IFAS Extension
Cat Flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché)
D. C. Zentko and D. L. Richman
Release Date: 7/29/2025
Agriculture
Abstract
This document provides an in-depth profile of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, detailing its life cycle, distribution, and medical significance. The cat flea is the most common domestic flea in the United States, requiring a fresh blood meal to reproduce. The life cycle includes egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages, typically lasting 30 to 75 days. Cat fleas can transmit diseases and cause allergic reactions in pets and humans. Effective management involves cultural, chemical, and biological control methods to eliminate fleas from pets, homes, and yards.
About this Publication
This document is EENY-011, one of a series of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date July 1997. Revised December 2014 and December 2024. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.
About the Authors
D. C. Zentko and D. L. Richman; Department of Entomology and Nematology, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.
How to Cite
Zentko, D. C., & Richman, D. L. (1997). Cat Flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché). EDIS, 1997. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in137-1997
Contacts
Elena Rhodes
staff
University of Florida
biological scientist III, Department of Entomology and Nematology