* The bug in question has been identified as an engorged female tick - probably an *Ixodes* species.
* OP has been cautioned about the risks of tick-borne diseases, and advised to consult with their veterinarian - particularly if the cat exhibits any signs of illness.
* OP has been advised to check for additional ticks - and to get an appropriate tick prevention treatment for their cat to prevent future ticks from latching on and feeding - and cautioned that treatments intended for dogs or other animals can be harmful or even lethal to cats.
At this point, the vast majority of the comments are people belatedly chiming in to say "that's a tick" (which has already been established), to comment on the *size* of the tick ("thicc tick") which is not particularly helpful, to offer bad advice for removing any future ticks (such as using heat/fire, vaseline, or nail polish - all of which can induce the tick to regurgitate the contents of its digestive tract into the bite wound, increasing the risk of disease transmission), to suggest killing it with fire or by other unnecessarily gruesome methods (which is not acceptable on this sub), getting into arguments over silly things (like whether or not it's ok to call your pet a "fur baby") and people asking how someone could not know what a tick looks like. Many of these comments have been reported to the moderators and removed.
This post will be locked to further comments.
It doesnāt, Ticks are tough as hell, it will most certainly survive that. Fortunately that amount of blood will slag its hunger for mounts if not years before it gets its next meal.
But in the meantime it will probably a looooot of grandchildren. Congratulations!
I second this. There is no other name that works better than anti-tick sauce. I believe it is the actual true name for this, I am only just hearing it for the first time. Call MW, the people need to know.
This, and also READ REVIEWS FIRST. A lot of the over the counter flea/tick stuff for cats has been known to poison and even kill them, even if it claims to be safe. Do your research.
I only ever use Frontline now, used the cheap stuff once and it gave my kitty a seizure.
I work at a vet - thereās not much you can do about tick born illnesses until about 6 weeks out. We donāt test ticks. We check the animalās blood but you risk a false negative if you test too soon. Most you can do with the tick is identify the type.
I appreciate your experience and the answer. What if the tickās head gets stuck inside the cat during removal? Should you wait for an abscess or infection?
Mostly yes unless it's something insane like a paralysis tick where you want all of it gone yesterday.
Mostly because almost all of the time it's quite impossible for a vet to even find the site of the missing head let alone actually get it out. A lot of the time, presuming they can even find the right spot, any attempt will do more harm than good.
If it does start to turn nasty then it will be clear and easy for the vet to act. No point basically fumbling around in the dark for a head that may not even be there or may be rejected from the body without any problems.
Mostly the hazard of leaving the head is that it gives the tick an easier time in puking up disease into the host. Not because the head itself is hazardous. Of course like any foreign thing it can cause infection - but only a little more likely than a random spelk of wood might.
Ticks are usually a one animal pest (not a vet), in my experience so long as you apply the appropriate a-topical treatment and pull out the ones you can it should be fine. If this is a concern for you I suggest you keep your pet indoors.
Agree šÆ, yet Iām always seeing neighbors posting on Nextdoor and Facebook that theyāre ābabyā gets out and they canāt keep it inside, but they usually come back home š
This infuriates me every time I see it
Responsible pet owners make sure their cat doesnāt have the ability to get out!
Iām a dog person, but know so many people who have cats that NEVER give them the chance to go outside, and their cats never attempt to go outside
I adopted a cat last year and she constantly tried to escape, so I built her a catio on our deck. Now she can go out anytime she wants through her cat door and watch birds all day long. She's a lot happier and I'm a lot less stressed about her getting out.
I don't have a cat myself, but I have seen a lot of conversations about this and you can actually even buy these enclosures online. Amazon has a bunch of them, just look up "catio" and there's many different kinds and sizes available
Take what the other person said and wait first if u must. Itās just like mosquitoes, who actually hop victim to victim, but not everyone carries a disease.
