Fleas
The most common external parasite that infests cats is the flea. Fleas are small, wingless, blood-sucking insects that thrive in warm, humid environments. While the adult flea spends its entire life on the cat, the other three stages of the flea's life cycle (egg, larvae, and pupae) occur in the cat’s environment.
To examine your cat for fleas, roll him over on his back and examine his abdomen, belly and around the base of his tail. You may recognize the small, fast-moving adult flea, as well as see flea "dirt", small black specks with an appearance similar to pepper. During the warm months of the year, examine your cat frequently for fleas. If your cat spends time out-of-doors, he is more likely to contract fleas and should be examined daily. Luckily, there are many oral and topical products available today that effectively prevent flea infestations and also control flea contamination of the indoor environment.
Fleas Can Transmit Tapeworm to Your Cat
Tapeworm is transmitted to cats via an intermediate vector such as insects or prey animals. Fleas, lice, crickets and many rodents are all intermediate hosts for certain species of tapeworm. Therefore, if at any time your cat contracts fleas, ingests insects, or hunts and consumes prey animals, he is at risk for tapeworm infection.
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