Mary Allen
A silky, smooth, and shiny coat is a definite characteristic of the health of your little fur nose. While the animals take care of most of the care themselves, there are also special tasks for you as the owner. This includes keeping away or removing parasites. Ticks are unpleasant contemporaries that not only cause pain but also transmit disease. Here you can find out all the interesting facts about “ticks in cats”.
Ticks in Cats
- Outdoor animals who like to go on their daily forays into nature are particularly susceptible to ticks.
- Popular spots for a tick bite in cats are the neck, ears, chin, and chest.
- When a tick bites, the cat has symptoms such as itching, swelling, and inflammation in the affected area.
- If you want to remove ticks from cats without tick tongs, you need tweezers or a tick lasso as an alternative.
Ticks in Cats: This is How Cuddly Tigers Catch Parasites and This is How You Recognize It
Usually, spring through autumn is the high season for ticks. The parasites are real nuisances for humans and animals. They prefer to hide in the grass or in a pile of autumn leaves. This is of course a paradise for playful little kitties to run around and romp around. However, it is also possible for ticks to bite into it when strolling through front gardens and parks. While tick larvae lurk in the ground, the tick nymphs are up to 1.5 meters high.
In a few seconds, the tick digs its way into a soft part of the cat’s skin with precision. They prefer skin areas such as the neck, ears, chest, and chin. The parasites are also happy to settle on the neck, anus, or eyes of the animals. Once the first contact has been made, the tick will bite into it. If the four-legged friend discovers the intruder on its own body, it scratches it.
This only tears off the tick body. Inflammation quickly develops here because the head of the parasite is still deep in the skin. The tick stays here for four days and sucks itself full. When it is plump and “full”, it falls off. However, as a pet owner, you should react and remove them beforehand.
To identify ticks in cats, you should first search the classic places on the body. Especially if you have a small outdoor dog. As a rule, the area of skin where the tick’s head is stuck is swollen, inflamed, and therefore clearly visible.
Signs of a Tick Bite
In general, no changes in nature or mood can be determined. Symptoms often show up on the skin. Ticks in cats can be recognized by swelling of the skin. These are like little bumps exactly where the parasite is. This is called local inflammation. Sometimes redness also occurs. The so-called tick allergy, which develops with a frequent infestation, is worse. This allergy is particularly common in older cats. The animals are allergic to the parasite’s saliva, so the swelling and inflammation are stronger. Pets that react particularly strongly to a tick bite have to struggle with skin diseases. Both uncomfortable lesions and skin necrosis can be signs of a violent reaction to a tick bite.
Tip: Pictures of ticks in cats will help one or the other pet owner. Especially when the animal is infested for the first time.
This is How You Help Your Four-legged Friend with Parasite Infestation
Ticks fall off on their own in cats when they have suckled themselves. But that is only the case after four days. During this period, the parasites are able to transmit various pathogens to the animal. For this reason, you must remove the ticks beforehand and prevent them from re-infesting.
- Effective tick protection for cats is special preparation that has a repellent or killing effect. Usually, ticks on cats can be removed very easily with tweezers, tick tongs, or a tick lasso.
- The anti-tick products for cats are available as spot-on preparations, sprays, or shampoos. It is important to ensure that the head is always removed in addition to the body when pulling and turning.
- Another way to prevent ticks in cats is with a tick collar for cats. When removing it, it makes sense to proceed very carefully. If the parasite is squeezed too hard, it secretes pathogens into the animal’s wound.
- Not every anti-tick agent is suitable for every animal. The consultation with the vet brings light into the darkness. After removing it, it is advisable to kill the tick with a lighter. Then it can be disposed of.
Why are Ticks Dangerous in Cats?
It’s no secret that ticks can be dangerous in cats. Dogs are more susceptible, but house cats are also at risk of getting sick. This is particularly the case in the following situations:
- Ticks in cats are dangerous if the head is still in and difficult to remove.
- A potential risk arises with removal if the parasites are secreting toxins in the process.
- When the cat scratches the tick’s body and you can’t find the head.
Ticks are much more dangerous for humans. Diseases such as Lyme disease and TBE are possible consequences of a tick bite. In principle, however, ticks in cats cannot be transmitted to humans. The parasite has chosen the domestic animal as its host. However, you should never remove a tick with your bare fingers. This is an important safety measure so that ticks in cats do not become dangerous to humans.
Remove Ticks From Cats: This is How It Works
There is no doubt that removing ticks from cats is not a favorite pastime of owners and animals. However, it is very important to keep kittens healthy in the long term. The following tips will help you remove ticks from cats quickly and easily in the future:
- Distraction: Give your little ones a treat to distract them from the upcoming procedure.
- Refraining from home remedies: Please do not pretreat the tick with oil or nail polish.
- Pulling the skin apart: Use your fingers to spread the skin around the parasite. That way you have a better view.
- Apply tightly: The aid should be applied as close as possible to the cat’s body in order to effectively remove ticks from cats.
If your cat swallows a tick, there is nothing to worry about. The parasites only harm when they get into the bloodstream. Swallowing does not usually do this.