There are few creatures on earth that have had as much impact on world history as the lowly flea. From the Black Death during the 14th century to the present, fleas have been the cause of much torment. Not only do they make your cat itch, they also can cause significant health problems.
To understand the flea, it’s helpful to know its life cycle. Contrary to popular belief, fleas don’t jump from one cat to another. Once a flea jumps on a cat, it stays there for its entire life. The rest of the life cycle, however, is spent off the cat.
When a female flea jumps on a cat, it bites the skin and begins feeding immediately. Ingestion of blood is required for the flea to reproduce. Within 24 hours, the flea begins laying about 50 eggs per day. As the cat meanders, he acts like a living saltshaker, scattering flea eggs throughout the house, mainly in the areas where he sleeps or rests. Within a week, larvae hatch from the eggs. The larvae burrow into carpets and cracks in hardwood floor to avoid light. Five to 12 days later, the larvae spin a cocoon in which they develop into pupae. Baby fleas emerge from the pupae within one to three weeks. These newly hatched fleas wait for a cat to stroll by, and they hop on. The life cycle begins anew.
It’s a myth that cats who spend their entire lives indoors are safe from fleas. Fleas are opportunistic hitchhikers — they jump onto our clothing, and we bring them back home where they hop onto our cats and start their life cycle.
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