If you thought the whole point of your cat's flea treatment was just to stop it scratching (and you having to listen to it scratching), you thought wrong. Cat fleas are often merely an annoying nuisance, but they can be more sinister. Cat fleas can bring serious problems to your cat too.

As with many health problems, it is the old and infirm, or the very young who are most at risk from secondary flea problems. But, any cat, no matter how healthy can have an underlying susceptibility to flea problems. Plus, if fleas are allowed to multiply continually even the strongest cat is likely to succumb to complications brought on by their numbers.

Another problem with large numbers of fleas is that they make their living by feeding blood from your furry friend. Obviously each flea only takes a tiny amount of blood. But, put a lot of fleas on your cat, or some fleas on a very young kitten, or already unwell cat, and the amount of blood taken can actually cause anemia. Your cat loses red blood cells, and cannot keep up producing replacements as quickly as the fleas take them away. Flea anemia quickly causes lethargy and weakness, which can even lead to death.

Obviously the smaller or weaker the animal, the more it will be affected by a loss in red blood cells. This is why it is so important to check kittens regularly. What could be a 'normal' flea population for an older cat, can quickly over-run a tiny kitten. Anemia at such an early stage in your kitten's life is likely to cause delay in developing and could even cause long term health problems from such a weakened start in life.

Similarly any pets already stressed due to illness or old age, will find it harder to cope with a reduced red blood cell count. Succumbing to anemia will make these poor moggies more susceptible to further health complications.

With proper treatment most cats will recover very quickly from anemia. Very weak pets may need a blood transfusion to artificially replace some of those red blood cells stolen by the fleas. That kind of treatment for your pet can get expensive, much more than any cat flea protection. Keeping on top of your cat's flea treatment is costly, long term. But, it is a cost any responsible pet owner should be prepared to shoulder to maintain the health of their cats.

This article is not meant to be 'scare-mongering'. It is just easy to forget that fleas are more than just a nuisance. Fleas commonly cause anemia in pets, so keeping up with your cat's flea treatment is one way of protecting the long term health of your feline friend.