Do My Cats Have Fleas

Flea bites can cause a cat’s skin to feel very itchy. One of the signs of fleas on cats is if your cat suddenly starts scratching their body with their paws or chewing their skin in an attempt to stop the itchy sensation.

To give them some temporary relief, use cat flea and tick shampoo, like Veterinary Formula Clinical Care’s flea and tick shampoo. See best-selling flea and tick treatments for cats here.

Cats are fastidious groomers, but when fleas on cats start biting, their grooming becomes extreme, especially around the back of the hind legs, neck, and base of the tail. Your cat may lick and chew repeatedly, trying to eliminate the itchy sensation. Without intervention, they may groom themselves to the point that you start to see bald patches, especially on the back of the hind legs, neck and around the base of the tail.

Fleas flourish in a warm environment and hide in carpet and furniture. (Note that while hard surface flooring is not an ideal environment for fleas, they can still be found in the cracks and crevices of wood and tile flooring.) If your cat starts avoiding carpeted areas of your home, consider that a red flag. They’re steering clear of the fleas!

The first rule in controlling fleas (aside from treating your pet, of course) is to keep a clean house, so thoroughly vacuum your floors and furniture including under the cushions on a regular basis. You can also try a natural remedy like diatomaceous earth for your carpets and throw rugs.

Wash your cat’s bedding regularly in the washing machine. You can also spritz your cat’s bedding and furnishings with a flea spray for the home.

Get more tips getting rid of fleas in your home here.

Flea irritation can cause your cat to show some serious behavioral changes. Your cat suddenly may behave like a wildcat because the fleas literally are driving them crazy. Such behavior might include growling a lot, shaking their head, aggressively rubbing their head and body on the floor or darting from one end of the room to the other. If this happens, it could be fleas!

Some cats are so sensitive to flea saliva that when a flea bites them, their skin becomes red and inflamed—and these lesions, which can appear all over the body, are extremely itchy. If the cat chews on them, they can start to ooze. This condition is called flea allergy dermatitis. In these cases, cats are usually treated for skin infections, skin allergies, and fleas.

If your cat shows muscle loss, pale gums and lethargy, this could indicate anemia (low red blood cell count), which can result when a huge number of fleas consume a cat’s blood or if the cat is infected by Mycoplasma haemofelis, a blood-borne parasite that is carried by fleas. Flea anemia is most often seen in kittens, seniors or sick cats.

Another sign of fleas on cats is “flea dirt.” These dark brown specks are actually flea feces. They’re most often seen on the neck and rump areas, but you also may see some of these specks on your cat’s comb or brush.

If you put some of these granules on a paper towel and mist them with water, they will turn red. That’s because the feces are composed of digested blood.

Do My Cats Have Fleas

Do My Cats Have Fleas?

Cats can get fleas from other animals, or even from the environment. The only way to know for sure if your cat has fleas is to look for them. You can watch your cat closely, but this might not be enough. When you’re looking for fleas in your cat’s fur, there are a few different things you should look for:

1) If a flea is present on your cat’s body, it will move slowly and jump around erratically. You may see them jumping off of your cat or moving slowly through its fur.

2) If you notice your cat scratching itself more than usual, especially at night when they’re trying to sleep, this could indicate that there are fleas on its body.

3) If you notice small red bumps on your cat’s skin near its neck or back legs, this could also be an indication of flea infestation.

Lists Of Do My Cats Have Fleas