Just typing the word “flea” makes my skin crawl. A scuttling tiny dark form springs to mind when I see one of my cats twitch an ear or scratch, even though I’m sure (hoping!) it is really just a simple itch. Nevertheless, I snatch up the feline, turn him over and check neck, belly and armpits thoroughly for flea “dirt.”

With over 2,000 reported species, fleas are more than just a nuisance. These parasitic insects carry disease and tapeworm eggs, and their bites often initiate allergic reactions in their hosts. They are also the cause of many kitten deaths.

According to researchers, having once consumed a blood meal an adult flea can survive without feeding again for over two years! The only saving grace is that without regular meals, the female will not be laying the 5,000+ eggs she could during her lifespan.

The life cycle of this nasty insect has four stages, egg-larva-pupa-adult. Each of these stages can vary in length, but the pupa one can last from three days to a year or more depending on the conditions. It is for this reason that flea treatment is needed year round, especially in warmer climates.

Many fleas are host-specific, which accounts for so many species, but they will jump to and feed on any warm-blooded animal within reach. The ones we see most often on the felines that come into our care are the common cat flea and the chicken or “sticktight” flea. This latter one is half the size of a cat flea and, as its nickname implies, latches onto the skin and requires scraping to remove.

When kittens are born outdoors, they are at great risk of being infested with parasites of all sorts. Already in a fragile state being deaf and blind for the first two weeks of their lives, they are no match for a hoard of fleas that hop onto the weakest of the litter and begin feeding.

As they feed, the fleas literally suck the life blood from the tiny kitten until it dies of severe anemia. They then move on to attack another littermate, repeating their macabre routine.

One of the first things we do with the feral kittens we catch is to give them baths. This not only kills the nasty bugs, but helps with the taming process. Sometimes there are so many fleas on a tiny body that it literally becomes a mass of crawling insects as the shampoo is applied. During the rinse, the water runs blood red from the undigested blood in the flea feces, making even the strongest of us want to run for the shower ourselves.

We recently rescued a litter of kittens in this state. Two died quickly, and the third was rushed to the emergency vet for a transfusion. When the blood test results came back they showed a PCV (packed cell volume) of a mere 7; the norm is between 29 and 50 for a cat. Transfusion saved this kitten’s life, but what of all the others out there covered in fleas and slowly fading away under bushes?

Besides the direct consequences of being under constant attack, fleas can pass bacteria, virus and protozoa to their hosts. Remember it was the fleas on rats that carried the deadly bubonic plague in the fourteenth century.

The most common side effect, if you will, of fleas on your animals today is the probability of contracting tapeworms. Carried inside an adult flea, your pet will become infected with the worm during normal grooming if such a carrier is swallowed. (Small children are at risk of being infected with tapeworms as well, since they tend to put dirty fingers in their mouths on a regular basis.) Luckily, tapeworms are very easy to eradicate, but it is always a good idea to “worm” your cat or dog if even one flea is found. We always say that if you find one flea, there are at least ten more you missed.

Of course, the best defense is to stay on top of monthly flea treatments for your pets, and wash their beds regularly. Don’t forget to treat the house and yard if you do find fleas.

I’m itching all over now; I think it’s time for that soothing shower.

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