How do fleas eat cats? - briefly
Fleas pierce a cat’s skin with their specialized mouthparts, inject saliva that prevents clotting, and then suck the resulting blood flow. Their digestive system processes the ingested blood directly for nourishment.
How do fleas eat cats? - in detail
Fleas attach to a cat’s skin using their enlarged hind legs and strong claws, which allow them to move quickly through the fur and locate a suitable feeding site. Once positioned, the insect inserts its slender, needle‑like proboscis between the hair and the epidermis, piercing the cuticle and reaching the superficial blood vessels. Saliva, containing anticoagulant proteins, is injected simultaneously; these compounds prevent clotting and numb the area, enabling continuous blood flow. The flea then sucks the diluted blood through the proboscis into its midgut, where the fluid is stored temporarily before digestion.
The feeding cycle proceeds as follows:
- Detection: Sensory receptors on the flea’s antennae sense heat, carbon‑dioxide, and movement, guiding it toward a host.
- Attachment: Hind legs clamp onto the hair shaft, while the forelegs grip the skin for stability.
- Penetration: The proboscis, composed of two interlocking stylets, pierces the epidermis and reaches the capillary network.
- Salivation: Anticoagulant and anesthetic substances are released to keep blood fluid and reduce host awareness.
- Ingestion: Blood is drawn into the foregut; the flea can ingest up to ten times its body weight within minutes.
- Regurgitation: Excess fluid is expelled through the anus, leaving a moist, dark spot on the cat’s skin that may develop into a scab.
During the blood meal, the flea’s digestive enzymes break down proteins and lipids, providing the nutrients required for egg production. After feeding, the insect retreats to a protected microhabitat in the cat’s coat or surrounding environment, where it can lay eggs that fall off the host and develop in the litter. The entire process repeats multiple times per day, allowing a small population to cause significant blood loss and skin irritation in the host.