Adult fleas are small reddish-brown, wingless insects approximately 2-3mm long. Their bodies are flat with long strong legs giving them a massive jump.

Fleas can be found on most animals and there are several different species, but the most common is the “cat flea”.

The life cycle of the flea has 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Eggs fall off the host into the environment, which form larvae that live in dark areas feeding on organic debris. Larvae form pupae; these cocoons cover themselves in debris from the environment eventually creating the adults.

The adult is stimulated to hatch by movement, warmth or carbon dioxide from nearby mammals. The flea then settles on the host i.e. your cat and feeds several times a day, laying eggs to complete the life cycle. The cycle takes 3-4 weeks usually but can take up to 174 days.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR CAT HAS FLEAS?

• Presence of fleas in the coat or flea dirt (flea droppings which are a dark brown/black colour).
• Scratching or over grooming – you don’t often seen your cat over grooming as they like to do it in secret. Instead you may only notice thinning of the coat or even bald patches.
• Scabs on the skin which we call “miliary dermatitis” as the scabs look like miliary seeds.
• Sometimes we cannot find any flea dirt or live fleas in cats that are over grooming as they groom so frequently removing the flea dirt and most fleas. In these cases we can usually diagnose fleas by the coat and skin changes caused by over grooming.

PROBLEMS ASSCIATED WITH FLEAS

• Some cats become hypersensitive to flea bites; this causes the over grooming leading to hair loss and miliary dermatitis. We call this type of hypersensitivity “flea allergic dermatitis”.
• Tapeworms spread via fleas; flea larvae consume the tapeworm egg and continue to develop into the adult flea with the tapeworm inside. When your cat grooms they consume the fleas and the tapeworm can then complete its life cycle becoming an adult worm and infecting your cat.  These tapeworms can look like little wriggly grains of rice around their anus.
• “Mycoplasma haemofelis” is a type of bacteria that causes anaemia and weakness in cats. Cats can pick the bacteria from carriers such as infected fleas. It can also spread from mother to kittens. This can be treated with antibiotics but can make the cat very ill before treatment. 

TOP TIPS FOR FLEAS IN CATS

Regular treatment of your cat(s) and the environment they live in is essential in the control of fleas. It is important to treat all animals in the environment including dogs and rabbits.

Fleas not only bite and cause scratching in your cat (and even yourself), but can transmit diseases and are related to the common skin problems we see in cats.

• Use products for your environment that kill all flea life stages.
• Use flea products on your pets to control the adult fleas.
• Wash bedding frequently at a minimum 60 degrees Celsius to kill eggs and larvae
• Vacuuming on a regular basis helps as the vibrations cause hatching of the flea and they are then vacuumed up.
• Fleas can infect your cat with tapeworm so regular worming is recommended.

If you would like to discuss any of the above with a vet or a nurse, please the practice 01363 772860 or email.