5 Reasons People Hate Cat Fleas So Much

Cat fleas are one of the most common flea species after dog fleas which are considered as annoying parasites that bite on our cats and us in some cases. Unfortunately, cat fleas problems often go unnoticed by many homeowners until the severe signs of cat flea infestation is visibly seen.

Why do so many people hate cat fleas? Here are some of the many reasons why cat fleas in house are one of the most annoying problems for homeowners:

1. Cat fleas are your pet’s worst enemy
2. Cat fleas can bite human
3. Cat fleas infestation can mean rat problem at the same time
4. Cat fleas can multiply quickly in large numbers
5. Cat fleas are one of the hardest pests to control

1. Cat fleas are your pet’s worst enemy

There is no question if cat fleas may be one of our pets' worst enemies at home. There are approximately 2,000 flea species that can be found around the world, in which each species has its own preference for the animal host they prefer to feed.

As the name implies, cat fleas are the common parasites that are typically found in your cats - although it is also possible to be found in your dog. Cat fleas bite and feed on cat’s blood, and they also live and lay their eggs on cat’s fur.

Flea infestation on cats can happen at any time, this mainly because your cat can pick up fleas easily despite how hard you always keep them indoors to not get fleas just like the outdoor cats can.

One of the most common ways your cat will pick up fleas is from the contact with other animals in the pet groomer or vet visit. However, it does not rule out the possibility that your cat could also pick up a flea from the indoor environment which is often carried away from your guests through clothes attached to the human body such as shoes or shirts.
 
Just need one flea bite to make your cat feel highly uncomfortable. Below are some signs of fleas on cats that every pet owner should be aware of, including:

• Severe painful and itchy sensations on your cat's skin
• Intense scratching more than usual
• Excessive cat self-grooming
• Hair loss

In serious cases, the intense scratching done by your cat may open wounds in the skin that could lead to serious infection.

Read more:

• Where do cat fleas come from?
• What to do if your pet infested with fleas?

2. Cat fleas can bite human

If you ever wondered, will cat fleas bite humans? The short answer to this question is yes.

Cat fleas live exclusively by feeding on mammals' blood, and since humans are classified as mammals then we can also be vulnerable all the time from these blood-sucking insects just as they are haunting our cats or dogs.

In point of fact, the risk of cat fleas on humans is higher if you have a pet at home, which is considered as their primary host. Although it is rare, the main reason cat fleas bite humans is because they feel that their main hosts (cats and dogs) are unable to provide sufficient blood meal.

When cat fleas bite humans, they tend to attack our lower body parts, such as feet, ankles and lower legs. These human lower body parts are considered the easiest parts to reach by cat fleas, although doesn’t rule people will get cat fleas bites on other parts of the body.

Below are the common symptoms of flea bites on humans:

• Cause very itchy sensation on the skin
• Small red spots that appear in a group of clusters or lines
• The skin around each bite may become sore or painful when touched
• Flea bites could also trigger severe allergic reaction such as trouble breathing, tightness in the throat or chest and dizziness

3. Cat fleas infestation can mean rat problem at the same time

Do not be too surprised, because what you read above is true.

Maybe most of us have no clue why cat fleas and rat problems are so closely related to each other. Cat fleas are not the common external parasites found on wildlife animals like wild rats, but cat fleas use the rat's body as ‘transportation’ to get a lift into your home.

Therefore, if your house is currently dealing with a rat problem, it is not impossible if they may bring cat fleas in as well. After all, it's a good idea to have a pest control treatment for both rats and fleas at the same time, as rats can carry cat fleas in house.

4. Cat fleas can multiply quickly in large numbers

The infestation of cat fleas in house can quickly get out of hand if left untreated. Just needing a couple of cat fleas brought into your home via your cats or dogs till they can pose a serious level of infestation in a short amount of time.

Cat fleas is a prolific breeder. The female cat fleas can produce large numbers of fertile eggs right after a blood-meal. A single female cat flea lays up to 20 - 50 eggs per day or around 400 - 500 in total during their lifetime.

Learn more about cat flea life cycle here

5. Cat fleas are one of the hardest pests to control

Cat fleas are notoriously very difficult to get rid of once they find a way to get into your home unless you act fast to stop the infestation.

Cat fleas are very tiny and can be hard to spot on your pet with the naked eye. Their flat body shape allows them to move freely through a cat's fur to hard-to-reach hiding places, such as cracks and crevices, carpets and rugs. They also have very strong outer exoskeletons, making them tough enough to crush.

Even if you practise good hygiene at home by using vacuum cleaner, the cat fleas eggs and larvae can still develop inside the vacuum cleaner and re-infest your house if the vacuum cleaner cylinder is not emptied immediately after use.

To make matters worse, adult cat fleas can live up to a year when all their basic needs to survive are fulfilled, this includes sufficient food availability (blood meal from mammals), ideal room temperature, and humidity.

How to get rid of cat fleas in the house?

There was never an easy word to get rid of cat fleas in the house by yourself. But the main problem is people tend to focus on killing the adult fleas, which in fact only represent 5% of infestation in your home. Whereas the key problem lies in the rest of 95% of cat fleas infestation which consists of cat flea’s eggs, larvae, and pupae that are commonly neglected by us since it can not be seen by our naked eyes.

Thus, seeking professional help and advice from professionals cat flea exterminators is the only best bet to keep your property safe from these blood-sucking insects.

Rentokil’s qualified and certified technicians know exactly what to do when it comes to getting rid of fleas in your home. They understand the habits of cat fleas and can offer the most appropriate and effective solutions to your family and pets.

Contact Rentokil today to arrange an appointment to get rid of fleas from your house.