Ticks bury their heads in the skin of your cat and gorge themselves on blood, causing mild irritation; however, ticks may also carry several debilitating diseases that pose a serious threat to animals and humans.

How will ticks affect my cat?
Ticks rarely cause clinical signs unless a disease has been transmitted. Symptoms of infection may include the following:

• Fever
• Anemia
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy or depression

How do I prevent my cat from getting ticks?
Most ticks, approximately the size of a pinhead prior to feeding, are not spotted until they become engorged with your cat’s blood. Regardless of how long the tick has been feeding on your pet, you should remove it immediately with tweezers while wearing gloves. Any contact with the tick’s blood can transmit infection. Ask your veterinarian for proper tick removal methods because simply pulling the tick off of your animal can leave the mouth, head, or other body parts attached to your cat.

If you live in areas that contain heavy populations of ticks, check your cat often and consult your veterinarian for the latest methods of control.

Can humans be harmed by ticks?
Ticks, second only to mosquitoes in disease transmission, may transmit Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever to animals and humans. Both are serious health risks, and people bitten by ticks should consult a physician about warning signs and prevalence of infection in their geographic areas.

© 2006 Companion Animal Parasite Council

Ticks