What do cat fleas look like?

Apparently, the vets at the Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic are often asked by people who own cats "what do fleas look like?" I guess when that happens the veterinarian concerned flea combs the person's cat and shows them or in the case of this picture, gives the kitten a Capstar® pill and waits. The person retires to the waiting room and within 30 minutes the nasty little parasites are falling off the kitten and being brushed up into the test tube that you see in the picture below. This is not quite what happened in this instance but the kitten was given a Capstar® pill and these are the fleas, saved for a subsequent customer to see.

Tube of fleas - Photo copyright:
Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic 3305 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223

This photo has been used with permission for teaching/educational purposes at this website which is a subdomain of PoC. If you would like to use the photograph please ask the veterinary clinic first. Note: the cat fleas shown are not actual size! I guess you know that. In reality they are much smaller. Sometimes it can be hard to see them as they jump and move quickly.

I confess, that I am not surprised that people ask what a flea looks like. But I am a bit disappointed that cat caretakers are still not flea combing on a regular basis. Once a day will usually do to keep things under control provided the home is also under control with respect to fleas. If you flea comb regularly you know what a flea looks like and you know how hard they are to kill. They are tough critters and you have to move fast because they move fast.

Ideally, try and avoid flea treatments as they are chemicals (chemicals are basically poisonous) and if you do use them always check the packaging to make sure it is for cats (and not dogs) and to make sure you know the treatment. Flea treatments can kill or harm your cat.