Do you have a garden where your cat can roam free and enjoy nature’s finest delicacies? If so, you’re probably already well aware of the vermin they can bring into your home, and ticks are no exception. These critters can make your cat very sick if not removed. In this article, we’re going to tell you how to remove a tick from a cat. Let’s take a closer look:
Identifying a Tick on Your Cat
Before you can remove a tick on your cat, you need to know what they look like. Similar to spiders, these insects have eight legs. They’re small and egg-shaped and range from 1mm to 1cm in diameter. As they suck your furry friend’s blood, they get bigger, making them easier to notice.
How to Remove a Tick From a Cat
Just pull it out! – is probably what you’re thinking at this point. Well, it’s not that simple. You need to get the whole tick to ensure that its mouth doesn’t stay attached to your cat, thus leading to a potential infection. Here’s what you need:
Must-Have Tools
Before you start the process of removing a tick from a cat, you’ll need the following:
- A friend or family member to keep your kitty calm
- Gloves to keep yourself safe from the diseases that ticks carry with them
- A pair of tweezers or a tick removing tool from your vet’s
- Alcohol wipes
- A piece of paper towel to put the tick on once you’ve removed it
- Sanitizer to clean your tweezers when the process is over
A step-By-Step Guide
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to remove a tick from a cat:
- Put your gloves on and get your equipment ready
- Get your kitty nice and relaxed
- Get a good view of the tick by parting the fur around it
- Place your tweezers around the tick (as close to your cat’s skin as possible)
- Use your tweezers to dislodge the tick from the skin
- When you have removed the tick, place it on your paper towel
- Check your cat’s skin to make sure the mouth isn’t still stuck
- Use the alcohol wipe to clean your cat’s skin
- Throw your gloves in the bin and clean your hands
- Discard of the tick outside or kill it if you’d like
- Clean your tweezers thoroughly
How to Remove a tick From a Cat Without Tweezers
Removing a tick without tweezers or the right tool is almost impossible and not recommended. Some use a lit match to extract the tick but we don’t need to point out the obvious risks of mixing fire with fur.
You’re also at higher risk of the tick exploding, putting you in danger of getting Lymes disease. Cat Lymes disease is also extremely dangerous and could make your cat very sick! With this in mind, if you don’t have the right tools, can’t get the tick out, or the mouth of the tick is still in your cat, take your little buddy to the vet’s to avoid an infection.
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