In appearance, these are small dark insects that can be seen on the fur for literally seconds, since after that they hide in it. A cat flea is more visible on a person, since it cannot hide in the hair, and it is easier for it to feed on open areas of the body: legs, buttocks, back and stomach. A person may notice it as a tiny shiny insect, but it will be very difficult to catch it, since fleas are good at jumping, so they do not disguise their bites by numbing them. The length of their jump is up to thirty centimeters.
Cat fleas have a body from 0.8 to four millimeters, but the average is from two to three millimeters. Color presented dark brown and has a clearly visible characteristic shine. The body is compressed at the sides and elongated in height; they have no wings.
This body allows the flea to:
Advice! If a flea has been caught, a fingernail should be used to crush it.
Fleas are easily transmitted from one owner to another due to the ability to jump well, so you should treat the animal and also take care of the premises: be it a house or apartment rooms as a whole, in order to get rid of them completely. Moreover, the market is now full and offers many effective means.
Shooting eggs from the abdomen, the female distributes them over a sufficient distance in the room. Flea larvae get into different conditions, which allows at least some of them to live.
After just a few days, the eggs turn into larvae, which look like transparent worms white. They eat organic remains: pieces of pet skin, excrement of adults that contain blood. The development of larvae occurs over several days and sometimes weeks, it all depends on temperature regime indoors: be it a house or apartment rooms and the amount of feed. The next stage of development is pupation. Over a period of one to three weeks, the pupa will grow into an adult.
The full cycle from birth to adulthood is approximately ten days. Rapid development is possible only under favorable conditions for cat fleas and good nutrition. In some cases, the cycle can be up to two years. For example, if it is exposed to frost, development stops, but eggs and larvae can live.
Cat fleas pose a danger to humans, which includes:
Getting rid of cat fleas is half the task. It’s not enough to just treat your pet and the premises: a house or apartment. One more important point is to prevent them reappearance, and this is much more difficult.
A common problem with cats is fleas. Small insects can bring great harm for a pet: they cause discomfort to the cat and are carriers of various diseases. How to rid a cat of them?
Currently, there are many means to combat these insects: shampoos, drops, sprays, insecticidal collars.
Shampoos are one of the common solutions. They can be used for both adult cats and small kittens.
Contains special insecticides, which eliminate not only fleas and deposited insect larvae. The advantage of shampoos is that they contain beneficial extracts medicinal plants which have anti-inflammatory properties.
Most shampoos are hypoallergenic.
You should not use shampoos frequently because toxic substances can accumulate in your pet's body.
Famous brands are “”, “Lugovoy”, “”, “Fitoelita”.
Drops – effective remedy. They are based on substances such as ivermectin, fipronil, permethrin and others.
The drug is applied to the cat’s withers to prevent the pet from licking it off. The mechanism is that the product accumulates in the animal’s skin and protects against harmful insects.
The drops must be used strictly according to the instructions!
Follow the rules:
Choose drops carefully: not all are suitable for pregnant cats, small kittens, and can also cause allergic reaction.
You cannot use a collar and other insect repellents at the same time: an overdose may occur in the body!
Sprays - the product is sprayed onto the animal fresh air or in a well-ventilated area, at a distance of 30 cm from the cat. After twenty minutes, wash off. It is necessary to treat the place where the pet rests, plays and hangs out.
Sprays act quickly and protect even against ticks.
Injections – used for severely affected pets. The drugs Ivermectin, Lufenuron and others are used. This method protects the cat for up to six months.
Injections should only be given at a veterinary clinic.
Tablets - mainly used when external means cannot be used, for example, for dermatitis. The tablets contain the same insecticides that kill fleas.
This method should be used in consultation with a doctor, as the tablets can cause an allergic reaction.
Treatment for kittens differs from treatment for adult cats:
All medications must be used strictly according to the instructions!
Except medicines there are effective traditional methods fight against blood-sucking insects:
Unfortunately, after ridding the cat of fleas, it is necessary to disinfect the apartment in order to destroy them on the carpet, furniture and places where the cat hangs out.
To clean the carpet, you can use a vacuum cleaner, anti-flea powder or spray.
