Pests always go after what you love most – your food, sleep, house and, worse, your pets! Yes, fleas will go really far in making your and your cat’s lives miserable, and they can be surprisingly good at staying out of sight.
Stay alert for the physical and behavioural signs that your cat has fleas. These may include hair loss, red skin lesions, pale gums, white worms in the faeces and a list of changes in your cat’s behaviour.
Table of Contents
#1. Losing Hair Around the Tail
A bald spot at the base of the tail is a sure indicator that your cat has fleas – and maybe has even had them for a while. This, along with other signs, can be a symptom of flea allergy dermatitis, which occurs when some cats are hypersensitive to flea saliva. To treat the condition and bring your cat’s luscious fur back, get rid of fleas in bedding, carpets, furniture, and apply flea treatment to your cat’s fur directly. A course of antibiotics may be needed if your doctor advises that the infection is serious.
Learn What Kills Fleas in Carpet Naturally
#2. Red Bumps and/or Lesions on the Skin
Bumps and lesions on the skin are another sign of a flea allergy and can be painfully itchy to your cat. You may notice your pet chewing on the wounds, which could cause them to ooze.
#3. Small White Worms in the Poop
If you find white worms in your cat’s faeces, it’s very likely that it got infected with Dipylidium tapeworms after it accidentally ate a cat flea larva. The white pieces you see are, unfortunately, only segments of the parasites which require medication to be fully treated.
#4. White (pale) Gums
The most common reason for pale gums in cats is anemia. Fleas feed on your cat’s blood and, therefore, could cause low blood pressure and a decreased blood flow to the cat’s organs – thus leading to anemia and pale gums. In fact, the colour of your kitten’s gums can tell you a lot about its health state and should be paid close attention to.
Read more: How do I know if my dog has fleas?
#5. Lethargic Behaviour
Is your cat acting lazier than usual, barely moving around? Muscle loss and lethargy are symptoms of cat anemia as well.
Read more: How to Tell if You Have Fleas in Your Home
#6. Nervous Behaviour
Ever seen a tiger in a cage walking restlessly from one end to the other? If you’ve noticed your cat doing that, rubbing its head and body on walls and floors frantically, or growling – those are some clear signs that something is driving it mad, and it’s probably the cat fleas.
#7. Cat Won’t Stop Cleaning Itself
Flea saliva contains histamine and causes itchiness, which your cat is trying to reduce by constantly grooming itself. If it’s driving you insane, imagine what it does to your cat!
#8. Cat is Avoiding Your Room
Have you noticed your cat purposefully staying away from some place it used to love? This change of behaviour could indicate that the area is a hotspot for fleas. Consider a flea treatment to get rid of cat fleas in all carpets, beddings, upholsteries and floorboards!
If you have ever wondered how to tell if your cat has fleas, these are some absolute tell-tale signs. Cat fleas can do a lot more harm than the occasional itch, whether they damage your pet’s physical or mental health. A good master should try to make constant check-ups at the vet and apply a regular flea control routine.
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Think my cat as fleas she won’t stop grooming her self.