What do fleas on a cat feed on? - briefly
Fleas are hematophagous parasites that obtain nutrition by piercing the cat’s skin and sucking its blood. Their primary diet consists of the host’s blood, with only minimal intake of tissue fluids.
What do fleas on a cat feed on? - in detail
Fleas that infest felines are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites; their primary nutrition derives from the host’s blood. Adult specimens pierce the skin with specialized mouthparts, inject saliva containing anticoagulants, and ingest plasma and cellular components. Blood provides proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and micronutrients essential for egg production and longevity. A single blood meal can sustain an adult for several days, but females require multiple meals to complete a reproductive cycle, laying up to several hundred eggs.
Nutrient acquisition occurs as follows:
- Protein intake: Hemoglobin and serum albumin furnish amino acids for tissue growth and vitellogenesis.
- Lipid absorption: Triglycerides and cholesterol from plasma support membrane synthesis and energy storage.
- Carbohydrate utilization: Glucose and other sugars serve as immediate energy sources during locomotion and feeding.
- Micronutrient uptake: Iron, calcium, and vitamins present in blood facilitate enzymatic functions and embryonic development.
Larval stages do not feed on blood. Instead, they consume organic debris, desiccated adult exuviae, and adult feces, which contain partially digested blood. This detritus supplies the same macronutrients required for metamorphosis into pupae. The transition from larva to adult occurs in sheltered environments where temperature and humidity remain within optimal ranges.
Salivary components play a critical role in successful feeding. Anticoagulants prevent clot formation, while immunomodulatory proteins suppress the host’s immediate inflammatory response, allowing prolonged blood extraction without detection. The flea’s digestive tract hosts symbiotic bacteria that assist in breaking down blood proteins and synthesizing essential B‑vitamins absent from the diet.
In summary, adult cat fleas rely exclusively on vertebrate blood for sustenance, extracting a comprehensive suite of nutrients necessary for reproduction and survival, while immature stages obtain similar nutrients indirectly from contaminated organic material within the environment.