Bedbugs are ectoparasites that feed on human blood, so their appearance in a house brings serious discomfort to all its inhabitants. It would also be useful to know how bedbugs and pets coexist, since ectoparasites can possibly ruin their lives.
To know this for sure, you need to study the characteristics of parasites and their feeding preferences.
Do bed bugs bite your beloved cats and dogs?
There are many options for exterminating blood-sucking creatures, depending on the degree of infestation of apartments. For houses with dogs and cats, disinsection is most often used, which requires about 4-6 hours of keeping the pet away from the place of residence. A severe case of insect sanitation would require the entire family to be away from home for three days.
They also emphasized that some pets, such as birds and reptiles, may have varying sensitivities to environmental pesticides, so it's important to make sure the treatment you choose is safe for your specific pet.
Treatment of chemipterosis
The presence of bedbugs in an apartment always suggests that the cat's sleeping place may be infected.
You need to thoroughly clean the house and also make sure that all traces of insects are removed. Required:
- Vacuum cleaning (including mattresses);
- steam cleaning of cracks;
- washing and drying bedding, clothing and other items.
Since this is an important undertaking, you should call a professional to ensure complete pest control. There's nothing worse than having the little critters come back after you've spent the day trying to get them out!
How to remove bedbugs from a cat or dog
It takes very little for your home to become infested with bed bugs. They thrive in hard-to-reach places, making them difficult to eradicate.
As a rule, the best results are achieved when the destruction is carried out by a specialist. The first step is to determine where the bed bugs are. The bedroom is their most common habitat. Bed bugs are also common in living rooms. Infestations can start in one room and move to others over time.
Seventy percent of infestations are located around beds, so much of the eradication process is aimed at clearing these areas.
Bed linens are washed in hot water, mattresses are encased in insect-proof covers, and bed frames are treated with both a vacuum cleaner to remove large adults and nymphs and chemicals to kill eggs.
If bed bugs are found in other areas, such as dressers, the same process is repeated there.
There are many different products available to eliminate bed bugs. It is very important to read both the label and the safety data sheet of the product for little brothers. None of the products should be applied directly to the pets themselves.
Can bedbugs bite cats and dogs?
Bed bugs can bite people or pets, or even wild animals that sneak into abandoned homes (though this is not as common for obvious reasons). This is why bed bug infestations in uninhabited homes can continue for so long, even though no one is around.
The only problem is that bed bugs don't like fur or hair. It's much harder for them to bite your pet than it is for them to bite you.
Do cats and dogs attract bed bugs?
Bed bugs are attracted to two main lures: body heat and carbon dioxide. By following them, bloodsuckers can easily find their way to the owner. Humans, cats, dogs of any breed, and other pets are warm-blooded and breathe, so bed bugs can find your furries just as easily as they can find you.
However, cats and dogs cannot attract bed bugs unless there is already an infestation nearby. A bedbug infestation doesn't just come out of nowhere. Bed bugs can usually find a new host within six feet, but they may explore around in an attempt to find someone.
So if your neighbor has bed bugs, a cat can help lure them away. But if no one around has bed bugs, there's no way to attract them.
Where do bedbugs bite cats and dogs?
Bed bugs prefer to bite areas that don't have a lot of fur or hair. That's why when you wake up with bed bug bites, they're more likely to be on your back or legs than on your head.
When it comes to biting pets, bed bugs will choose areas where they have easier access to the skin. They cannot dig into the fur, they will choose more open areas such as:
- Stomach
- Ears
- Parts of their feet
Check your cat or dog to see where they have less fur and if they have bites there if you think they have suffered from bed bugs. Cats and dogs with thicker or longer fur are at lower risk because there is less room for bed bugs to bite. To be sure that the poor animal has suffered from bedbugs, look at what bites look like on the Internet.
Is it better to sleep dressed?
Bed bugs, of course, prefer to bite an exposed person, since it is difficult for them to get under pajama clothes or a blanket, attacking an open area of the body.
Because of this, children are most susceptible to attacks, since they sleep chaotically and constantly throw off the blanket and do not like to wear pajamas.
