Bed Bugs and Your Pets

Our fully inclusive guide on the bed bug in relation to your pets.

Bed bugs feed on the blood of warm blooded creatures, and are particularly attracted to carbon dioxide. Of course, humans are their first choice, but with so many of us having furry friends in the home nowadays, we must ask the question, what about our pets?

Whether it’s bed bugs and cats, or bed bugs and dogs, we must question how this will impact our animals. Can they catch and spread bed bugs like they can fleas?

Read on for our fully inclusive guide on the bed bug in relation to your pets.

Can Bed Bugs Travel on Pets?

One of our most commonly asked questions is whether or not pets can aid in the spreading of bed bugs, and whether or not they can be used as a mode of transport for them from place to place.

Simply, yes. These little critters can hitch a ride on our fur babies, and they can get on them in order to travel – but the pet in question cannot become infested themselves.

Although they can’t live on our pets, they might be tempted to have a little nibble on them every now and then, however. More on that later.

Bed bugs are known as being talented hitchhikers. Furthermore, animals can carry them as easily as they could carry any other pest, however, bed bugs are far less likely to travel on a pet, than they would be on a human, given the choice.

The likelihood of your cat or dog transporting bed bugs is highly unlikely if they have been treated with a flea and tick medication, so be sure to keep this up to date!

Will My Pet be Bitten by Bed Bugs?

The answer in short is yes, bed bugs might bite your pets. However they’re only likely to do this if they’ve gone a very long time without feeding on a human. Think of it as a last resort meal.

The main reason for this is because the blood of your pet does not meet the nutritional requirements of a bed bug like yours does.  

Does This Mean Bed Bugs Prefer Humans to Animals?

Yes. Bed bugs do generally prefer to feed on humans than animals – but that doesn’t mean they won’t feed on animals too.

The reason they prefer human feeding is, not only because of the nutritional factors in their blood, but also because they’re hairless. The fur of animals makes it far more difficult for the bed bug to feed effectively, so it’s basically a preference for what’s easier.

However, scientifically speaking, bed bugs can feed on literally any warm blooded animal, and presented with an opportunity while hungry, they will gladly snack on the blood of your pet. It’s just that you would have been their first choice…

Think of it as having to order your second choice dish at a restaurant because they’d ran out of your favourite.

Why Might a Bed Bug Choose to Bite my Pet?

Last of all, but not least, if animals are their second choice, why might a bed bug choose to bite my pet?

The main reasons why a bed bug will bite and feed on a household pet are the following:

•         The bed bug is extremely hungry.
•         They are unable to reach any areas occupied with humans.
•         The pet is acting a transfer of location for the bug.
•         The pet is sleeping in an infested area.
•         The pet sleeps with its’ owner in the bed.
•         The animal is older, and struggles to defend itself.

Thanks for reading!