Cats are curious and love to explore. If you let your cat go outdoors, you will have to groom them to ensure that they don’t get infections. Ticks are one of the parasites that commonly cause discomfort and can lead to infections in cats.
Ticks commonly attach themselves to the head, neck, ears, and feet of cats. Removing a tick can be stressful, but it is necessary to keep your cat healthy.
Symptoms your Cat has Attracted a Tick
Ticks are eight-legged parasites that cling to their host’s body and feed on their blood. Cats are prone to diseases, so when a tick attaches to your cat, they have a greater chance of contracting a disease, such as ‘Q fever’ or Ehrlichiosis.
Symptoms that your cat may have picked up a tick include depression, anorexia, swollen glands and joints, vomiting, eye discharge, high fever, and miscarriages. Luckily, you will not miss out on spotting a tick. You can touch and feel your cat for bumps or lumps.
Removing a Tick from your Cat
As soon as you spot a tick on your cat, you need to remove it. This process must be done carefully, ensuring that the whole tick is removed, not leaving any part of the tick behind, especially the tick’s mouthparts, as this is where the infections lie.
Tools needed to Remove a Tick
You can remove a tick using a tick remover tool or by using a pair of tweezers. Check out our guide to find the best tick removal tools in the UK.
You may also want some cat-friendly antiseptic wipes, a pair of gloves, and a disposal container will need to be at the ready when you want to remove the tick. You may also want an extra pair of hands to help ensure your cat stays calm during the removal process.
Removal Process
As soon as your cat is calm, start the removal process by parting your cat’s fur so you can have an unobstructed view of the tick. Using a tick remover tool or tweezers, dislodge the tick carefully, ensuring that its entire body is pulled out, the mouthparts included. Promptly dispose of the tick. Repeat if necessary.
After removing the tick(s) from your cat, clean the affected area(s) using antiseptic wipes. You should dispose of the gloves and also disinfect the tick removing tool for future use. If you did not successfully remove the tick, you should take your cat to the vet.
Contrary to popular belief rubbing petroleum jelly on the tick is not effective at getting rid of it, as the tick can still breathe. Also, burning it while it is still on your cat poses a significant risk to your cat.
Keeping the Ticks Away
Now that you know how to remove a tick from your cat, you must keep the ticks away. Ticks are found in areas that have dense shrubbery. If your cat ventures out to places such as this, they will be prone to getting ticks. You will need to continually groom and check your cat for ticks.
A simple and effective way to keep ticks away it so put a flea collar on your cat. You can also protect your cat from the ticks by including a cat flea treatment into your cats’ grooming routine. It is effective and can work on tick and flea removal.
It enters the cat’s circulatory system, and when the ticks or fleas ingest the cat’s blood, the treatment acts immediately killing them. You can get guidance from your vet on how to apply the flea treatment. Try your best to keep the ticks and other parasites away from your feline friend.
