Cat Flea vs Dog Flea
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Cat Flea | Dog Flea |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ctenocephalides felis | Ctenocephalides canis |
| Order | Siphonaptera | Siphonaptera |
| Family | Pulicidae | Pulicidae |
| Size | 1.5-3 mm | 2-3.5 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Underground |
| Diet | Blood Feeders | Blood Feeders |
| Regions | Worldwide | Europe, Asia, Africa, North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Cat Flea
The most common flea on both cats and dogs worldwide. Can jump up to 150 times its body length. A single female can produce up to 2,000 eggs in her lifetime.
Did You Know?
Fleas can jump 150 times their body length — equivalent to a human leaping over a 75-story building. They achieve this using a pad of elastic protein called resilin.
Dog Flea
A flea historically associated with domestic dogs but actually less common on dogs than the cat flea. Distinguished by its more rounded head profile.
Did You Know?
Despite being called the dog flea, this species is often outnumbered on dogs by cat fleas at a ratio of ten to one.