Bed bugs are strongly associated with people, but humans are not the only animals they can feed on. Dogs and cats can provide a blood meal too. Yes, bed bugs can bite and feed on dogs and cats. They primarily feed on people, however, and pets do not normally become infested in the way they can with fleas or lice. Bed bugs live in the surrounding environment, hide between meals, and may feed on a pet when one is available in an infested home.
Bed Bugs Can Feed on Dogs and Cats
Bed bugs need blood throughout their development, but their host range is not restricted exclusively to humans.
EPA notes that bed bugs prefer to feed on humans but will also feed on other mammals and birds. University of Minnesota Extension likewise confirms that bed bugs can feed on dogs, cats and other pets.
The Companion Animal Parasite Council describes the relationship more precisely. Bed bugs primarily feed on people, but they may also feed on dogs and cats living in an infested home.
So a pet can genuinely receive bed bug bites. What does not follow is that the animal becomes a permanent host carrying a reproducing bed bug population around in its coat.
Bed Bugs Don’t Live on Pets Like Fleas Do
This is probably the most important difference for pet owners.
Fleas are adapted to remain on animal hosts for substantial periods. Bed bugs behave differently. They emerge from environmental hiding places to obtain a blood meal and then retreat.
CAPC states that bed bugs live primarily in the infested environment, emerging to feed on people and other animals. Females also deposit their eggs in the environment rather than establishing a life cycle on the animal.
That means repeatedly searching through your dog’s or cat’s fur is unlikely to locate the main infestation.
Look instead at the places around the pet and the people in the home. A pet bed, nearby furniture, baseboards, cracks and other sheltered areas offer the kind of stationary hiding places bed bugs use between meals.
A Pet Is an Unlikely Way for Bed Bugs to Enter Your Home
A bed bug feeding on a dog and a dog introducing an infestation are two different questions.
Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers, but their usual transportation is associated with belongings. EPA identifies furniture, bedding, luggage, boxes and clothing as ways bed bugs move between locations.
CAPC reaches a similar conclusion for pets. Although transporting a bed bug on an animal or in pet bedding is theoretically possible, it considers pets an unlikely route for introducing bed bugs into a home.
Instead, infestations are commonly introduced through luggage, clothing, used furniture, backpacks and similar objects moved from an infested location.
If your concern is whether an animal can physically transport one rather than whether bed bugs feed on pets, can animals carry bed bugs into your home covers that question separately.
Check the Pet’s Sleeping Area, Not Just Its Fur
When a pet lives in a home with bed bugs, its sleeping area deserves attention during the inspection.
Bed bugs seek protected cracks and crevices near places where hosts regularly rest. EPA notes that they can travel roughly 5 to 20 feet from an established harborage to obtain a blood meal.
A pet bed used every night can therefore become relevant if bed bugs are active nearby.
Inspect seams, folds, zippers and the underside of the bed, along with cracks or gaps around the area where it sits. Look for actual bed bugs, shed skins, eggs and dark fecal spotting rather than trying to diagnose the problem from marks on the animal alone.
The same principle applies to human bites. University of Minnesota cautions that skin reactions alone cannot confirm a bed bug infestation because reactions vary and can resemble those caused by other insects or irritants.
Don’t Put Bed Bug Pesticides on Your Pet
A bed bug infestation should be treated in the environment, not by spraying the animal with a household bed bug pesticide. CAPC specifically notes that common flea-control products are not labeled for bed bugs and that treating pets would not be expected to control a household bed bug infestation.
Likewise, never apply a bed bug insecticide directly to a dog or cat unless that particular product is explicitly labeled for that use. EPA requires pesticides to be used according to their labels.
During professional treatment, pets may also need to be kept away from treated areas for a specified period. The correct procedure depends on the products or treatment method being used, so what to do with your pets during bed bug treatment covers that separately.
Your Pet Doesn’t Need to Leave Permanently
Having a dog or cat does not prevent a bed bug infestation from being eliminated.
The target is the infestation in the home. Removing the pet permanently does not address bed bugs hiding in mattresses, furniture, cracks, baseboards and other harborages.
Our view is that the pet should be treated as another potential blood source that needs to be considered during inspection and treatment, not as the cause of the infestation. Once the environmental infestation is eliminated, there is no bed bug population left to emerge and feed on either people or pets.
Questions About Bed Bugs and Pets
Can bed bug bites make a dog or cat sick?
A pet can react to insect bites, but a skin lesion alone cannot establish that bed bugs caused it. Unexplained itching, inflammation, hair loss or other skin problems should be assessed by a veterinarian rather than diagnosed as bed bug bites from appearance alone.
Can flea and tick medication prevent bed bug bites?
Do not assume so. CAPC states that flea-control products commonly used on pets are not labeled for bed bugs, and treating the animal is not considered an effective way to control a household bed bug infestation.
Can bed bugs lay eggs in a dog’s or cat’s fur?
Bed bugs normally deposit eggs in the surrounding environment rather than maintaining their life cycle on a pet. Their behavior is fundamentally different from parasites adapted to live continuously in an animal’s coat.
Should pet bedding be treated during a bed bug infestation?
Pet bedding located in an affected area should be included in the treatment plan. The appropriate method depends on the material and professional instructions. Washable and dryer-safe items can often be treated with laundering and heat, while other materials may require a different approach.