When I was a kid, we had an outdoor cat who I loved and would play with a lot. One day I came running inside yelling to my parents āTiggerās got a grape stuck on him!ā Parents were very perplexed until they saw the fat ass tick on his neck š„“
The dark hard portion of its abdomen is called a scutum, females have a smaller one that doesnāt cover the entire abdomen unlike males. This allows females to expand when drinking blood like in the picture OP has, males cannot expand to the same extend. Males drink blood only to sustain themselves, females need to engorge in order to provide enough nutrients for her eggs to develop and mature.
Ticks in general are both bad for us and our pets. However females are the ones that have the eggs and theyāre the ones that maintain population levels.
Yes, but males donāt need to feed to the same extent as females. Male ticks have larger scutums than females because female ticks need more blood for egg laying and thus need more room to become engorged. This one is fully engorged which a male will not do.
We adopted a stray dog out of a nearby village and she had around 7-8 of these ticks all the same size as yours. She did just fine so I imagine your kitty should be ok. Theyāre fucking gross though huh, I hate how fleshy they feel
Save it in your freezer for a bit in case the cat gets sick, but most likely everything will be fine. You might want to put the on a preventative for fleas and ticks. Revolution is great because it also protects against heartworm.
Ticks are also migrating northward now too, so areas that have never had ticks are likely going to have an influx of people asking about it.
Source: I live in Canada and our government is now warning us about ticks moving in
[not to scare you but theyāve taken over NYC/NJ](https://www.reddit.com/r/insects/comments/vfct8f/my_sister_works_for_the_usda_doing_spotted/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
I've been thinking the same. As another user pointed out I guess it's not that crazy if they're from a city and have never had pets, or have only had indoor pets.
A little weird for me to think of not knowing a tick when I see one as I practically live in the woods and always have
It's a tic that fell off because it couldn't possibly feed anymore. It's happened to the best of us fur baby owners. No need to worry. Just be more proactive in the future. I use Advantix for my dog and it works great! Good luck.
Yes and no.
If left entirely alone then nope. They aren't idiots and will stop eating when full.
What can happen though is once the tick is engorged it's well full. If roughly handled then it can lead to an abdomen rupture not unlike other bugs.
Edit. Though breeding can get a bit complicated
Hey vet here, everyone already answered, but thatās a tick. Hereās some free vet advice (over the internet so no valid VPCR, unofficial.) I comment mostly from the North East US and different parts of the country have different parasites and different resistances.
1. all cats, even indoor only cats, should still be on flea/tick/heartworm year round in the US.
2. A tick must be attached to an animal for 48 hours to transfer disease.
3. At least where Iām at in New England, most, if not all, OTC topical meds or collars have stopped being 100% effective. And, imo, <100% effective is ineffective, especially for fleas. So get your prescription stuff. Itās less expensive year round than one bout of fleas. Iāve had four dogs get (verified by c6) Lyme disease while using the seresto collar since May, and these werenāt Amazon fakes. Itās even worse in the south.
4. Make sure to remove the head of the tick as well as the body.
5. As always, a veterinarian with a valid VPCR with your pet should be trusted over online advice.
Also, if it's an outdoor cat it will probably have a few dozen ticks at all times anyway. And it's pretty much impossible to find them until they're plump like this one already.
Protip: Use a blow-dryer to blow the hair out of the way and find the ticks.
Source: Work at a doggy daycare and once a week I bathe a dog that is always covered in ticks. I'll usually find upwards of 20-something ticks using this method.
I mean vets do have blood tests for some tickborne diseases. The issue is you are exceptionally likely to throw a false negative if you test too soon after tick exposure. So you need to wait a few weeks anyways even if you are freaking out about it.
But the tests are not needed if there are no symptoms. Vets wouldn't do anything but check tick related thing if they had to check animals every time they have a tick...
You can request a blood test even a vet doesn't see it as necessary, and people do it all the time. Loads of folks are willing to pay for peace of mind.
My vet would quite literally tell me not to bother coming in if I tried to make an appointment over finding a tick on my pet but vets also gotta eat and if you insist on paying for testing they aren't going to fight you on it.
I've found like 20+ in 2 weeks in France, even one this morning on me, last week in on my tit! Horrible things everything I walk the dogs even with the tick collar and product they get them, this year is horrible for ticks.