IMPORTANT! About 70 percent of people do not feel the consequences of bites. Bedbugs initially live in mattresses and beds, but only until their population grows to enormous sizes - in this case it is difficult not to notice them
But in this case it is quite difficult to remove them and you will need to order the services of exterminators
Bedbugs initially live in mattresses and beds, but only until their population grows to enormous sizes - in which case it is difficult not to notice them. But in this case it is quite difficult to remove them and you will need to order the services of exterminators.
Can bed bugs live on cats and dogs?
No, bed bugs cannot live on cats and dogs like fleas can. However, this does not mean that bedbugs will leave them alone.
They will settle next to your cat and dog's bed or resting areas.
You can remove bed bugs using heat treatments, pesticides or home remedies, but be sure to treat the entire infestation in your home, not just your pets.
If your cat and dog share a bed, this is a likely source of infestation. Inspect it to see if there are any fecal stains, dried blood, any old shells or live bedbugs.
Whatever you find, wash the bed on high heat to kill whatever might be there.
Destroy, cannot be pardoned
First of all, the injured animal requires treatment. A bitten cat is bathed with a special product and the fur is thoroughly combed to relieve itching and irritation. While the premises are being treated, the pet is removed from the premises so that it does not ingest the poison.
The animal's bedding is washed in hot water and then dried with a stream of heated air. If the rug cannot be washed, then thoroughly clean it and blow it with a hot hairdryer. The sleeping area is vacuumed, walking along the walls and baseboards, and treated with a special composition against parasites.
Bedbugs rarely give up ground without a fight, so it is not easy to destroy them. It is advisable to entrust the fight against uninvited guests to professionals who know exactly how to completely get rid of parasites.
Cats and dogs are rarely targeted by bedbugs. Usually bloodsuckers simply live next to a warm animal, hiding in its bedding. But hungry bugs do not hesitate to feast on the blood of pets when humans are out of their reach. At the slightest suspicion of the presence of bedbugs in the house, urgent measures are taken to destroy them.
Can cats or dogs carry bed bugs?
Even though bedbugs can bite our smaller household members, that doesn't mean cats and dogs carry them. No animal can carry these nasty creatures.
Bed aggressors are ectoparasites that live on the surface of the body and on the external organs of animals. But unlike most other ectoparasites, such as fleas and ticks, they also do not live on the host's skin. Bloodsuckers live in places called hiding places, such as under your mattress, where they are safe while they digest their food.
Cats and dogs can also carry furniture offenders from one home to another, especially in multi-unit buildings. If the animal has its bed next to a door or next to a crack in the wall, then it is possible that bed bugs will be attracted to it.
In addition, it is hypothetically possible that the bloodsucker hid under the collar of a cat or dog, although this is unlikely, since the collar will move a lot, so it is not entirely comfortable for him.
How to detect bites under fur?
The thick fur hides the blisters that are clearly visible on human skin. But if the animal behaves too nervously, often itches, and hair falls out in places where it was scratched, you need to carefully examine its skin. Bedbug bites can be identified by small holes, red spots and slight swelling at the puncture sites
First of all, you need to pay attention to the armpits and groin area. There the skin is more delicate and the fur is not so thick
The anesthetic substance, which the insect injects under the skin when biting so that it is not immediately detected, can subsequently cause not only itching and burning, but also a severe allergic reaction. Therefore, a pet that has been attacked by bedbugs needs immediate help.
Bite areas should be lubricated with one of the topical preparations for animals: Colaflox, Unisan, Ranosan, or at least Ichthyol ointment. They heal wounds well and counteract infections that could be introduced. In case of an allergic reaction, Fenistil gel helps well, but in case of severe swelling or frequent shallow breathing, the pet should be taken to the veterinarian as quickly as possible.
Bedbugs, unlike fleas, are unable to jump and move quickly, but when detected, they try to quickly hide from sight. But ticks are unable to escape from the crime scene. If motionless dark spots similar to round growths are found on the skin or fur of an animal, then these are most likely not bedbugs, but ticks. And you certainly won’t find bedbugs on your pet’s body during the daytime, since they go out hunting exclusively at night.
