Removing Ticks From Cats

Ticks can be a problem for cats that spend any time outside. Deer ticks and dog ticks are the two types of ticks that commonly bite cats, dogs, or people. Ticks can be present on the grass, on leaves, or other locations that may put them in direct contact with a potential host. When a tick comes in contact with a host, it crawls to the skin and bites the host. A tick sucks blood from the host and in doing so, can spread diseases that can be dangerous for the host.

Ticks are tiny, parasitic insects that may be difficult to locate ticks on a pet. After a cat has been outdoors, the cat owner should check the cat for the presence of ticks. Feeling the skin of the cat, the cat owner should inspect any suspicious little bumps. A deer tick can be as tiny as the period on a typed page. Therefore, many deer ticks may go unnoticed. As they drink the blood of the host, ticks become engorged and easier to find. However, this increases the likelihood that they may not be found until a disease has been passed to the host.

If a tick is found, the cat owner should use tweezers to remove it. When a tick bites cats, the head of the tick is partially buried in the cat’s skin. The tick’s head may come off while it is being pulled from the cat. The cat owner should try to prevent this from happening by grabbing the tick as close to the head as possible. If the head does come off inside the cat’s skin, the veterinarian should be consulted. Leaving a tick head in the cat’s skin increases the risk of infection.

The veterinarian may recommend preventative measures, especially if the cat spends a lot of time outdoors. If the cat owner can prevent tick bites on cats, it protects the cat against Lyme disease and other diseases that can be spread by ticks. If the cat does get a tick, the cat owner may feel more comfortable having the tick removed by the veterinarian.