Home Remedies for Cats With Ticks
Ticks are small, blood-sucking insects that attach themselves to warm-blooded animals by burying their mouth parts into the skin. Once a tick begins to feed, its body expands, often to many times normal. A gorged tick may look like a small mole or roundish bump of odd-colored flesh. Ticks are usually found on vegetation, several feet off the ground, and drop onto passing animals such as your cat or dog.Because their mouth parts make contact with the bloodstream of the host, ticks can transmit diseases, most notably Lyme disease. It's important, then, that ticks be removed as soon as possible -- and with their entire body intact. The longer the tick is imbedded, the greater the risk of spreading anything it might be carrying, and any part of the tick left behind could still contain infectious matter.
What to Do
Keep out of the country. Cats that remain indoors almost never get ticks, unless they're carried in by other pets, people, or rodent pests. Even if your cat goes outdoors in a "controlled" way (on a handheld leash, for example), keep her away from tall grass and out from under bushes and shrubs -- anywhere ticks could be lurking, waiting to drop.
 ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. While it might not be an option for everyone, cats that never go outside will not get ticks. |
Nice and easy does it. Check your cat for ticks any time she goes outdoors, especially in more suburban and rural settings and during warmer weather. If you find a tick on your cat's body, it's important to remove it quickly. The best way to do this is to grasp the tick at the skin line with a pair of forceps or tweezers. Try to grab the tick as close to its head as possible and pull gently and steadily straight out from the cat's body. Forget what you may have learned about burning ticks out; it doesn't work well, and you run the risk of badly singeing or burning your cat.
It ain't over 'til it's over. Ticks are hardy creatures. When you remove one, don't assume it's dead or that you'll be rid of it by throwing it in the garbage or sending it down the drain or toilet. They can crawl back out from any of these destinations, ready to attach themselves to the next mammal that happens by. Throwing them outdoors gets them out of your house but may just be passing the problem along to someone else. It's best to put the removed tick immediately into a small jar with rubbing alcohol or insecticide, and then seal the jar securely. This method not only ensures the demise of the little pest and seals off any escape, it preserves the insect in case the tick-bite victim develops complications.
Watch for complications. Once you remove a tick from your cat, keep a close eye on her for the next week or so. Ticks can carry some serious diseases, so contact your vet at the first sign of sickness, especially fever, loss of appetite, listlessness, or apparent stiffness or aching in the joints. Sometimes the tick bite itself can cause a progressive weakness in the back legs of the cat, a condition called tick-bite paralysis. This usually clears up on its own, once the tick is removed.
When to Call the Vet
Contact your veterinarian if your cat shows any signs of illness within a week or so after you remove a tick, or if any redness or swelling develops at the bite location. Ticks are small and can be easily missed, so be particularly aware of symptoms any time your cat goes outdoors -- even if you don't see any ticks.
DANGER LEVEL: Because ticks carry some diseases, tick bites should be considered moderately dangerous; however, in areas where Lyme disease is prevalent, tick bites should be treated as dangerous.
Ticks aren't the only nasty little critter that can latch on to your cat. In the next section, we will show you how to keep your cat free of fleas.