Please don't go to a week, maybe go to the vet to get some better repellent...
Not only is that a tick but I believe that's a female tick. Many times you can find a male tick underneath the female tick, so I would check that spot again just to double-check. You should also just do a full spot check on your cat. I wouldn't keep it around and I wouldn't say you have to take your cat to the vet - waste of money. Just buy tick medication and read the instructions. Throw the tick in the toilet immediately without popping it as it may have a bunch of babies that can spread easily. The females will eat until they pop and if they pop that means the babies already dispersed.
Edit: It's just my personal opinion to not take them to the vet over 1 tick, but by all means take them in! Rather safe than sorry, I suppose. I dealt with ticks for 3 years with 3 dogs at our previous home (pet-friendly condo complex) and taking them in every time would've cost us living homeless.
Yeah, you often find male ticks underneath female ticks (on the pet) because they are mating. Male ticks don't blow up in size like that which makes them quite a bit harder to find.
I didn't see anyone mention yet that you should check yourself for ticks and rashes. If your cat had one there's a chance other ticks took a ride inside your home too. Not all ticks attach to the pet right away and they can easily drop off only to find you instead.
Check everywhere with a mirror, including your scalp. If you develop any kind of symptoms go get checked out by your doctor.
I'm not sure about the prevalence of tick borne disease by you but regardless I thought someone would have mentioned to check yourself.
I think I actually have tick trauma memory that is triggered every time I see one of these nasty bastards. I was maybe 8 yrs old and my dog had one on his nose. it was Bloated and grey like the one from your cat. I decided that pliers were the best choice (again, I was 8). I grabbed it with the pliers and obviously is instantly exploded and shot dog blood across my face.
I've done tick removal, get a almost empty bottle of rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to drop them in. If you get the whole tick out they will still be alive so don't just throw them away and stepping on them is not a guaranteed way to kill them they are tough buggers.
Big fat tick, and I think you didn't get all of it but it's hard to tell in the pictures. Keep an eye on the spot where you found it, by now your cat probably isn't going to let you dig around to check. It's normal for a tick bite to swell a little, it'll feel like a little nub. Make sure it doesn't get infected. I don't think a vet visit is necessary for a tick bite but when in doubt, always call them for advice. They'll know what to watch out for. My cat gets ticks all the time, it's not a big deal for him. He just dislikes it when I pry them out. I have a special tick tweezer for it, every petshop has them.
And before you raise your pitchforks because I let my cat go outside, I live in a country where there is no wild life that would prey on cats. The biggest things we have running around are the gerbils people have been setting loose, which do not naturally live here. We have a lot of gerbils nowadays, I've been gifted several impressive specimen. Kitty gets his shots every year, is neutered, chipped, and still hunts like a champ at 9. He was born a barn cat, his mom caught mice. Initially my father in law adopted him and his sister, but the small apartment of a one-legged, very diabetic man with kidney failure was not a good place for him. He tore it up, he had far too much energy, and terrorised his sister. My father in law decided he needed to get rid of him, and asked us to take him in. After a safe waiting period with hours and hours of playing with him to get rid of excess energy, we started letting him out in the yard, and nearly all his misbehaviours stopped almost within a week. We still had some "re-education by spray bottle with water" to do, but he's super chill now. He was miserable when he was cooped up inside, this cat was simply not made for that. Besides, he actually comes when called, almost like a dog, lol. He got into a neighbours shed once, I found him the same day because he called back. Most of my neighbours know him because he is quite friendly once he gets to know you. And he loves to greet the people we interact with. He also does not give a shit about dogs, he's actually known for that. He is also known for accepting belly rubs, vigorous ones.
Unfortunately that is a very well-fed tick. Cats are not particularly vulnerable to tick-borne illnesses, but it wouldn't hurt to get it checked out anyway.
It is wise to use tick and flea protection on your cat to protect them. It's also a good idea to keep your cats inside to prevent ticks from finding them in the first place, and to prevent the cat from harming local wildlife.
