Ticks in cats – how to properly protect your cat

Cats need our help to stay tick-free. Because once ticks settle on them, they also get into the fur and anchor themselves there. Ticks aren’t just annoying for house cats – they can also transmit diseases. We will explain exactly what these are and how you can best protect your cat from ticks and any secondary diseases in the following guide.

Tick season isn’t limited to a particular time of year. It’s a common misconception that tick season starts in spring when the weather starts getting a bit milder – tick season is actually all year round. The risk of getting a tick bite has increased to almost all year round thanks to climate change and new types of ticks. The Dermacentor is active at outside temperatures ranging as low as 7°C, which is why it is found in many regions from January to December. The wood tick, on the other hand, is usually only active between March to June and September to November. That’s why many cat owners use special products to protect house cats that are outside from February to November to prevent diseases caused by tick bites.

If you’re a dog owner, you probably deal with the little parasites every year. Although cats are less likely to have ticks than dogs, for example, they aren’t completely spared from the bloodsucking parasites. Most ticks are found on cats by accident when petting them. Or when the engorged tick falls off and crawls away.

The tick looks for a good place on its host to bite. Depending on the type of tick, blood can be sucked for two to ten days. In cats, ticks are often found behind the ears, on the neck and between the legs. A tick bite often appears on the surface of the skin. The tick uses its mouthparts to do this. Two ‘fingers’, which are relatively small, flexible and have sharp edges, are located at the tip. The parasite cuts into the skin by moving these. Then the tick sinks its mouthparts – built like proboscises – into the host’s skin and the tissue next to the skin and secretes saliva. This may contain pathogens, because not all ticks necessarily carry bacteria, thus posing a risk of infection.

Serious diseases caused by ticks include Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, which in Germany are mainly transmitted to cats via two types of hard ticks – the wood tick and the Dermacentor. In southern Europe, other infectious diseases can be transmitted via the brown dog tick, which can also be found on cats. These include tularaemia and ehrlichiosis. The brown dog tick is active all year round but can’t survive in low temperatures. In contrast to the native tick species, however, it can survive very well indoors, which is why it can also be found here, especially in animal shelters or animal sanctuaries.

If the cat is affected by a tick-borne disease, it often shows symptoms like loss of appetite, fever or lameness that cannot be clearly attributed to a specific disease. So, it’s really difficult for a layperson to recognise diseases that stem from a tick bite.

The two most well-known diseases caused by tick bites are Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE for short). The former, also known as borreliosis, is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Tick bites cause local inflammation. Skin reddening, which spreads out in a ring shape around the bite, is usually covered by the cat’s fur, so general symptoms of diseases only become apparent weeks after infection.

Symptoms of Lyme disease include bouts of fever, loss of appetite and lameness that alternates between legs. In some cases, pathogens can also damage joints or even attack the central nervous system. In these cases, there is a risk of permanent damage, and the disease may also continue to flare up. The only way of determining the cause of the problem is to go to a vet straight away. The vet will run blood tests and then make a diagnosis. If the results are positive for a tick-borne disease, the vet will then treat it with antibiotics.

TBE, caused by a TBE virus infection, is really minor in cats. Humans, dogs and horses experience increased sensitivity to pain, seizures and gait disorders – based on the current information available, cats seem to be immune to this, but could bring home infected ticks. 

Cats cannot be vaccinated against TBE or Lyme disease. Preventative measures thus differ compared to humans and dogs.

In Germany, anaplasmosis is transmitted by the common wood tick. Anaplasma are bacteria that attack white blood cells. Symptoms of anaplasmosis include fever, lethargy, pale mucous membranes, joint pain and weight loss. Haemorrhages and lameness have also been found in isolated cases. Vets can run blood tests and make a diagnosis. Similar to Lyme disease, it is then treated with antibiotics. However, reports of anaplasma infections in cats are rare.

The risk of a tick infestation in a cat depends on a number of factors. The most important factor is whether your cat is an indoor cat or an outdoor cat, and whether you are located in a risk area for certain types of ticks. If your cat regularly goes outside, the best protection against ticks and the diseases they can transmit is a combination of tick protection products and thorough daily checks. You can consult your vet for appropriate treatments that have been tested in terms of effectiveness and tolerability. 

‘Spot-ons’ are sprayed or dropped onto the cat’s neck. Many products also come with a small pipette so that the drops can be applied in a targeted way. The active ingredients are then absorbed through the upper layer of the skin. Ticks that come into contact with the active ingredient are killed. The neck is particularly popular with spot-on treatments, as cats then can’t lick the drops away when cleaning. You should also make sure that other animals do not lick the treatment. Important: Make sure the product is also suitable for cats. Spot-on treatments are available for dogs, but these are dangerous for cats! It’s best to consult your vet beforehand.

Sprays work just as well as spot-on treatments.

Pills to protect cats against ticks are also available from vets.

And collars with tick protection are also available. These continuously release the active ingredients and usually ward off ticks and other parasites over a longer period of time (up to six months). However, they can pose a considerable risk of injury, as cats can get caught in the collar, resulting in risk of strangulation. That’s why you should make sure that these collars have a set breaking point or special safety lock to make sure that nothing bad happens if your cat gets caught.

