Where Do Fleas Hide on Cats?
WouterFleas are blood-sucking insects that thrive in animals that have feathers or fur. When they attach to a pet, fleas will live and feed on the animal’s body. This cycle will continue until the animal grooms itself, which will kill the fleas. Then, they die.
Fleas are extremely difficult to spot because they are small. Adult fleas are about the size of a pinhead and range from one eighth of an inch long. They have flat bodies with short antennae and a slender, tubular sucking snout. Fleas are often difficult to spot because they are very small, and their bodies resemble grains of salt. The adult flea will feed for eight hours a day, and one can live for up to three to four months on a host.
Adult fleas live in warm, moist areas of skin. They feed on a cat’s skin in order to reproduce, so they usually live on the cat’s belly, back of neck, or under the tail. Despite their small size, fleas are able to jump more than 50 times their body length. To check for fleas, you can use a flea comb to separate your cat’s fur and examine the cat’s skin. Look for small, dark dots on the skin. If you can see these, it’s likely that there is a flea hiding in there. Fleas can be very uncomfortable and even painful for your cat.
When fleas bite, itchy skin can be the first sign of infestation. Fleas are able to cause severe itching and may even cause inflammation. Symptoms of fleas include excessive scratching, excessive hair loss, and loss of hair.
