Cat Fleas

Cat fleas are often unable to determine whether a host is suitable until they’ve bitten it. If it’s deemed unsuitable, the flea soon drops off.

Appearance

• Cat fleas are 3mm long wingless ticks, flattened from side-to-side with long legs enabling them to jump.
• They have both genal and pronotal combs (ctenidia), differentiating them from most other domestic flea species.

Life Cycle

• Fleas pass through four stages: eggs, larva, pupa, adult. The eggs are small and white. These stages (in total) take from two weeks to eight months.
• The adult flea is awakened by the vibrations from pet or human movement, pressure, heat, noise or carbon dioxide.
• A cat flea cannot complete its life cycle feeding on only human blood.

Habits

• Cat fleas nest where the host resides in its usual resting place; for example, the cat basket. This is where the young often drop to mature.