Furniture must be vacuumed and treated with special aerosols. Crevices and front door also a patron of protective and repellent means.
Carefully beat soft toys, blankets, pillows and dry them in the sun. For the prevention of an apartment or house, use wormwood. Place some grass leaves around the house.
You can use the services of disinfectants.
Fleas pose a danger to adults and children. They can easily be transmitted from a pet to its owner. Insects leave bite marks on the body, cause itching and an allergic reaction, and are also carriers of various diseases:
Insects are also dangerous for people with sensitive skin: they cause an allergic reaction and severe itching.
Fleas cause harm to children: in addition to allergies and itching, they can cause difficulty breathing, runny nose and fever. Therefore, it is so important to treat your pet and home from them in a timely manner.
Blood-sucking insects - fleas, despite their small size, cause enormous harm to pets and people. Be sure to carry out preventive maintenance for cats and closely monitor their health!
There is no single method or insecticide that will completely eradicate (or at least control) these insects. The life cycle of a flea is quite complex. Only understanding the various stages of development will help get rid of them.
Let's look at what fleas are from a biological point of view.
Fleas thrive in warm, moist environments and temperate climates. The main food is the blood of the host animal. Fleas are used as a host for mammals in 95% of cases. They can also infect birds (in 5% of cases).
Fleas live through four main stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The life cycle length varies from several weeks to several months, depending on environmental conditions.
The best approach to flea control is start with the least toxic (home remedies) and most natural methods, resorting to stronger measures only if the effect is not achieved.
Along with this, it is important to maintain cleanliness and sanitation in the house. Understanding the flea life cycle explains why cleanliness is so important. Adult fleas live approximately 3-4 months. During this time, they continually lay white eggs on your pet that look like dander or salt crystals. Flea eggs mature into larvae that live in cracks and crevices of carpets, linoleum or floorboards, upholstery, blankets, sand, soil, etc.
Because these tiny larvae cannot jump on long distance(only 1-2 cm), they feed on black spots of dried blood (“flea dirt”), which fall to the floor along with the eggs while the animal itches and licks its fur.
After 1-2 weeks, the larvae go through the cocoon stage (pupa). After another 1 week, they hatch like small fleas and jump on the nearest host. This cycle takes from 2 to 20 weeks, depending on the temperature in the house or the environment.
Summer is flea season. This is when the cycle lasts only 2 weeks. This is why fleas reproduce so quickly in summer period. In temperate latitudes, flea activity peaks at the beginning of August.
On the one hand, it doesn’t matter how many adult fleas you managed to remove, because a much larger number of them are on initial stages development where they are difficult to obtain. On the other hand, eggs, larvae and pupae are easily sucked up by a vacuum cleaner and removed when washed/washed with water.
An important ally in the fight against fleas is cleanliness, both for your pet and your home, especially in your pet's sleeping areas. Regular cleaning of the house interrupts life cycles fleas and significantly reduces the number of adult fleas.
Despite the fact that the method is expensive, steam treatment is effective in combating flea eggs. You will need a steam generator, a steam cleaner, or at least an inexpensive steamer.
Vacuum floors and furniture thoroughly at least 1-2 times a week to eliminate flea eggs, larvae and pupae. Focus on the places where your pet sleeps, paying attention Special attention to places under furniture. In case of severe infestation, you can place the whole flea collar or part of it (for example, 1/4, cut) into a vacuum cleaner bag.
This will kill any fleas you've caught in the carpet and prevent them from getting out. It is best to dispose of the bag or its contents immediately, as it creates a warm, moist, and food-filled environment for eggs and larvae to reproduce.
Items should be washed or dried when maximum temperature, 1 time per week. High temperatures kill fleas at all life stages, including eggs. It is important to remember that flea eggs are very slippery and easily fall off bedding or blankets. Carefully roll up the bed linen and throw it in washing machine, trying not to scatter flea eggs around the house.
Wash your pet with a natural flea shampoo.
If you find fleas, clean the teeth of the comb, or dip it in a container of hot, soapy water until the fleas are submerged. Cover your knees with an old towel. Periodically wipe the comb on it during the procedure, removing excess hair and flea dirt. When finished, flush the soapy water and any trapped insects down the toilet.