All these treatments only prevent the transmission of diseases, as ticks die as soon as they bite. However, this does not prevent ticks from coming into your home on your cat. A tick that is not yet attached to an animal can easily pass from cat to human through close contact like petting. 

Coconut oil, black cumin oil, garlic and amber – these home remedies are suggested time and again to help protect against ticks in cats. These home remedies are particularly popular among dog owners, but a lot of cat owners now also use coconut oil regularly. It’s generally easy to apply, as our body heat turns it into a liquid, meaning it can be rubbed in very easily. However, a lot of cats are also very suspicious of the film of oil on their fur, which causes them to start cleaning excessively. This grooming won’t do anything from a health perspective, but the cat will no longer be protected against ticks.

Cat owners also like to use brewer’s yeast which is a natural tick repellent. Taking brewer’s yeast daily is said to change the cat’s skin properties, keeping ticks away. This is because the B vitamins it contains help to change the cat’s body odour. Brewer’s yeast is available as a powder or in pill form, which can be given to the cat as a treat or crumbled up and mixed with food. Brewer’s yeast to protect against ticks is said to take effect after just one week.

Caution is advised when using certain oils like tea tree oil. Cat owners should be careful with these. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment warns of severe symptoms of poisoning in cats. Compared to humans and dogs, they can’t really break down and excrete the terpenes and phenols they contain, making them very sensitive to them. 

If your cat is an outdoor cat, you should check your four-legged friend for ticks regularly – at least once a day, ideally. Pay particular attention to the areas ticks prefer – places with little fur and good blood circulation, like the head, chin, ears and inner legs. It is exactly places like these that the parasites like to take root. Ticks are easily missed in fur. Especially if they aren’t engorged yet. Stroke and brush your cat well and pay attention to lumps and bumps or other unfamiliar spots. If the cat allows it, you can – just once – stroke them in the opposite direction of their fur growth. This will allow you to get a better look at their skin.

Depending on how long the tick has been on the cat and how much blood it has sucked, it will vary in size from a few millimetres to the size of a cherry stone. Parasites that are already firmly fixed must be removed as bacteria and viruses can even be transmitted after many hours. Early tick removal can provide effective protection. Monitor the site of the bite for some time even after removal. Redness, fever or loss of appetite could indicate that your cat may be ill. With a tick bite, there is always a very high risk of a disease being transmitted to the cat. That’s why you should completely protect against ticks if there is a risk.

It’s important that you’re calm and careful when removing a tick. Unfortunately – and unlike dogs – cats hardly ever sit still. If your feline fights back, then you should get someone to help you. Because, as a worst-case scenario, your cat could be injured by the tweezers, or the parasite only partially removed because your cat has escaped. This is not usually an easy task for cat owners either, because many often have to throw in the towel covered in scratches and bites after trying to hold their cat. As a cat owner, you know your animal best and will know how to calm them down. Some cats can be coaxed, while others can be distracted with a treat. There are even cats who like staying still while ticks are being removed. After all, these parasites are also unpleasant for the cat.

Before removing a tick from a cat, you should push back any surrounding fur. Otherwise, you’ll unnecessarily tear out the cat’s fur. Special tools are available that are narrow at the front in order to protect the fur. On cats, it’s best not to use tick cards or levers like those available for humans. Don’t remove the tick with your bare hands either. Here, there is a risk that the parasite will be crushed, releasing pathogens into the bite site. In the best-case scenario, you’re using special tick tweezers and are able to grab the tick directly on the cat’s skin. When pulling, make sure not to rotate the tweezers. This can lead to parts of the tick tearing off and remaining in the bite site, which can then lead to inflammation. Slowly pull the tick out in a straight line. The tick can be slowly detached and be removed in full. Keep tick bites in the back of your mind for next time. If your cat seems under the weather, listless, or develops a fever, contact your vet immediately.

Ticks are very tough. Most ticks continue to live happily after removal. So, you should definitely dispose of them. Otherwise, your cat or another four-legged friend might bring them back into the house again on the next occasion. Ticks can live happily for a long time underwater, meaning it’s also not a good idea to dispose of ticks down the toilet or kitchen sink. The safer option is to put the bloodsucker into high-proof alcohol (> 40%), a chlorine cleaning agent or disinfectant, or to crush it – but don’t crush it with your bare hands. Use a flat, hard object.

Remnants of ticks can sometimes get stuck in the cat’s skin. If the remains of its biting part are involved, the skin usually sheds these naturally after a few days. But if the tick head gets stuck, it should be removed as soon as possible. Because this still carries the risk of pathogen transmission. The general advice is to check the bite site regularly. If you spot any signs of inflammation, you should consult your vet.

There are now many preventative tick treatments for cats. You should get pills and special spot-on treatments or sprays from a vet. You can also buy some treatments online, in pharmacies or in pet shops. You can also find natural remedies in retail stores.

Outdoor cats love spending time in forests and meadows. They hunt, explore, or just laze about and sunbathe. And when they do, they inevitably come into contact with ticks. The parasites mainly perch in bushes or in tall grass, waiting for their next host.

No, diseases caused by a tick bite in cats cannot be directly transmitted to humans. However, cats or other pets can bring home infected ticks that can be passed on to humans – when petting them, for example. Of course, diseases like Lyme disease or TBE can then be transmitted directly by the tick. So, with tick prevention and removal, you’re not just protecting your kitty – you’re protecting yourself too.