An alarming symptom is the attack of blood-sucking parasites on animals when people are nearby. This indicates a huge concentration of harmful insects that lack food supply. In such cases, it is necessary to immediately call specialists from the sanitary service and completely disinfect the premises. But it’s easier to prevent parasites from entering your home. Very rarely they get there on the fur of animals returning from a walk. They are usually brought in with used furniture.
Is it possible to bring bed bugs from outside?
No, cats and dogs cannot bring in bed bugs from outside. These creatures don't live on the streets. They live only indoors, in people's homes or perhaps within the walls of residential buildings.
Although bed bugs have many similarities to ticks, they do not find hosts in the same way as ticks, which sit on long blades of grass, waiting for people or animals to pass by so they can bite.
Furniture pests can only travel by hiding somewhere safe, such as in someone's bag, public transport/taxi/car or discarded clothing.
So, if wingless monsters can't live outside, where did they come from? They came from "bats". These are insects that lived in caves and fed on bats while they slept. When people started living in caves, they offered much more food (blood) than bats, so these insects began to follow them.
Similar parasites
Bed bug attacks are often confused with other insects that infest pets, most notably fleas. It is quite easy to distinguish fleas from bedbugs. First of all, fleas are much smaller - their average size is 1-3 millimeters versus 5-6 millimeters of bedbugs. Unlike the latter, fleas can jump high and have long, powerful legs.
A bedbug infestation can often be confused with a regular tick, which an animal can pick up while walking down the street. Here, too, it is quite difficult to make a mistake - the sucking mites are motionless and have eight legs.
Can bedbugs live in cat or dog droppings?
No, bed monsters cannot live in a cat or dog litter box for many reasons.
The answer to the question is negative. Their bodies are too wide and bulky for them to burrow into loose objects such as cat or dog droppings. It just won't occur to them. But more importantly, cat litter is made from silica gel crystals, which are famous for keeping things dry (which is why you find silica gel packets in packaging). When insects come into contact with silica gel, it can dry them out. Diatomaceous earth works the same way.
As for whether insects can live in the tray itself or under it, they definitely can. They can easily be compressed under it or hidden under the plastic handle on the side. But this can only happen with the most serious infections.
What are the symptoms of bed bug bites in cats and dogs?
The symptoms of furniture parasite bites in our pets are the same as in humans. Bed bugs cause pink welts or spots at the site of the bite. They often appear in clusters or in a line, especially when many bed bugs are feeding at the same time. This is because bed bugs are attracted to the smell of their fellows (this is how they get home after feeding).
You will notice this because your cat or dog is scratching and grooming itself more than usual. Excessive grooming is usually a sign of parasites.
How do bed bugs hurt cats and dogs?
The most obvious way to attack pets is for the cat to constantly scratch at the bite marks, as they can be very itchy.
Small scratch wounds may even bleed. These open wounds can potentially become infected if the cat does not allow them to heal. Try to keep them clean if this is the case.
However, keep in mind that neither people nor pets have the same reaction to bites. Some people get a rash when they are bitten, while others do not. Some people's wounds are itchy, others are not. Some people don't even get spots at all. The same applies to animals, so your cat or dog may or may not have these symptoms.
Do cats eat bed bugs?
Cats and dogs don't usually hunt insects, but they may. Insects do not form a significant part of their diet. Most people have seen cats watching flies and even knocking them down. Although it is usually done as a game, the cat does not eat the fly.
In the wild, an animal must take what it can get. Their instinct kicks in and tells them to eat what's in front of them. This is why your cat may hunt mice (or, less spectacularly, flies and bedbugs) even if they are well fed at home.
Do Dogs Eat Bed Bugs?
Dogs are natural predators, but they will happily snack on tiny insects and the like if they can find them. And, yes, that includes bed bugs.
If your dog were to see an insect running across the floor, he might decide to eat it. The natural chase instinct kicks in, and because bed bugs are not fast, your dog is guaranteed to catch them.