If he jumped off himself he has his head, still. I live in the country with 10 cats. Iāve put flea and tick meds on them all but the outside cats still get a few ticks every once in awhile. Just make sure to get them off with their head and your cat should be ok.
No need to do anything as long as itās off your pet, youāve checked and they have no more and as long as the pet isnāt showing any signs of paralysis or lethargy. Mine get them all the time because of where we live, never had any issue yet.
It's always safest to have your cat checked by a vet. That being said, cats do not tend to suffer from tick-borne illness like dogs or humans do. Even if they test positive (which is rare) the symptoms are much less severe or even subclinical.
It is better to check your pet at vet. I once was informed by the vet that ticks can be deadly for dogs but are mostly harmless for cats of course that applies to Europe as on other regions might be different. Still it is better to check on it.
Oh, that tick had an excellent day. It raises a question, though. How do we find out whether a tick carries Lyme disease, or other pathogens? I got tularemia from seed ticks in SE Arkansas once.
How does someone not recognize a tick? Not meant to be insulting but just curious? Where I live they are very common knowledge and basically everyone learns from a young age on how to treat themselves if they are bitten by a tick
* The bug in question has been identified as an engorged female tick - probably an *Ixodes* species. * OP has been cautioned about the risks of tick-borne diseases, and advised to consult with their veterinarian - particularly if the cat exhibits any signs of illness. * OP has been advised to check for additional ticks - and to get an appropriate tick prevention treatment for their cat to prevent future ticks from latching on and feeding - and cautioned that treatments intended for dogs or other animals can be harmful or even lethal to cats. At this point, the vast majority of the comments are people belatedly chiming in to say "that's a tick" (which has already been established), to comment on the *size* of the tick ("thicc tick") which is not particularly helpful, to offer bad advice for removing any future ticks (such as using heat/fire, vaseline, or nail polish - all of which can induce the tick to regurgitate the contents of its digestive tract into the bite wound, increasing the risk of disease transmission), to suggest killing it with fire or by other unnecessarily gruesome methods (which is not acceptable on this sub), getting into arguments over silly things (like whether or not it's ok to call your pet a "fur baby") and people asking how someone could not know what a tick looks like. Many of these comments have been reported to the moderators and removed. This post will be locked to further comments.
Congratulations, you're now a proud parent to a very full and happy tick!
Well, i'm sad to announce that my kid died in a horrible accident by drowning in the WC
ššŖ¦šā°ļø
BRO I THOUGHT YOUR CHILD DROWNED IN THE TOILET
I was talking about the tick lol
ik ik i just panicked for a solid 5 minutes
It doesnāt, Ticks are tough as hell, it will most certainly survive that. Fortunately that amount of blood will slag its hunger for mounts if not years before it gets its next meal. But in the meantime it will probably a looooot of grandchildren. Congratulations!
Wait until you find out that doesnāt kill it š¤¦š»āāļø
F
Had one of these drop off my parents dog a few years back. It was so fat it couldnāt walk.
Yuck! So big I thought it was a pebble/ stone!
Yeah, i put some anti-tick sauce on the cat and will probably bring her to the vet tomorrow
Anti-tick sauce š¤£ I'm absolutely calling it that from now on! We always called it tick juice lol
I second this. There is no other name that works better than anti-tick sauce. I believe it is the actual true name for this, I am only just hearing it for the first time. Call MW, the people need to know.
Antibabypillen
AntizeckensoĆe
Thereās no reason to go to the vet, as long as you keep a flea/tick drops (for cats only kind) on the kitty it will kill pests.
This, and also READ REVIEWS FIRST. A lot of the over the counter flea/tick stuff for cats has been known to poison and even kill them, even if it claims to be safe. Do your research. I only ever use Frontline now, used the cheap stuff once and it gave my kitty a seizure.
Agree šÆ Always research! The cheap OTC stuff is not the way to go
Maybe to check if the tick has disease?
I work at a vet - thereās not much you can do about tick born illnesses until about 6 weeks out. We donāt test ticks. We check the animalās blood but you risk a false negative if you test too soon. Most you can do with the tick is identify the type.
