Bitten By Cat Fleas

Can I Be Bitten By Fleas From My Cat?

Yes it is very possible for a human to get bitten and if a flea is going to bite you it is usually the cat flea (Ctenocephalides Felis) that does it, at least that is the case in the United States.

Is It Harmful To Be Bitten By Cat Fleas?

A nip from one of these little parasites can be unpleasantly irritating, but usually does no more than cause discomfort for a couple of days.


Some people however are allergic to the saliva of the flea and their discomfort can be more severe.

A bite from Ctenocephalides Felis can prove very itchy and scratching the itch can cause secondary infections. Children seem to be affected more acutely than adults.

More seriously, Murine Typhus is a possible outcome albeit extremely rarely.

Again it is possible to contract tapeworm through inadvertently swallowing a cat flea. However, although this is a fairly common outcome of cats swallowing the parasite, it is rare for humans.

Ctenocephalides Felis (the cat flea,) is a tiny wingless creature.

Being wingless it obviously can't fly, but it does have very large and strong hind legs that allow it to leap up to about eighteen inches.

Therefore the most usual place to be bitten by one of these creatures is the ankles, feet and lower legs, although bites elsewhere on the body, such as the elbows, waist and armpits, are not uncommon.

It is quite possible for you to be bitten by cat fleas and not even feel it. What you almost certainly will notice is the itching coming from tiny reddish, or pink, bumps.

The itching can be quite intense, however it is important to resist the urge to scratch the bites because doing so causes them to bleed and that brings a very real danger of infection.

What Can You Do?

If you have multiple cat flea bites, or are seriously affected or there is a secondary infection (pus oozes from wounds) - then do not hesitate to get treatment from your doctor.

In milder cases reduce the chances of infection by washing the area with an antiseptic soap.

At all cost resist the temptation to scratch, use calamine lotion or an anesthetic (anaesthetic) cream to ease the itching.

An ice pack will help reduce any swelling but to prevent ice burn it is best not to keep it on too long. Place the ice pace on the bites for ten minutes or so, then remove it for ten minutes and so on.

You can ask your pharmacist for advice on which products are likely to help reduce the itching, but once again, it is better to see your doctor if you have an allergic reaction to the flea bites.

Who Gets Bitten By Cat Fleas?

Cat fleas can bite any human, but if you share your home with a feline your chances are much greater.

It sometimes happens that a human does not get bitten until after their cat has been missing from the home for some time.

The fleas were around all the time but in the absence of their usual host, the cat, the fleas use the human as a new blood supply.

If you should suffer an attack from Ctenocephalides Felis it is a pretty good indication that your cat has fleas.

If you don't want you and your pet to keep getting bites, then you need to do two things. Get your feline free of fleas and rid your cat's environment - your home - of the creatures too.

If you only get rid of the parasites from your cat and don't get rid of the parasites from your home then they will simply re-infest your cat and doubtless keep biting you.

You can learn several different ways of removing fleas from your home and keeping them off your cat here  - Getting Rid of Cat Fleas

What Does A Flea Bite Look Like?

Bites from cat fleas usually appear in clusters. They are small, red and can be quite innocuous looking unless you have an allergic reaction, in which case the skin area around the bites can redden considerably.

The bites can itch maddeningly. It is difficult to resist scratching them, but scratching causes skin infections. Infected bites will often blister and have a white top.

  This page was not written by a health professional, it is informational only.

Reference U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Do Cat Flea Collars Come With A Risk?

Surely cat flea collars are the simplest way of ridding cats of fleas; just fasten the collar around your pet’s neck, what could be easier? No complicated costly treatment, these collars are simple and inexpensive.
Job done . . .
. . . or is it?

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