Dogs are excellent at hunting this type of parasite. One of the best ways to detect them is to use dogs, which can smell bed bugs, even if they are hidden in a mattress or a crack in the wall. By doing so, they can help you get rid of the infestation, since you can easily kill all the visible parasites, but the hidden ones will survive and restart the infestation from scratch. You should find a dog that has been trained to hunt bed bugs.
Can eating bed bugs make your pet sick?
This type of insect is not toxic in itself. Even if you feel sick at the thought of eating these nasty critters, it doesn't mean there's anything in them that could harm you or your pet.
Generally, eating an insect will not harm the animal. In fact, they are just like any other insect. The only exception is if you have previously tried to poison bedbugs with something, especially permethrin. Permethrin is an insecticide component that can be found in pest bombs and sprays.
Why is permethrin so dangerous? It is very toxic to small animals, especially cats. If a cat comes into contact with permethrin, it can cause serious harm. If she were to eat or touch a poisoned bug that had been sprayed with permethrin, your cat could die. The same applies to tea tree oil sprays. Pets are sensitive to essential oils and ingesting them will cause serious illness.
The problem with annoying critters is that they hide. Most will live in bedding, on the underside of your mattress or box spring. So, in order for your pet to eat them, you would have to turn the mattress over and make sure it is clean.
How to Check Cats and Dogs for Bed Bugs
Check your cat and dog for bite marks and welts as described above.
If they have a bed, check it to see if there are bed bugs on, in, or around it. Also look for fecal stains (small black spots), red dots (old blood from bite marks) and discarded shells that bed bugs leave behind when they shed.
Whether you see all this or not, wash the bedding on high heat or buy a new one. There may be eggs there that you might not have noticed.
Check all the places where your cat sleeps. Are there predators under or inside furniture nearby? Turn over the chairs or sofa and see if there are bed bugs. And if there are cracks in the wall or gaps in the sideboard nearby, check those too.
Bed bugs vs fleas vs ticks on cats and dogs
Cats and dogs can get ticks during their active season. And they can get fleas too. But there are two important differences between bed bugs and fleas and ticks: appearance and behavior.
In terms of behavior, bed bugs do not stay in your cat or dog's fur. They stay in their bed/near the bed and wait for the cat to fall asleep. Then they come out, usually at night, because they don't like the light. They will feed for twenty minutes before hiding again. Fleas constantly remain in the cat's fur, and ticks are firmly attached.
In appearance, bed bugs are about the size of a small apple seed. They have two distinctive antennae protruding at angles from the front of their head and are light brown in color. The fleas are the size of a grain of sand and black. Ticks are similar to bed bugs, but they have more obvious legs and do not run as fast as bed bugs.
Bedbugs also leave more visible bite marks than fleas.
Most attractive prey
Thanks to a varied diet, human blood contains all the substances necessary for insects, as a result of which bedbugs attack him. Only in the absence of people for a long time do the insects that parasitize them begin to starve, which is why they are forced to attack other warm-blooded inhabitants of the home. First of all, parrots, canaries, as well as small animals: domestic rats, guinea pigs, hamsters will suffer from bites. But do bedbugs bite dogs and cats? Yes, if the hunger is severe, and the bloodsuckers cannot find other sources of food.
Bed bugs feed at night, accurately searching for their prey by smell. Insects find it more attractive than the aroma emanating from animals. But it is not only the taste and smell of blood that makes humans the main source of food for bloodsuckers. He is vulnerable because his body is not covered with hair, access to the skin is free, and the skin itself is much thinner than the skin of animals. In the absence of people, birds and small rodents will be attacked first by insects. But only an adult bug can bite through the more durable skin of a cat or dog. A young insect that does not have sufficient strength and powerful jaws is not able to do this.
Another reason why bed bugs almost never touch pets is the thick fur and even thicker undercoat that covers the animals’ bodies. Neither strong teeth nor intimidating size can scare off the parasite, so the smooth-haired Doberman is easier prey for it than the small but very fluffy Pekingese. It is almost impossible for a Siberian or Persian cat to be bitten by a bug, while a hairless Sphynx cat may be the first to suffer in the absence of its owners.
