When you discover a tick on your cat, your first instinct may be to grab a pair of tweezers and yank it out. Resist that urge! Safely removing a tick from a cat requires a bit of preparation, know-how and patience. Read on for our step-by-step guide so you can safely remove a tick from your cat.
How to remove a tick from your cat
1. Gather your tools
You’ll first need to gather some supplies to make the removal as fast and as comfortable for your cat as possible.
- A tick removal tool: This tool does a much better job than a pair of tweezers, which can squeeze the tick and break it up, potentially leaving some of it behind in your cat – along with possible infection. While tweezers aren’t recommended for removing a tick, if you don’t have a tick removal tool on hand, use tweezers with narrow, pointy tips rather than ones with angled or bevelled tips.
- A pair of disposable gloves: For hygiene, ideally wear gloves to avoid direct contact with the tick.
- Antiseptic wipes
- A small, sealed container to confine the tick
2. Locate the tick on your cat’s skin
Part the fur carefully around the tick, taking care to keep your cat as calm as possible. If possible, recruit a helper to hold the cat still while you work. Speak in a gentle, soothing voice, and move slowly.
You can try wetting the cat’s hair a bit with water so it can be patted down or parted to better see the tick. Hold the fur back with one hand so you can see it clearly.
3. Use the tick-removal tool to carefully remove the tick
Removing a tick can be tricky — you want to avoid accidentally leaving the tick’s mouthparts in your cat’s skin. Follow the instructions on the tick remover, and position the tool over the tick’s body, very close to your cat’s skin. Carefully pull and twist to bring the whole tick away without squeezing.
Good to know: You should never resort to the old wives tales that instruct you to burn off a tick or “suffocate” it with a layer of petroleum jelly, as these methods could injure your cat and typically won’t cause the tick to detach itself from your pet.
4. Confine the tick
Put the tick in a sealed container, and safely dispose of it.
5. Clean the tick bite area
Gently wipe the affected area of your pet with an antiseptic designed for pets.
6. Clean up
Clean your tick removal tool with a disinfectant and store it safely in case you need it again. Then dispose of the gloves and wash your hands.
7. Know when to seek outside help
If your cat gets distressed, the tick doesn’t come out in one piece, do not panic. Our ticks in NZ do not spread tick-borne disease. However, you should monitor the site where the tick was attached over the next few days for any swelling, redness or irritation. If you are concerned, consult your vet.
Prevent ticks on your cat
If your cat spends lots of time outdoors — especially in areas known for ticks — it’s advisable to use a product to help protect your cat against them. Make sure to use a product specifically designed for cats (some products for dogs can be extremely dangerous for felines). Seresto™ collar for cats, works to repel and kill ticks on contact as well as fleas from biting and feeding on your cat. Your vet is the best source of information on the right tick prevention product for your cat.
Read our guide to help you safely remove ticks from dog.
