Cat Fleas vs. Dog Fleas

June 22nd, 2009 Posted in Bed Bugs & Fleas




Your pet is incessantly itching and chewing its fur and skin. You look closely and see a tiny black dot hurdle into the air and onto your carpet. What was that? It looks like fleas have chosen your pet as a home. Chances are, the fleas are beginning to infest your home too. It is important to learn about these tiny bugs so you can get rid of them as quickly as possible. Check out our products if you’re looking for pet friendly bug spray.






This article will discuss:

  • General flea facts

  • Cat fleas vs. dog fleas

  • How to tell if fleas are present

  • Flea bites

  • Flea life cycle

  • Flea removal from pets and the home


General Flea Facts

Over 2,000 flea species exist in the world. They are extremely difficult to eliminate because they rapidly reproduce, as females can lay over 50 eggs a day. Females can begin laying eggs just 48 hours after latching onto a host. As soon as a flea dies, another is probably being born.


Cat Fleas vs. Dog Fleas

Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) are most common in the United States. Surprisingly, 95% of fleas that are found on dogs are actually cat fleas. In rare cases, these fleas can carry diseases such as the plague or murine typhus. If they are ingested, they can cause tape worm. Usually, these tiny fleas go unnoticed by the naked eye. They can attach to skin, hair, clothing, pets, carpets, etc. They are most commonly found in yards, kennels, parks, or any other areas common to warm blooded animals. Unlike most other fleas, the adult cat flea stays attached to the host because in order to reproduce, they require a fresh blood meal.

Dog fleas (Ctenocephalides canis) are very rare in the United States and are most commonly found in European countries. They are very similar in appearance to the cat flea and can only be differentiated by very small morphological differences with the use of a microscope.



Since cat fleas are most common in the United States, the following information pertains to cat fleas.


Flea Bites

A single flea can bite a host more than 350 times a day. Fleas can bite pets and humans, but most commonly pets. They will cause irritation at the site, which will result in a pet’s incessant itching and chewing. If the infestation becomes severe, the pet will probably experience hair loss, rashes, or allergic dermatitis from all that itching and chewing.


Cat Flea Life Cycle

First, fleas lay eggs at a rate of about 1 egg per hour. They are oval, smooth, and about 0.5 mm in size. They are very unnoticeable against carpet, bedding, pet fur, etc. The eggs remain at this spot until the larvae hatch.

After about 2 days, larvae hatch from the eggs. They range anywhere from 1.5 mm to 5 mm in length. These worm-like larvae will feed on dried adult cat flea feces. They prefer to develop in humid, warm areas (temperatures between 70 and 90°F), protected from rain and sun. This stage usually lasts between 5 and 15 days.

The pupae stage will begin next, as the larvae spin silk cocoons around themselves in which they will develop. The pupae remain in these cocoons until they develop into adult fleas.

Adults emerge from the cocoon dark brown or black. They have no wings and are 1 mm to 3mm in length. They have powerful legs that allow for running and hopping. Adult fleas require fresh blood to reproduce and can live from 4 to 25 days.


How can you tell if fleas are present?

If your pets are incessantly chewing and/or itching, check their skin and fur closely for fleas. Also check their crates, beds, or any other place your pet frequents. If you are still unsure, you can look for their feces, which appear as tiny grains of dirt. If you find this, mix it with a bit of water and rub it between your fingers. If it turns red, it’s flea feces (this red color comes from the dried blood that is in flea feces).


How do I get rid of fleas?

To rid your pets of fleas, there are various useful techniques. These include flea collars, topical treatments, oral medications, or flea baths. These will help to eliminate fleas from your pet by providing an unfriendly flea environment.

Because fleas easily travel, it is extremely important to treat your home along with your pet. If not, your pet will most likely pick up more fleas that have infested other areas of your home. Therefore, a pesticide spray like EcoSmart is perfect for flea treatment in the home. EcoSmart is safe around pets and humans and will effectively rid your home of these pests. Thoroughly spray onto furniture, pet beds, pet crates, floor cracks, and anywhere else that any fleas might be living.