1 serving of drunk blood is enough for an insect to last 1-2 weeks, so pets are at risk only if there is a long absence of people. Neighbors or friends who look after animals and come to feed them during the day are of no interest to bedbugs, since they attack only at night. Because of this, a cat walking or hunting at night is the least suitable target for bedbug attack. They need the victim to remain motionless for some time, so a sleeping dog, not to mention a person, is in greater danger than an awake cat.
Do bedbugs cause diseases in cats and dogs?
Bed bug bites can cause an allergic reaction in your cat and dog. According to an article in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, bed bugs can cause a reaction similar to that which causes asthma.
Parasites of all types can cause allergic reactions, whether they are internal or external. This results in the usual symptoms of an allergic reaction, including:
- Pink skin, especially around bite marks
- Swelling, local or throughout the body in the worst case
- Runny nose
It is very important that you rule out other potential causes of this inflammation/allergic reaction before blaming bed bugs. The problem could be a different parasite or something else entirely. Either way, take them to the vet so they can determine the problem.
Dangerous neighbors
The facts of transmission of viral and infectious diseases during a bite are not known to medicine. But wounds left by insects cause allergies: the skin around them turns red, itches, and swells. When scratching, it is easy to introduce an infection into the body, which can have serious consequences. Frequent bites of parasites provoke the appearance of iron deficiency anemia in animals.
Wild types of bedbugs are much more dangerous and aggressive. You should beware of bites when visiting tropical countries, because the small bugs carry fatal diseases on their proboscis. When going home, it’s a good idea to check your suitcases so as not to bring home dangerous cargo.
What else should you know?
People usually notice secondary signs of a bedbug infestation before they discover the live parasite itself.
If you notice translucent exoskeletons, black stains of insect droppings, or red blood stains on the sheets around the house, there is no need to look for bite marks. Start fighting insects.
Live beetles range in color from rusty to bright red depending on how long ago they fed. They can hide in bed frames, box springs, papers on the floor, curtain rods, even small folds of wallpaper that have come off the wall. There is a known case where bed bugs were even located in a person’s prosthetic leg!
A little history
The first blood-sucking bugs were content with the blood of rodents. They lived in the wild, so mouse holes served as their home. But with the advent of man, everything changed: thin and smooth human skin turned out to be much more seductive. Since then, bed bugs have inextricably linked their lives with humanity.
Where do parasites come from? They come from distant countries in suitcases, run away from unscrupulous neighbors, and hide in the folds of clothes when visiting guests. Often insects enter an apartment along with new furniture or household appliances. Bugs are very inventive in conquering new territories.
Can a pet bring an insect into the house?
Bedbugs and Pets
A person who keeps a pet, especially those species that walk outside, is often concerned whether the cat can bring bedbugs into the house. To answer this question, you should remember the ways bedbugs get into the room:
- an infected neighboring apartment - bloodsuckers will move through the ventilation system and other cracks;
- they arrive with purchased old furniture;
- are brought into the house with the owner’s belongings after staying in public hotels, state clinics and other institutions where sanitation suffers.
The bug is nocturnal and mostly sleeps during the day, so the chances of an animal bringing the parasite into the house are negligible.
The following facts confirm that a cat or dog cannot bring bedbugs:
- The host body is only a temporary location for the bedbug during the feeding period. After a series of bites, the well-fed individual returns to the nest to sleep.
- The parasite may use a cat or other animal as a means of transportation, giving it the ability to migrate from one room to another in search of food. A well-developed sense of smell helps an insect smell blood.
- A cat, dog and other animal cannot become a habitat for a bedbug due to the fact that the bloodsucker prefers to settle as close as possible to human sleeping places. From there it is easier and faster to get to the food facility. The opinion that bloodsuckers live on cats or dogs is wrong.
Important!
