During that time, she will consume about 15 times her bodyweight in blood. Although the male fleas do not take as much blood, they, too, contribute to significant blood loss. This can lead to the cat having an insufficient number of red blood cells, which is known as anemia . In young or debilitated cats, the anemia may be severe enough to cause death. Contrary to popular belief, most cats have rather limited itching due to flea bites.
Many cats become allergic to the saliva in the flea's mouth.
When these cats are bitten, intense itching occurs, causing the cat to scratch and chew on its skin. Successful flea control must rid the cat of fleas and it must rid the cat's environment of fleas. In fact, environmental control is probably more important than what is done to the cat. If your cat remains indoors and you do not have other pets that come in from the outside, environmental control is relatively easy. The cat that goes outdoors or stays outdoors presents a significant challenge.