Katlyn Ziegler



  1. 32 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Sam on Jun 24, 2009

    Which EcoSmart Product do I buy to kill fleas in my home? HELP!

  3. By Michelle on Jun 25, 2009

    I am glad there is finally a safe product to use around pets in my house.

  4. By Brandie on Jun 27, 2009

    I need to get rid of cat fleas NOW! My 1 yr old son and I are getting bites and though I MIGHT be able to live with the irritation on myself I can’t have him endure this!! :( What should I do?!

  5. By ally fussell on Jul 5, 2009

    Hi! I am excited about a new product that is safe for the environment and pets, but also get the job done! Keep it up!

  6. By Sheline Inscho on Jul 9, 2009

    this would be awesome considering I have 3 kids 2 dogs and three cats

  7. By Lisa Graham on Jul 23, 2009

    If they make a product for fleas for my dogs, I would liek to know where to buy it!

  8. By Louann on Jul 26, 2009

    We have trouble with ticks/fleas/and ear mites not to mention the flies. But with kids too I am concerned about too many chemicles. EcoSmart sounds like the answers to all of the above. We live in a rural area where there is no other way of spraying and the livestock around us also attract “things”. The fields add enough chemicles with the spraying and with the allergies and bronchial probs we just add insult to injury. EcoSmart could be the total answer!!

  9. By Vanessa Sokic on Jul 28, 2009

    I am SO sick of fleas and the stinky chemical-filled collars I have spent so much money on! They obviously don’t work because the fleas came back! I have indoor cats and have NEVER had fleas before! HELP!

  10. By Stefanie Schmidt on Jul 29, 2009

    I never knew there were different fleas for dogs and cats. I would love to try your products!

  11. By Maria Baker on Jul 30, 2009

    I also live in a rural area with lots of trees. We have a flea epidemic at our house. We have 11 dogs and 3 cats and we are over run with fleas. Not only are our pets and home over run with fleas, we even have them in the car! We have tried every home remedy that we can find because we are worried about the safety of chemicals around our pets. EcoSMART sounds like our answer! Any recommendations on what applications to use would be greatly appreciated.

  12. By Rebecca on Aug 5, 2009

    I’ve be huntingdoe a humane and safe ordict to preven fleas r years!

  13. By Vivien Lynn on Aug 10, 2009

    I can’t wait to try this! My house is becoming overridden with fleas!

  14. By Jaime on Aug 27, 2009

    I have indoor cats that somehow manage to attract fleas from the outside. I would love to be able to use a product I know is safe for my cats that is still effective!

  15. By Chelsie Williams on Sep 2, 2009

    I try to stay on top of my flea problems by getting the Advantage flea and tick stuff from the vet and apply it to my dogs from July to October but it never seems to fail…we get ticks at least 1 time a year. I have 2 dogs and 1 kitten and a 1 year old daughter and a 2 year old son. I would love to try your product! I love to be environmently friendly!!!!

  16. By Ivy on Sep 8, 2009

    I’m very interested in learning more about EcoSmart! We have ten indoor/outdoor cats that I currently treat with Frontline Plus, but we also have chinchillas and sugar gliders and I’m trying to find something to treat fleas that is safe to use in their living spaces. I recently tried diatomaceous earth without much success, so I’m eager to try EcoSmart!

  17. By jb on Sep 12, 2009

    is it true that cat fleas can’t reproduce on human blood?

  18. By Cris on Sep 23, 2009

    Hello;

    I have spent hundreds of dollars this year on so called products that are supposed to work. How do I know this will? I’ve got my poor dog on Comfortis, Frontline, he’s had countless baths, I’ve treated the house till I’m blue in the face, treated the outdoors 2 times. I’m still seeing these fleas. I need HELP!!!!! They are biting me, but not my husband. Why is that?
    Please respond ASAP. Thanks

  19. By tara elliott on Sep 26, 2009

    we just treated our cats with Advantage, that was purchased from the vet’s office.. I’m hoping that once the fleas can’t live off them anymore they will all die but my husband, myself and our 4 boys are getting eaten alive in the meantime- I would spray just about ANYTHING to get these evil little aggressive biters out of my house!!!

