Nobody wants an itchy kitty, so it’s good to learn how to know if cat has fleas. Cats are known as the cleanest creatures on the earth! You will be surprised to know that it can groom their fur for hours! But fleas-infested cats can develop skin conditions that need attention. In today’s post, I will teach you how to know if cat has fleas. A flea problem can become critical if left untreated. Here, I’ve included different signs that your cat may be hosting fleas in your home. Without wasting much time, let us get to know more about how to know if cat has fleas.
How To Know If Cat Has Fleas?
Over here, we’ll learn how to know if cat has fleas in detail. Being a cat owner it’s important to worry about your cat getting fleas and figure out what to do next! Fleas can quickly become an itchy and irritating problem for your cat.
You can consider the following classic signs to learn how to know if cat has fleas.
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Grooming Excessively
The very first sign you’ll notice in your pet is that their grooming becomes extreme. Your cat will groom a lot around the back of the hind legs, neck, and base of the tail. Excessive grooming often leads to an increase in hair loss and bald spots on their body parts.
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Intense Scratching
Cats infested by fleas can make a cat’s skin feel very itchy. When you see your cat suddenly start scratching its body with their paws, your cat has fleas! All cats scratch, bite and lick themselves as part of their grooming session. Therefore, it is not compulsory that it’s always a sign of a flea problem.
You can keep on reading to learn more about how to tell if a stray cat has fleas.
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Weight Loss
In extreme cases, your cat can start losing weight from a heavy flea infestation. This problem is more common in young kittens but if the infestation is severe cats of any age can be affected. When a huge number of fleas consume your cat’s blood, your cat will show muscle loss. Many times flea infestation can have a severe impact on their health and can be fatal.
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Skin Problems
Few cats are very sensitive to flea saliva which may cause an allergic reaction. When a flea bites cats, their skin becomes red and inflamed. They may develop red skin lesions or scab-like bumps all over the body. This skin problem is called flea allergy dermatitis. If you notice these skin problems it is essential to seek help from a veterinarian to reduce the inflammation.
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Hair Loss
Losing hair is a clear sign of a serious flea infestation in cats. When fleas are on cats they groom too much trying to eliminate the itchy sensation. They may groom their body to a certain extent that you’ll start noticing bald patches. Your cat may lick and chew repeatedly on the back of the hind legs, neck, and around the tail.
Keep on reading to learn how to know if cat has fleas if it seems to be off.
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Sudden Change In Behaviour
Fleas can drive anyone crazy including the animals they are attacking! A flea bite can cause your cat to show some serious behavioral changes. You’ll notice that your cat suddenly starts behaving like a wild cat as the fleas drive them crazy. Sometimes, your cat may growl a lot, shake their head, and rub their head and body aggressively on the floor. If you see any of these behavioral changes in your cat, it could be suffering from fleas!
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Pale Gums
A severe flea infestation can cause pale gums which is a clear sign of anemia in cats. Because of this infestation the number of red blood cells lost is greater than the number of red blood cells being produced. Usually, kittens suffer from flea anemia due to their small size and growing body. Adult cats can cope well with losing some blood to fleas but kittens cannot.
Let us now check out how to know if a black cat has fleas.
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Black Specks In Cat’s Coat/Bedding
You can learn how to know if cat has fleas by just looking at their bedding or fur! Check if there are any tiny pepper-like specks in your cat’s fur as these specks can be flea dirt. When a flea bites your cat, feces will appear on your cat’s fur or bedding. Take these tiny specks on a white paper towel, mist it with water, and check it turns red.
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Rice Grains On Cat’s Bedding
Sometimes, you may see rice grains around your cat’s anus, in feces, or on their bed. This clearly indicates that your cat has tapeworms. Basically, rice grains are the egg packets that tapeworms release which require fleas as part of their life cycle. Cats develop tapeworms by accidentally eating infected prey animals.
You can keep on reading to get more details about how to know if cat has fleas.
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Red Spots In Cat’s Bedding
Another common sign of fleas on cats is red spots in their bedding. Check if you find pieces of flea dirt that fell off your cat’s fur and onto the bedding. Flea dirt becomes red when comes it in contact with moisture or the cat’s warm body. Thus, your cats are having fleas if you see any red spots in your cat’s bedding fabric.
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Avoid Certain Parts Of Home
Your pet cat may suddenly avoid rooms where she used to enjoy playing/seating. Generally, fleas stay in a warm environment and hide under carpets and furniture. Keep an eye on your cat to check if it avoids carpeted areas of your home. This change may develop because they are uncomfortable.
I hope now your doubt regarding how to know if cat has fleas is cleared. Do not get panic if you don’t know what to do if cat has fleas. You can keep on reading to learn the best cat flea treatments for your cat.
Treating Flea Infestation
After understanding how to know if cat has fleas, it’s important to treat this infestation. Fleas not only live on your pets but also live in your house and in your yard. You can consider the following cat flea treatments to target the fleas on your cat’s skin.
- Flea powders: Flea powders are the old-fashioned way to treat cat fleas. Sprinkle enough flea powder on your cat’s fur and allow it to remain on it to be effective.
- Flea Sprays: You can even use cat flea sprays for treating young kittens as well as adult cats.
- Medications: Your vet may treat your pet cat through tablets and liquids. Flea medications are absorbed by the cat and will kill fleas when they bite them.
What Do Cat Fleas Look Like To The Human Eye?
To the human eye, cat fleas look like small, dark, oval-shaped insects with hard shells. You’ll see them making their way through your pet’s fur when you comb. You’ll also find these blood-eating insects attached to your pet’s skin.
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FAQ
How Do I Check My Cat For Fleas?
How can you tell if a cat has fleas? The first place to check is the skin around the base of the tail or under the armpits and in the groin region. Look for tiny moving black dots and use a flea comb to help you pull out the fleas to confirm.
What Kills Fleas On Cats Instantly?
The pill nitenpyram (Capstar) kills adult fleas on your cat within 30 minutes. It doesn’t have any lasting effects, though. Spinosad (Comfortis) is a fast-acting chewable that starts killing fleas before they lay eggs.
Does My Cat Have Fleas If I Can’t See Them?
But even if you can’t spot any fleas, there’s still a few tell-tale signs to look out for. The most obvious one is scratching. All cats scratch now and then, but if your cat is scratching more than usual, they may have fleas. Fleas don’t just bite cats, so be wary of any unaccountable insect bites on your skin.
Can Humans Get Fleas From Cats?
Can People Get Fleas from Cats? If cat fleas are removed from their animal host, or if that host proves an insufficient food source, cat fleas often will bite humans on the lower legs, leaving round, red spots. Today, most cat flea bites result in minor itchiness and discomfort on humans.
Do Fleas From Cats Go On Humans?
If cat fleas are removed from their animal host, or if that host proves an insufficient food source, cat fleas often will bite humans on the lower legs, leaving round, red spots. Today, most cat flea bites result in minor itchiness and discomfort on humans.
Conclusion
In the above post, I’ve discussed how to know if cat has fleas or ticks in detail. Your pet cat will scratch and groom excessively if there are fleas in their fur. The easiest way to determine if your cat is suffering from fleas is by checking your cat’s fur. Simply give your cat’s fur a gentle run-through using a flea comb and see if you catch any fleas. Fleas usually rest on the cat’s lower back, hind legs, and stomach. So, make sure you examine these areas carefully. Once you understand how to know if cat has fleas, you can manage flea infestation on your cat!