If a bug is found in the apartment, you should not let your pet into this room, then it will not be able to carry the pest, which will become an obstacle to its spread.
The insect does not live in grass, trees, or other outdoor vegetation. The only possible option for an animal to bring a bedbug into an apartment is if it often walks through basements or visits a house where there are already bloodsuckers. In this case, the bug will be able to cling to the dog’s fur and move to another apartment.
Power Mechanism
Regardless of the habitat of bed bugs, all these representatives have a piercing-sucking type, a well-developed oral apparatus, with the help of which they suck in liquid matter. The jaws are presented in the form of a proboscis, with stilettos inside. They act like scissors. When extending, the stilettos simply pierce the body intended for nutrition. There are also 2 channels in the trunk. One of them serves to absorb food, the other - to inject the secretion of the salivary glands, containing a large amount of active substances:
- similar to anesthetics, they relieve pain during a bite;
- enzymes that digest proteins;
- toxic substances of a neuroparalytic nature;
- toxic components that can kill prey with saliva (typical of predators).
Prevention
To prevent the bug from getting to the animal, simple prevention will help:
- Vacuum your cat and dog rug regularly.
- It is recommended to wash your pet's bedding 2 times a month.
- If possible, steam the laundry after washing.
- Periodically inspect not only the place where the dog or cat lives, but also the most favorite habitats of bedbugs: mattresses, sofas, baseboards.
Bed bugs can actually bite your pet. This will only happen in exceptional situations when there is no person nearby. In all other cases, the insect will prefer human blood.
Danger to poultry
Not only animals, but also birds can be at risk from bedbugs. Chickens are especially often at risk. Insect saliva, injected under the skin during a bite, causes severe itching in poultry. But the main danger is that infections can get in with saliva.
Night bites of parasites lead to birds beginning to behave restlessly and stop laying eggs. Chickens that have been bitten usually look very scared, fuss, and do not stand still. Over time, the natural shine of the feathers disappears, they no longer lie smoothly, they are ruffled. There are times when chickens begin to lose plumage and body weight. This is explained by the fact that young birds due to this situation develop anemia, which can lead to the death of the chicken. Parasite bites also cause inflammation of the mucous membranes. When a brood hen is attacked by bedbugs, she may leave behind a clutch of eggs. This can also happen at a later date.
In addition to chickens, parasites pose a danger to other poultry. The exception is waterfowl. They have dense plumage and thick skin.
Where to look for bedbugs in a chicken coop
If bedbug bites are found on domestic chickens, then immediate action must be taken. First, you need to determine the habitat of the parasites. It is worth considering that bedbugs are quite tenacious insects, and if the chicken coop has been empty for a long time, this does not mean that the parasites have disappeared.
Where is the first place to look for dangerous insects? Bedbugs often hide in secluded places: chicken nests, cracks, joints, various wooden fastenings. You can also find parasites under bird droppings, which retain heat and moisture well, thereby creating ideal conditions for the existence of bedbugs.
In chicken coops, insects are not afraid of frost, since they are securely hidden in the cracks of the structure or nest. Moreover, they are able to remain in a state of suspended animation for up to one year, that is, do without food. Therefore, having decided to populate an empty chicken coop with young chickens, it is necessary to clean it and carefully check the possible habitats of parasites.
What ointments can you prepare yourself?
If bedbugs appear in the house, they will constantly bite a person until they are destroyed. We should not forget that bloodsuckers are dangerous and bites cannot go unnoticed. They cause irritation, the resulting itching forces you to scratch the bite site and redness and wounds appear on it that need to be treated. In addition to ready-made medications, you can prepare your own ointment for bedbugs. The following tools are used for this:
- Aloe. This unique plant can relieve swelling, eliminate redness, relieve pain and reduce itching. Aloe leaves should be cut and poured with vodka or alcohol. The resulting mixture is infused for several days, resulting in a good ointment that should be used to treat the affected areas. It should be stored in a cool place or in the refrigerator.