  20. By Nicole Barber on Oct 25, 2009

    I have 2 strictly indoor cats. My female cat (orange/white) does not seem too bothered by the fleas I know we have even though I can see them on her. However, my male cat(gray/black) is eaten alive by them Poor thing has scabs from where he digs so hard. We have tried virtually all OTC remedies & a couple prescriptions to no avail. The fleas are so bad that I’m also being bitten like never before & I’ve always had indoor/outdoor pets. I would love to try something that is environmentally safe & very pet-friendly.

  21. By Deborah Westfall on Oct 25, 2009

    I would love to know if there’s a product that is safer to use ON dogs and cats other than the commercially produced products like frontline and k9 advantix?

  22. By melissa martinez on Oct 25, 2009

    i would love to test this product. Having pets around this sure could make a difference.

  23. By Lesley Palmer on Oct 26, 2009

    My cats have fleas, and nothing seems to work on them. I have used flea powder and flea spray on them, as well as Frontline and the equivalent to that from Harts. I have vacuumed, powdered the house, etc. Nothing is working! It is very frustrating. I would love to be able to try EcoSmart. Hopefully it would not only work, but also be safer and less toxic to my poor babies.

  24. By Vadim on Oct 26, 2009

    I’m really glad there is a same treatment for a dog and a cat, as I have both and previously was buying separate products.
    I would love to test it in my home, so please contact me.

  25. By Karen on Nov 14, 2009

    Help, I moved into a new house 3 weeks ago. The people who lived here before me had cats and they obviously had fleas. These are living in the carpets but are now starting to bite. I have tried all sorts of different products but nothing seems to be working.

  26. By Jane on Jul 25, 2010

    I’d love to try this product! My two cats have fleas and I have a 4 month old baby so I’d love to try and eco friendly flea teatment that I wouldn’t have to worry about all the chemicals on the floor where my child plays.

  27. By Helena Stacey on Sep 15, 2010

    I am in what appears to be an impossible battle to rid my house of fleas. After a 3 week vacation, we returned home and were immediately attacked by fleas. Both our dogs were infested. They are 12 years old and this is the first time we have ever had a flea problem. As for the house, we are vacuuming daily and have washed the linens in hot water. The dogs have been treated with Frontline Plus (which appears to be doing NOTHING!). We have given the Capstar to kills the adults fleas on them which works great but is very short-lasting in duration. I am at my wit’s end. I have 4 young children so I am very nervous about introducing chemicals into the house. I would definitely be interested in giving your products a try!

  28. By Howdy on Oct 26, 2010

    based on the research i’ve done on fleas over the last few months your info about the life of an adult flea is inacurate.

  29. By Rebecca on May 16, 2011

    I have two indoor cats and an outdoor cat that has fleas. I really don’t want to go through the same flea battle this summer as last. Please help!!

  30. By Amanda on Jul 24, 2011

    OK, I’m ready!!! I think a neighbor (whose dogs have fleas) carried eggs here! I can’t keep up… we’re all getting bitten. My 2 and 6 year old and my cats suffer the most. My poor cats aren’t sleeping. I’ve bathed them twice and still all they do is twitch, jump, and bite! Poor babies. I hope this product works. I actually have the EcoSmart insect repellant that does work for mosquitos. I just dilluted and put on my cats… one seems to be calming down and the other is still twitching… maybe his fleas have been angered.
    My youngest daughter has bites all over her legs, but she never complained. I just sprayed her too and myself. I don’t kill bugs normally, I say hello to some spiders and escort the other bugs out the front door, but I enjoy watching these suckers drown!!! Please help!
    Will post again…

  31. By helen thomasson on Oct 3, 2011

    is it true dog fleas r different to cat fleas. Ive tried different products and wud love to give yrs a go.

  32. By Michelle on Oct 4, 2011

    I too have 2 children and a menagerie of critters. The last time we took care of the fleas but don’t have the money this season and never did like the dangerous chemicals coating the floors. This sounds like an excellent alternative. Can’t wait to find out!

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