Cat Health & Care

Ticks

Cat Care > Cat Parasites > External Parasites > Ticks

Like mites, ticks are parasitic members of the class Arachnida, which includes spiders, and are not insects. They are uncommon parasites of cats, and the most likely one to be encountered is the species found on hedgehogs, Ixodes hexagonus. Other species found in moorland and upland areas are normally parasitic on sheep but can also affect cats living in country areas.

Cats usually acquire ticks during the warm summer months after going through thick grass and other dense vegetation. A tick has piercing, biting mouth parts and fastens itself firmly onto the skin, often on the inside of the thighs or abdomen, ears, head or neck. A tick is quite small when it first latches on to the cat but is still easily visible as a small, dark-colored protuberance with short, black, waving legs. It may be quite difficult to detect amongst a cat's dense fur. The tick feeds on blood and swells to become quite large, often turning a pinkish-orange color. A cat may not seem to be bothered by its presence, but it can also be intensely painful and irritating.

An attempt can be made to remove the tick, but it is important to do this correctly and to make sure that all the parasite is removed. A common mistake is to try to pull off the tick, but this merely separates the abdomen from the rest of the body and leaves the head and mouth parts firmly embedded in the skin. When this happens, there is a risk of the development of a painful and septic skin abscess.

The correct method is to 'anaesthetize' the parasite by applying a pad of cotton wool soaked in surgical spirit, alcohol or insecticidal solution to induce the mouth parts to relax. The body of the tick should then be grasped with tweezers or fingers and moved from side to side and then twisted in an anticlockwise direction, when it is to be hoped the whole body will be dislodged. If this fails, a veterinary surgeon can supply a suitable preparation that will kill the tick and provide some protection against further infestation.

If it is not detected, a tick eventually drops off its host when sufficiently engorged with blood in order to breed and complete its life cycle. Ticks can attach themselves to any suitable passing mammal, including cats, dogs and people.

There has been increasing concern recently about a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks called Lyme disease. The bacteria are passed on by the bite of an infected tick and cause a potentially serious inflammatory illness in people, early signs of which are a characteristic red skin rash and 'flu-like symptoms. Not all ticks carry these bacteria, but it is important to take these parasites seriously and to destroy, by burning, any that are removed from a cat. People who walk in an area where ticks are known to be present are advised to wear long trousers tucked into boots, to avoid dense vegetation and to report to their doctor if they become ill after receiving a tick bite.