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What are Cat Fleas?

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What are Cat Fleas?

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The cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) primarily attacks the domesticated cat, but also causes trouble for dogs, humans, rabbits, rodents, and other animals [1]. Once a female flea comes in contact with a cat, she lays her eggs, which become dry and later fall to a more protected shelter on the host. As the eggs hatch into larvae, the immature fleas feed on the organic substances they find on the cat, including adult flea waste and dried blood. Next, a process of metamorphosis takes place, where the larvae then spin a cocoon and enter what is called the “pupal stage.” This process varies, as a young adult flea only emerges when signs of a viable host are present, such as warmth, movement, and carbon dioxide production [2]. After a newly emerged flea breaths its first swallow of fresh air, it is motivated to jump about its host, where it takes minutes for the new flea to feed on blood.

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