How do cat fleas differ from lice? - briefly
Cat fleas are wingless, blood‑sucking insects capable of jumping many times their body length and undergoing a four‑stage life cycle (egg, larva, pupa, adult). Lice are also wingless parasites that cling to hair, feed on skin debris or blood, cannot jump, and develop through three stages (egg, nymph, adult).
How do cat fleas differ from lice? - in detail
Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) and cat lice (Felicola subrostratus) belong to separate orders, exhibit distinct life cycles, and present different health concerns for felines.
Fleas are wingless insects that undergo complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Eggs are laid on the host’s skin but fall into the environment, where larvae feed on organic debris and adult flea feces. Pupae develop within cocoons that protect them until vibrations or heat signal a nearby host. Adult fleas are mobile, jump up to 150 cm, and feed on blood several times a day, causing irritation, anemia, and serving as vectors for pathogens such as Bartonella henselae and tapeworms.
Lice are obligate ectoparasites with a direct, incomplete metamorphosis: egg (nit), nymph, and adult. All stages remain on the host; eggs are firmly attached to hair shafts, and nymphs and adults cannot survive off‑host for more than a few hours. Lice feed exclusively on blood or skin debris, causing localized itching and hair loss, but they do not transmit major systemic diseases.
Key distinctions:
- Taxonomy: Fleas – order Siphonaptera; lice – order Phthiraptera.
- Mobility: Fleas jump and can travel between animals; lice crawl and are host‑specific.
- Life‑stage habitat: Flea larvae and pupae develop in the environment; louse eggs and immature stages stay on the animal.
- Duration of off‑host survival: Fleas survive weeks to months in carpets or bedding; lice survive only hours without a host.
- Disease transmission: Fleas are known vectors for bacterial and parasitic infections; lice rarely transmit serious pathogens to cats.
- Control measures: Flea infestations require environmental treatment (vacuuming, insecticides, insect growth regulators) combined with topical or oral adulticides. Lice infestations are managed primarily with topical insecticidal shampoos or spot‑on products, focusing on direct contact with the animal.
Understanding these biological and behavioral differences informs effective diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies for each parasite.