Outdoor cats should be checked regularly for ticks. The longer the parasites remain on the cat, the higher the risk of disease transmission. We show you how to remove ticks safely.
What types of ticks infest cats?
In Germany, the wood tick and the brown tick are the most common. Cats are also occasionally infested by the brown dog tick . Ticks can be recognized by their brownish oval body, four pairs of legs and the distinct biting apparatus. In their normal state, ticks are aroundthree to six millimeters in size. When fully engorged with blood, however, a female tick can grow to almost three centimeters in size. However, they are not always so clearly recognizable. In their development phase from egg to larva to nymph, they are only one to three millimeters in size.
Why are ticks dangerous?
The tiny amount of blood that a tick sucks is of no concern to cats. The problem is the diseases that ticks can transmit. They do not carry them from birth, but pick them up from host animals. At each stage of development, the pests look for a new host and migrate, for example, from a mouse to a hedgehog to a cat. If neither the mouse nor the hedgehog was sick, the cat has nothing to fear. However, if the host animals carried a pathogen, the tick may have picked it up during its blood meal and then transmitted it. Potential diseases include Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis.
Which cats are particularly at risk?
There is little to worry about with house tigers when it comes to ticks. Ticks mainly lurk in tall grass, bushes and woods. This is why outdoor cats in rural areas are most at risk. Except in winter, the bloodsuckers can be expected from spring to late fall. They detect potential hosts by their vibrations, smell andCO2 content in their breath. If the cat passes close enough to them, they drop or claw themselves. They then set off in search of a suitable bite site. They prefer thin areas of skin with good blood circulation and less dense fur. However, if they are disturbed here, they move to a place (such as the neck) that the cat cannot reach.
What tick protection is there for cats?
Cats cannot be protected from tick bites by vaccination. However, there are preparations that can be applied locally. Tick collars or spot-on preparations are suitable for this. Collars must be worn at all times to ensure protection against ticks. One disadvantage of the tick collar is the risk of the cat getting caught in the bushes. Most cat owners therefore opt for a spot-on preparation. The liquid product is applied directly to the skin on the cat's neck so that it cannot be licked off. It spreads automatically over the cat's body and has a repellent effect. This means that ticks are normally prevented from biting in the first place. Depending on the product, the effect lasts for several months.
Tip: Do not rely 100 percent on a tick repellent. It can always happen that the cat brings ticks home. It is therefore best to check outdoor cats regularly.
How do I remove a tick from my cat?
Sooner or later, every outdoor cat will get a tick. Most cats are even regularly infested by bloodsuckers. It is then important to react as quickly as possible. It is best if the tick is caught before it bites. Then no disease transmission can have yet occurred. However, if the tick has already bitten, do not hesitate to remove it. Do not use oil, nail varnish or glue for this, as the tick will bond even more strongly with the cat's skin in its death throes and may release even more saliva into the bite area, which could be infected. Only use special tick tweezers or a tick hook.
Proceed as follows when removing a tick:
- Strip the hair around the tick to the side so that you do not pull out any of your cat's hair if possible.
- If your cat does not stay still, ask a second person for help.
- Place the tick tweezers as close as possible to the cat's skin.
- Once you have grasped the front body of the tick, pull it slowly.
- Gradually increase the pull and wait.
- The tick will normally detach after a few seconds.
- If not, be patient and support the pulling with very light twisting movements.
- Crush the removed tick between two solid objects (e.g. in household tissues or paper handkerchiefs) or fix the tick in an adhesive strip and throw it in the bin.
If the tick has been torn apart, observe the puncture site. If the tick's head remains stuck in the skin, this is not normally a problem as it will die off. If the bite site becomes inflamed or your cat shows symptoms such as vomiting, fever, weakness or seizures, please contact your vet immediately.