How to Know If Your Cat Has Fleas

A cat that is scratching a lot might have fleas. Frequent scratching calls for a good thorough flea check. Even in the absence of scratching, you should perform a flea check on your cat twice a month to catch fleas early on. Give your cat a treat after each flea check to make it a time that your cat looks forward to.

Things You'll Need

  • White towel or white piece of paper
  • Flea comb

Instructions

    • 1

      Set your cat on top of a white towel or a piece of white paper.

    • 2

      Part your cat's fur and look for moving fleas and black specs that look like dirt. The black specs, called flea dirt, are flea excrement. Pay special attention to your cat's neck and above your cat's tail, where fleas tend to congregate.

    • 3

      Brush your cat's fur with a flea comb. Look at the flea comb to see if any fleas or flea dirt are caught in between the teeth of the comb.

    • 4

      Look at the white towel or white piece of paper to see if any fleas or black specs have fallen from your cat.