With the responsibility of owning a cat comes the additional task of making sure it is flea free. Fleas are a problem that all cat owners will have to deal with at one time or another. Ask any cat owner and I am sure you will get the same answer from all of them and that is that getting rid of fleas on cats is not an easy task. It takes a tremendous amount of effort and time to eradicate these pesky little critters once they come into contact with your cat. The worst thing is that fleas are not only a nuisance, they are also the cause of many health problems that we see in cats.
The most common cat flea health hazard we see is flea allergy dermatitis or what is commonly known as FAD. This is a skin disorder caused by an allergic reaction to an allergen found in flea saliva. When fleas bite the cat to feed on blood, it secretes saliva. The allergen in the flea saliva will cause pruritus (intense itching) which will cause the cat to scratch and lick itself excessively. This in turn leads to hair loss and raw, inflamed skin due to constant scratching and non-stop licking. The affected cat will be miserable and their appetite will tend to be affected, leading to weight loss.
Tapeworm infestation is another health problem caused by fleas. Cats groom themselves by licking their fur. While doing so, they may ingest a flea carrying tapeworm larvae, and the cat will become infected as a result. You can easily tell if your cat has tapeworms by checking his anus. Most likely, he can detect the presence of what appear to be rice grain segments of the tapeworms. Although tapeworms do not cause any major health problems in cats, their presence in cats’ intestines can make it difficult for them to absorb nutrients properly, resulting in malnutrition and weight loss. This is especially so when a cat is heavily infested with tapeworms.
Fleas can also cause anemia in cats. They feed on the blood of cats. Although a flea only feeds on a minute amount at a time, the combined number of hundreds of fleas living on the poor cat can be considerable, especially on young, immature kittens.
Feline anemia infection or FIA is another parasitic infection caused by fleas. Fleas carry the blood parasite called Haemobartonella felis which can cause red blood cells to break down in cats. Again, this can cause anemia in cats and lead to death if severe and left untreated.
The only way you can protect your cats from these terrible diseases is to have proper flea control for cats. How to Treat Fleas on Cats will show you how you can eradicate these pesky creatures before they do any harm. Learn the correct products to use and how to use them to keep your cat flea free.