If you live in a private house, this is necessary. Short grass allows sunlight penetrate and heat the soil, which kills the larvae. And by watering the grass, you drown the “young growth”.
It would be more correct to say: “don’t disturb the ants.” They love to eat flea eggs and larvae. This is another reason not to use pesticides that kill all insects in the garden.
If your pet likes to sleep or hang out in a specific area in the yard or room, you can cover that area with a hard black plastic object on a hot sunny day. You can use PVC greenhouse film to warm the soil, or a large plastic container.
The heat that accumulates under the plastic bakes the contents, and it will also do an excellent job of fleas and larvae, drying out their remains. Of course, this method It is not practical to use where you want to keep grass or plants alive.
Applying agricultural lime to grassy or damp areas is a well-studied method. This also dries out the fleas. Roll out any dead leaves and grass debris before applying the lime.
You can find powders in pet stores and grocery stores. natural products, or you can cook it yourself if you have herbs in the house. The herbal blend typically includes the following ingredients: eucalyptus, rosemary, fennel, yellow dock, mugwort, and rue. Apply the powder gently to your cat's fur by running back with your hand or a comb and sprinkling it into the base of the fur, especially on the neck, back and belly. For severe infestations, repeat several times a week. Some herbal powders flea products also contain natural pyrethrins, which are used to control insects.
Use a grass collar. They are impregnated with insect-repellent herbal oils. Some of them "recharge" essential oils and are applied again.
Add a sufficient amount of natural or brewer's yeast and garlic to the animal's food. Scientific research prove the effect of using yeast in the fight against fleas. From time to time they try to challenge this effect, but it’s still worth a try. Yeast can also be rubbed directly into the animal's fur.
Treat the rugs with mineral salt. This will kill the fleas. The salts are effective for 1 year and safely kill fleas at all stages of development within 3-5 weeks.
Once or twice a year, apply diatomaceous earth along walls, under furniture, and in cracks and crevices that cannot be reached with a vacuum cleaner. Diatomite resembles chalk rock and is the fossilized remains of single-celled algae. Although direct skin contact is harmless to pets and people, this powder is harmful to many insects and their larvae, including fleas. Small particles in the ground they kill insects by attacking the waxy coating that covers their bodies. As a result, the fleas dry out and die. You can also sprinkle this powder on the carpet where fleas are most likely to live. No need to pour too much - a small amount of will work great against fleas. Leave the carpet like this for 3 days, then clean it thoroughly. Repeat the procedure within 30 days. This way you will be sure that even the larvae are destroyed.
As you know, fleas first feed on the blood of an animal, and then jump off the cat and find a secluded place to lay their eggs. Until hunger occurs, insects will live in piles of garbage, dust, litter and similar locations. Having become hungry, they again go in search of a food source, and it may turn out to be not only the pet, but also the owner.
Considering how nasty the little bloodsuckers are, people are worried about their health. As you can already understand, it is unusual for fleas to live on the body of a host, so they jump on it only when hunger appears. The rest of the time, insects live in furniture, near baseboards, in bedding, and carpets.
Now we can return to the question of whether cat fleas can live permanently on humans. From the above we can conclude that bloodsuckers will not linger in public for long. Human skin lacks thick hair, so insects have nowhere to hide. Therefore, they will try to drink faster required quantity blood and go to shelter. They won't stay in public, so you don't have to worry about it.
If your pet's hair is falling out, then you need to see a veterinarian immediately. The doctor will prescribe restorative treatment in order to return your pet to a full life.
A person should treat any bites they find on their skin. This is necessary in order to prevent infection and quickly get rid of unpleasant symptoms. You will immediately need to wash the affected area with soap, and it is desirable that the product has a disinfecting effect. Next, you need to lubricate the area with vodka or alcohol. To eliminate itching and pain, you can apply ice by wrapping it first in cotton fabric. If the itching does not go away, then it is recommended to use a weak soda solution or sulfur ointment.
