Do Bed Bugs Attack Household Pets Or Only Us?

Everyone knows how aggressive bed bugs are. These pests come out at night and attack you relentlessly, biting however many times they feel like. But do bed bugs attack pets? The answer is yes. These vicious pests have no qualms about feeding from your pets. Here’s what you need to know about this.

Why bed bugs attack pets

There are a few things you need to understand about this topic. First of all, the accepted consensus is that bed bugs have evolved over thousands of years for their anatomy alongside humans. These bugs have adapted to the point where they exclusively live with and feed on humans. In fact, this problem has been written about since the days of the Romans. That’s how long these bugs have been around.

That being said, that doesn’t mean that bed bugs are not capable of reverting back to their primitive state. We’re referring back to the days before these bugs were “domesticated.” During this period, these bugs lived in nature and fed on whatever animals they could find. This is basically why bed bugs attack pets. The point is that these bugs are not fussy eaters. All they are looking for is blood. They do not care where it comes from. This is why bed bugs attack pets and humans alike.

How can I tell if bed bugs have bitten my pet?

But how do you know if bed bugs are actually attacking your pets? Unfortunately, this is extremely difficult to discern. It’s difficult to look at your pet’s coat and figure out exactly what is biting them. It could be fleas, it could be bed bugs, it could be something else. Basically, is your dog or cat frequently scratching themselves? If this is the case, then something has bitten them.

What you want to look for is correlation. If bed bugs are biting you, then there’s a good chance your pets are being bitten. This is especially true if the infestation is severe. If the problem has gone on for several months, then you could be dealing with hundreds of bed bugs. This enormous number of bugs will need more food than you can provide.

They may also have spread throughout the entire property, and can hide in weird places. In this case, they may have come into contact with your pets and begun feeding on them. Finally, another reason why bed bugs attack pets is because our pets sleep a lot longer than we do. This gives bed bugs more opportunities to feed from them.

If you have a bed bug problem, this can be dealt with. You and your pets do not have to suffer.