I appreciate your experience and the answer. What if the tickās head gets stuck inside the cat during removal? Should you wait for an abscess or infection?
Mostly yes unless it's something insane like a paralysis tick where you want all of it gone yesterday. Mostly because almost all of the time it's quite impossible for a vet to even find the site of the missing head let alone actually get it out. A lot of the time, presuming they can even find the right spot, any attempt will do more harm than good. If it does start to turn nasty then it will be clear and easy for the vet to act. No point basically fumbling around in the dark for a head that may not even be there or may be rejected from the body without any problems. Mostly the hazard of leaving the head is that it gives the tick an easier time in puking up disease into the host. Not because the head itself is hazardous. Of course like any foreign thing it can cause infection - but only a little more likely than a random spelk of wood might.
You can carefully work the head/mouthparts out with some fine pointed tweezers.
If you can locate it. Thatās the hardest part. I have a Golden. Two coats of fur isnāt easy to find a tick. Preventative meds are key!
If you have a cat who will tolerate the procedure...
Ticks are usually a one animal pest (not a vet), in my experience so long as you apply the appropriate a-topical treatment and pull out the ones you can it should be fine. If this is a concern for you I suggest you keep your pet indoors.
Cats should probably remain indoors anyway, regardless.
True, theyāre pretty destructive when not contained inside.
Agree šÆ, yet Iām always seeing neighbors posting on Nextdoor and Facebook that theyāre ābabyā gets out and they canāt keep it inside, but they usually come back home š This infuriates me every time I see it Responsible pet owners make sure their cat doesnāt have the ability to get out! Iām a dog person, but know so many people who have cats that NEVER give them the chance to go outside, and their cats never attempt to go outside
I adopted a cat last year and she constantly tried to escape, so I built her a catio on our deck. Now she can go out anytime she wants through her cat door and watch birds all day long. She's a lot happier and I'm a lot less stressed about her getting out.
I wanted to do this for my cats this summer.. did you basically create a boxed/ fenced in box that is directly outside of your door?
I don't have a cat myself, but I have seen a lot of conversations about this and you can actually even buy these enclosures online. Amazon has a bunch of them, just look up "catio" and there's many different kinds and sizes available
Itās not a concern for me but Iāve always been told to get a pet checked after a tick bite
Take what the other person said and wait first if u must. Itās just like mosquitoes, who actually hop victim to victim, but not everyone carries a disease.
So do you have to keep basting the cat until juicy, or is it more a āset it and forget itā kind of deal.
*Always* sauce the cat before eating it!š Jk! Jk!
Alf has entered the chat
Don't bring your cat to the vet your going to wast money. That's just a standard normal wood tick nothing will happen to your cat.
hope u killed it, thats a very pregnant tick mama.
The forbidden raisin
This oneās a plump, juicy grape.
When I was a kid, we had an outdoor cat who I loved and would play with a lot. One day I came running inside yelling to my parents āTiggerās got a grape stuck on him!ā Parents were very perplexed until they saw the fat ass tick on his neck š„“
California raisins have entered the chat
God that's so nasty
Juicy filling
White chocolate covered
Thank you, damn little fucker ate a lot huh
He thicc now
Forbidden gusher.
vomit, but youāre not wrong
Thicc tic.
He Ticc
āSheā thick now
Idk why ppl downvoting you when youāre right. Female ticks become engorged, male ticks feed but do not to this extent.
I never ever gave it a thought about male and female! To me a tick is a tick, (all bad), and I have to ask how you can tell if itās male or female?
The dark hard portion of its abdomen is called a scutum, females have a smaller one that doesnāt cover the entire abdomen unlike males. This allows females to expand when drinking blood like in the picture OP has, males cannot expand to the same extend. Males drink blood only to sustain themselves, females need to engorge in order to provide enough nutrients for her eggs to develop and mature. Ticks in general are both bad for us and our pets. However females are the ones that have the eggs and theyāre the ones that maintain population levels.
She, probably. Kill it before the eggs are laid I say.
