The Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is a common parasitic insect those principal host is the domestic cat. A high proportion of the fleas are also found on dogs. Adults of both sexes of the Cat Flea are red-brown, but the gravid females appear banded in cream and dark brown when they swell with eggs. The species is compressed laterally which allow it to slip between the dense hairs of its host just above the top layer of the skin. They cause little harm unless the host is allergic to substances in the flea’s saliva, and the species may be responsible for disease transmission through humans.
The Cat Flea has an overall body length between .08”-.12” (2-3 mm), body width of .02”-.04” (.6-1 mm), and body height of .02”-.04” (.6-1 mm). The typical lifespan of the Cat Flea is between 4-25 days.
The Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is a common parasitic insect those principal host is the domestic cat. A high proportion of the fleas are also found on dogs. Adults of both sexes of the Cat Flea are red-brown, but the gravid females appear banded in cream and dark brown when they swell with eggs. The species is compressed laterally which allow it to slip between the dense hairs of its host just above the top layer of the skin. They cause little harm unless the host is allergic to substances in the flea’s saliva, and the species may be responsible for disease transmission through humans.
The Cat Flea has an overall body length between .08”-.12” (2-3 mm), body width of .02”-.04” (.6-1 mm), and body height of .02”-.04” (.6-1 mm). The typical lifespan of the Cat Flea is between 4-25 days.
