Are those coffee grounds in my young cat’s fur?

What is flea dirt on young cats?

Flea dirt is the fecal matter of fleas. It appears as dark specks within your cat’s fur, usually at the base of the fur near the skin. While flea dirt can be anywhere on your young cat’s body, a cat’s fastidious grooming habits may make flea dirt harder to find than you’d expect! Places to look include the neck, rump and abdomen. To verify that what you’re seeing is flea dirt, you can put some of the brown or black specks on a wet paper towel. Because fleas eat blood, the flea dirt will leave a reddish tint when wetted.

If you’re seeing flea dirt, your cat almost certainly has fleas. Fleas are the most common external parasites affecting cats, and they’re more than just annoying bugs. Fleas can be dangerous for your cat.

Health risks of fleas in young cats

Flea allergy dermatitis

Flea allergies are among the most common types of allergies in cats. Cats allergic to fleas can have a reaction from one flea bite. They’ll have intensely itchy skin that’s often red or has small red bumps on it.

Skin infections

Inflammation from flea allergies or from scratching can lead to skin infections in cats.

Flea bite anemia

High numbers of fleas can feed on enough blood that your cat develops anemia. In small kittens, this can be life-threatening.

Tapeworms

Cats can get tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum) when they swallow fleas during grooming.

Zoonotic diseases from fleas

Murine typhus (Rickettsia typhi)

Infection with typhus in people is thought to occur when cat flea droppings get into wounds. Symptoms in people include fever, chills, vomiting, headache and a rash.

Cat scratch disease or bartonellosis (Bartonella henselae)

Fleas spread the bacteria to a cat. When the cat’s saliva comes into contact with an open wound on a person, such as if the cat bites or licks a wound, the disease can transmit to people. Symptoms in people include swollen lymph nodes, bumps on the skin called papules, achiness and fever.

Preventing fleas in young cats

The best way to protect your cat from fleas and their associated health risks is year-round flea and tick prevention. Year-round protection is recommended for both outdoor and indoor cats. Indoor cats can become infested if a flea hitches a ride into the home on people or pets, or if a flea jumps through an open window or door. Once the fleas find their way into your home, it becomes quite difficult to eliminate them.

Find veterinarian-approved flea and tick preventives. >>