Pelushka Persians

                                             The Flea – Tiny but Dangerous!

                                         The Cat Flea – Ctenocephalides Felis

Anyone whose cat has ever had fleas knows the misery these tiny parasites can cause.  Flea saliva is one of the most irritating substances on earth.  A fact confirmed when you see your beloved pet scratching frantically.

As if the itching wasn’t enough, fleas also transmit other conditions which can have a serious effect on your cat’s health. Many cats are allergic to fleas, and even a single bite can trigger an acute response of a dermatitis know as FAD (flea allergy dermatitis). It is the protein in the flea saliva that the cat is actually allergic to. Fleas are also a source of tapeworm infection.

Kittens and sick cats are particularly vulnerable to fleas. Left untreated, infestation of fleas has been known to cause severe anemia in kittens and even death.

If your cat is unfortunate enough to have fleas already, you will be pleased to learn that they will only live on your cat for a few days.  However, during this time each adult female flea will lay hundreds of eggs which will fall off and into carpeting, cushions, and wherever your cat rests, sleeps or spends most of its time. The adult fleas you see on your pet therefore, are only 5%, the remaining 95% are living as immature stages in your home.

Contrary to popular belief, those tiny black specks on your cat are not flea eggs but flea feces (dried blood).  Flea eggs themselves are not visible to the human eye, at least not without a microscope!

Know Thine Enemy

Fleas are tiny parasitic insects that feed on blood. 

The flea’s life cycle consists of four stages from eggs, larva, pupa, adult.  An adult female flea lays several hundred eggs in her lifetime.  The eggs usually drop off the host and then hatch into larvae. Larvae are blind, avoid light, and take a week to several months to fully develop.  They pass through three larval stages.  Their food source consists of dried blood from adult flea feces, dead skin, hair and other organic debris.  Pupae mature to adulthood within a cocoon woven by the larvae to which dust, pet hair etc., adhere.  The cocoon is resistant to insecticides, which is why some adult fleas are seen for an extended period even after your home and pet have been treated.  The adult flea can lay dormant in its cocoon for many weeks waiting for a potential host to pass by.  The trigger that awakens them can be heat, movement, noise, or carbon dioxide. They emerge from their tiny silk shells and jump onto your cat, (or you), for their first blood sucking meal!!