- Soda. Ointments for bedbug bites can be made using soda. You need to mix soda (5 tablespoons) with water. The consistency should be like thick sour cream. The ointment should be applied to the bite site. Baking soda has a calming effect, it can eliminate itching, heal wounds and is a disinfectant.
- To prevent bedbugs from biting, wild rosemary is used. Only ground shoots of this plant are suitable for ointment. First they need to be dried in the fresh air for two weeks. After this, they are crushed and 2 tbsp. spoons of wild rosemary are combined with 5 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil. The prepared mixture is placed in a container, closed, and left to infuse for 12 hours. After that you can smear it on. You need to treat areas after bites several times a day. To improve the effect, the mixture can be prepared with the addition of chamomile, calendula and plantain. You should be aware that this ointment should not be used by pregnant women and people with hypersensitive skin. If you decide to smear your child with it, it is better not to do this, since wild rosemary is a poisonous plant.
The main thing is don’t panic
In short, bed bugs are no more dangerous to cats than they are to people. These insects can indeed bite your pets, but you are much more likely to become a victim of parasites than some Barsik or Snowball. The figures from official statistics look more convincing - out of 100% of bedbug bites, cats get only 1%. Why is this happening?
- Cats, like bedbugs, are predominantly nocturnal creatures. Therefore, they are quite capable of driving away parasites or simply getting away from them. In such a situation, it is much easier for bedbugs to attack a sleeping person. In addition, even the largest bedbug colony will have enough of one victim - an adult drinks only 7 ml of blood.
- Getting to the animal's skin through the fur is not the easiest task for this clumsy insect. Usually, bedbugs simply become entangled in the fur and, in the worst case, bite the cat only in the most delicate places not covered by fur - the groin and armpit areas. Owners of hairless sphinxes also have nothing to worry about - even the powerful proboscis of a bedbug cannot penetrate the rough skin of these animals.
- According to popular belief, these insects live in cat fur, like fleas. However, this is not at all true - primarily because these insects prefer stationary objects for life. In addition, the bedbug is a rather large creature, much larger than a flea. Even the laziest cat will quickly shake out uninvited guests from his fur. Some pets, in particular dogs, can bring parasites and their larvae into the room, thereby infecting it. However, this usually does not happen with cats - they are too clean.
The only exceptions can be situations in which insects are left without a “food supply”. For example, if the owners leave the infected premises for a long time and leave the cat under the supervision of neighbors. In this case, hungry parasites may bite cats.
Let's sum it up
Having answered the question “do bedbugs bite pets?”, I would like to emphasize once again that parasites can cause serious inconvenience to pets. Therefore, as soon as you suspect that there are uninvited guests in the apartment, immediately proceed to serious action.
Many owners believe that insects are only interested in human blood, so they deliberately leave residential buildings with the hope that the bugs will “leave” hungry. Nothing like this. Bed bugs will either bite domestic animals or wait for the return of the main “food items”. Therefore, do not waste your time and take care of your four-legged friends - they cannot fend for themselves!
Sources
- https://dezincity.ru/klop/o-klopah/kusajut-li-postelnye-klopy-domashnih-zhivotnyh
- https://klopy.geradez.ru/kusayut-li-klopy-koshek-ru
- https://KlopVred.ru/klopy/kusayut-li-postelnye-klopy-koshek-i-sobak/
- https://GdeKlop.ru/klopy/kusayut-li-klopy-domashnih-zhivotnyh/
- https://parazitdoma.ru/klopy/kusayut-li-klopy-domashnih-zhivotnyh
- https://netzhukam.ru/klopy/ukusy-klopov/kusayut-li-klopy-koshek.html
- https://notklop.ru/klopy/o-klopah/klopy-i-domashnie-zhivotnye/
[collapse]
Rodents
Various types of rodents are quite vulnerable to bedbug bites - hamsters, rats, guinea pigs and chinchillas. It is this category of animals that is considered the main source of food for parasites in nature. “Wild” bedbugs love to live in warm rodent burrows and bite them in places not covered by fur. A sign that bloodsuckers are attacking your pet are red spots and bald spots on the skin - the animal will scratch the bite site and pull out the fur.
