A cat can pick up fleas while walking, or it can become infected with them even if it spends all its time at home – these parasites can enter the apartment on shoes or clothes.
You will understand that something is wrong with your pet if it becomes restless, constantly chews or scratches certain places on its body.
Other telltale symptoms include frequent head shaking, itchy ears, and excessive licking.
To confirm your suspicions, lay the cat on its back and part the fur in the armpits and groin area - redness and bumps in these areas should alert you. In some places, the fur may even fall out, which is associated with continuous scratching.
If you are still unsure, take a bowl filled with soapy water and run a flea comb (it has fine teeth) through the fur on the back and paws.
Try to make the comb pass close to the skin. If bloodsuckers are found, dip the comb in soapy water.
If you don’t have a special comb, wait until the cat is combing itself and spread a sheet of white paper next to it – the flea waste products will be clearly visible against the light background.
You can be sure of the presence of parasites by spraying the black dots with water. If you have feces of blood-feeding fleas in front of you, they will turn red-brown.