On a note
So-called cat lice and cat fleas are completely various insects, rarely found on a single animal. They clearly differ in appearance, but there are even more differences in their lifestyle: a cat louse constantly lives on an animal, while a flea only jumps on it to feed. But what is important for humans is that cat lice cannot change hosts and live only on cats, but they easily attack him.
In most cases, in cities and villages, it is cat fleas that attack people and pets. This species is one of the most common and numerous among domestic animals in general, and is capable of feeding on the blood of the largest number of hosts: from rodents to humans. Moreover, cats are not always the main owner for him...
This is interesting
If cat fleas attack rats, they enter into competition with rat fleas and in most cases displace the latter.
Cat fleas look like very small dark-colored insects that literally appear for a moment among the animal's hair and immediately hide in the fur. The cat is more noticeable, if only because it cannot hide in the hair, and prefers to bite precisely on the hairless parts of the body - legs, buttocks, back and stomach. Here it looks like a tiny shiny insect, which is very difficult to catch - fleas jump perfectly at distances of up to 30 cm.
The photo below shows a cat flea on a human body:
On a note
From the place from which the flea begins to jump, it disappears almost instantly - the human eye is not able to follow the movement of the insect at such speed. This is how fleas create a kind of optical illusion: it seems as if the insect has simply disappeared.
Cat fleas are very small insects. Their body length, depending on age, ranges from 0.8 to 4 mm, more often 2-3 mm. The color is dark brown with a clearly visible shine.
And on next photo- cat fleas in the animal’s fur:
Cat fleas do not have wings, but they have very powerful pushing hind legs that provide them with the ability to jump long distances. The body of insects is compressed laterally and elongated in height. This is an adaptive mechanism:
This is interesting
The cat flea differs from related species - rat and dog - by being slightly smaller in size. In addition, the rat flea rear end The body is slightly lifted up, and the dog's head is large. But such details are very difficult to discern with the naked eye (see photo):
Lifestyle and reproduction of the cat flea
This is interesting
Cat fleas are found throughout to the globe and are found on rodents even on remote tropical islands.
Cat fleas can go hungry for a long time, and they need blood primarily to maintain the reproductive cycle. In a female that is not saturated with blood, eggs do not develop.
If the insect is full, within a few hours after the meal the female begins to lay eggs.
This is interesting
The female flea does not lay eggs, but literally shoots eggs from her abdomen. This is a peculiar adaptation to the spread of eggs to possibly long distance: the larvae find themselves in different conditions, where at least a few of them will have a greater chance of surviving.
A few days later, larvae emerge from the flea eggs, looking like white transparent worms, which feed on various organic remains - bedding in the animal’s nest, pieces of its skin and the excrement of adult fleas with blood preserved in them. The larvae develop from several days to several weeks, depending on the ambient temperature and the abundance of food, after which they pupate. After 1-3 weeks, an adult insect emerges from the pupa.
The photo below shows the eggs and larvae of a cat flea:
On a note
At the pupal stage, fleas can overwinter in conditions middle zone Russia in the cold. Their development stops at these temperatures, and fleas emerge from pupae only during spring warming.
The reproduction cycle from egg to egg in a cat flea with suitable conditions lasts about 10 days. Such a high speed is observed only when high temperatures and plenty of food. Sometimes due to frost and lack of food, the duration of the cycle can stretch up to 2 years.
Are cat fleas dangerous for humans?
Cat fleas are dangerous to humans. They carry pathogens of dangerous diseases - brucellosis, plague, encephalitis, salmonellosis, hepatitis - and can cause epidemics.
It cannot be said that humans are the most preferred victim for cat fleas. However, due to its relatively low mobility and large sizes body, he often catches the eye of fleas living in living quarters, and therefore often gets bitten.
The photo below shows a flea on a human body at the moment of a bite:
How to deal with cat fleas?
Due to their rather specific lifestyle, fighting cat fleas can be quite difficult.
Getting rid of cat fleas in an apartment is only half the task, but preventing them from re-entering the room can sometimes be much more difficult. To do this, you should keep your house clean, put flea collars on your pets in the summer, and regularly wash and shake out bedding and rugs.
