Yesterday – fleas.
Today – springtails.
The tales of trials and tribulations of cat feeders (and their charges) continue.

Springtails are sometimes mistaken for fleas, but they are quite different. For a start, springtails are not insects but tiny arthropods which inhabit damp areas, for instance leaf mulch (and there were plenty such areas in the garden, especially under the olive tree). The role of the springtail is similar to that of the earthworm, inasmuch as they both break down organic matter and contribute to a healthy ecosystem.

Although springtails are wingless, they can jump which can sometimes lead to their confusion with fleas but, unlike fleas, they are not harmful to cats or humans.

A good example of springtails in fur was young Sherpa, the last surviving kitten of Dawn’s litter, who had been brought to the garden for weaning. Spending most of his time under the olive tree meant that Sherpa’s fur was speckled with springtails, and his mother’s reluctance to care adequately for her tiny son meant that Sherpa’s fur was never cleaned as it should have been.

One of the first things that Sherpa’s adoptive mother Cheese did when we placed him with her (in desperation), was to thoroughly clean him, closely followed by teaching him how to wash himself.

The difference was stark – within two days, Sherpa’s fur was clean; he was calmer and happier.

Although Sherpa would not have been bitten or harmed by the springtails, they were a constant source of annoyance (as this human can testify, having found plenty of springtails crawling up their legs), so to have clean fur must have been a big relief.