve leaving blood.
The adult flea lives permanently on its animal host – your dog or cat. They can survive off their host for up to six months, and can have a lifespan of about two years. Within two days of finding a host, the mature female starts to lay eggs at a rate of about 50 a day. The eggs fall off the animal’s coat together with ‘flea dirt’. This flea dirt provides food for the hatching flea larvae. Eggs and larvae may be found anywhere the dog or cat has been, but are particularly concentrated in bedding or in areas where your pet has been active. The larvae dislike light and move deep into the carpet or soft furnishings. There the larvae develop into pupae, each encased in a sticky cocoon.
An adult flea develops within the cocoon and awaits a sign that there is an animal or person close by. It does this by detecting pressure, noise, heat, carbon dioxide or vibrations.
The new flea can emerge and attach to the host within seconds. Fleas can lie waiting in the cocoon for up to two years. However, in the right conditions, the whole development cycle can be completed in 15 days. Unfortunately, centrally heated homes with fitted carpets provide ideal conditions for all-year-round development of fleas. For effective control, adult fleas on the cat must be killed and re-infestation from the environment prevented (see box 1).