March 11th, 2021 by Sarah Miles

Fleas are no fun for your cat, or you for that matter, but left untreated they can become much more than an itchy irritation – they can cause major skin problems and even change their behaviour. Here are 8 signs that your cat has fleas:

1. Intense scratching or biting

Fleas make your cat itch. You may assume it’s the fleas themselves, crawling over the skin that causes the itching, but actually, it’s the allergic reaction to their bites that irritates the skin (similar to bed bugs or mosquito bites). All cats scratch themselves and rub against things, but intense, persistent scratching, or even biting their skin, is a clear indication that there’s a problem.

2. Excessive grooming

Cats love to groom and are very clean animals but if this becomes excessive, it could be another way of relieving their itchy skin. Licking and chewing their skin will offer some temporary relief.

3. Bald patches

Scratching, biting, and licking, as described above, can result in hair loss. This is especially common around the back of the legs, neck, and base of the tail. Of course, not every bald patch can be put down to fleas – cats are prone to getting into trouble on their outings and can lose fur from fights, scratches, and scrapes. However, it may be a cause for closer investigation, especially if you have an indoor cat.

4. Marks on the skin

If they are scratching due to a reaction to bites, this will show on their skin so examine it for irritations such as red, inflamed bumps, lesions, and scabs. These will often occur on the back, neck, and face. To make matters worse, scratching these irritations can cause the skin to become infected so they may weep or ooze. This may require antibiotics or other treatment from the vet before it becomes a big problem.

5. Behavioural changes

We all know what it’s like for itching skin to drive us crazy (think about when you have an allergy rash or mosquito bites). This is no different for cats and they could be suffering from multiple bites all over the body. Your usual placid cat could be transformed into something more feral as the itching causes agitation, irritability, and restlessness.

6. Flea dirt

Flea ‘dirt’ is a catch-all term for the visible signs of fleas. Dead giveaways include seeing small white eggs or shed skin. You’re also likely to find black bits of gritty dirt on your cat’s fur, that look a bit like black pepper. These could be flea droppings. If you see some suspicious dirt, try transferring some to a white paper towel and sprinkling some water on it. If it turns a reddish/brown colour this indicates that it’s flea dirt.

Also, look out for the most obvious sign - fleas themselves! Fleas are small but they are visible to the human eye. Examine the skin for anything moving or jumping. This may not be the easiest of tasks, depending on how long-haired your cat is, but gently part their hair so you can see the skin in different areas around the body.

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7. Pale gums and lethargy

Pale gums, lethargy, and even muscle loss are signs of anaemia. This is an extreme outcome but excessive loss of blood from fleas feeding can cause it. This is more likely to affect kittens, older cats, or cats with other health conditions.

8. Red spotting on bedding

Little spots of blood on bedding can occur from the flea bites on your cat’s skin or from their intense scratching. Keep an eye out and wash any bedding you suspect to be affected on a hot cycle.

Treating fleas

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If you find that your cat has fleas, you will need to treat them with something from the vet. You will also need to treat your home as fleas could easily have transferred into your carpets and soft furnishings. See our range of flea treatments here for help on how to do this.