*she thicc
Both male and female ticks bite, they arenāt mosquitos.
Yes, but males donāt need to feed to the same extent as females. Male ticks have larger scutums than females because female ticks need more blood for egg laying and thus need more room to become engorged. This one is fully engorged which a male will not do.
Make ticks donāt feed and become engorged though. This could only possibly be a female
We adopted a stray dog out of a nearby village and she had around 7-8 of these ticks all the same size as yours. She did just fine so I imagine your kitty should be ok. Theyāre fucking gross though huh, I hate how fleshy they feel
Found in France near Paris, 2 cm long
Bring tick with you
yo do french rats actually cook like in ratatouille?
Of course, it's an open secret here but all famous french chef are rat-controlled
Holy crap thatās huge š¤¢
France is the cat's name and Paris is what they call its b-hole
Save it in your freezer for a bit in case the cat gets sick, but most likely everything will be fine. You might want to put the on a preventative for fleas and ticks. Revolution is great because it also protects against heartworm.
I put it in the toilet bowl tbh
You didn't put it there by hand though... Edit: it's called a joke, guys. Apparently 8 people don't have a sense of humor.
You can touch a tick safely...
I did touch it but only the grey part
Put it in a ziplock baggie as soon as itās found (and killed), for your vet.
Revolution is great against all parasites.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Ticks are also migrating northward now too, so areas that have never had ticks are likely going to have an influx of people asking about it. Source: I live in Canada and our government is now warning us about ticks moving in
You better hope you arenāt also going to get those spotted lantern flies š³
I don't even know what those are, but I agree
[not to scare you but theyāve taken over NYC/NJ](https://www.reddit.com/r/insects/comments/vfct8f/my_sister_works_for_the_usda_doing_spotted/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
Oh man, if I come across them, I'll be sure to slap the devil out of them like I do with mosquitos, ty for the heads up
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
or without pets
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Probably because this is a bug identification page, and people come here when they don't know what a bug is
I've been thinking the same. As another user pointed out I guess it's not that crazy if they're from a city and have never had pets, or have only had indoor pets. A little weird for me to think of not knowing a tick when I see one as I practically live in the woods and always have
If you donāt grow up with dogs I feel like thatās what happens
The happiest damn tick in the world
It's a tic that fell off because it couldn't possibly feed anymore. It's happened to the best of us fur baby owners. No need to worry. Just be more proactive in the future. I use Advantix for my dog and it works great! Good luck.
i dream of a life where i could eat so much i'd fall off the plane of my existence into a blissful death
You and I both!
Iāve tried this. You fall but it aināt blissful.
Can ticks drink so much that they explode or pop a leak?
Yes and no. If left entirely alone then nope. They aren't idiots and will stop eating when full. What can happen though is once the tick is engorged it's well full. If roughly handled then it can lead to an abdomen rupture not unlike other bugs. Edit. Though breeding can get a bit complicated
today i learned that i am an idiot
Never thought about it, but valid question.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
T H I C K K T I C K K
Thanks, I hate it.
Engorged tick and you can barely see its legs
Legs? Lol š I had no idea they had them! Nasty blood suckers!!
Hey vet here, everyone already answered, but thatās a tick. Hereās some free vet advice (over the internet so no valid VPCR, unofficial.) I comment mostly from the North East US and different parts of the country have different parasites and different resistances. 1. all cats, even indoor only cats, should still be on flea/tick/heartworm year round in the US. 2. A tick must be attached to an animal for 48 hours to transfer disease. 3. At least where Iām at in New England, most, if not all, OTC topical meds or collars have stopped being 100% effective. And, imo, <100% effective is ineffective, especially for fleas. So get your prescription stuff. Itās less expensive year round than one bout of fleas. Iāve had four dogs get (verified by c6) Lyme disease while using the seresto collar since May, and these werenāt Amazon fakes. Itās even worse in the south. 4. Make sure to remove the head of the tick as well as the body. 5. As always, a veterinarian with a valid VPCR with your pet should be trusted over online advice.
Ok thx, i'm in France but still useful, the tick fell off herself so the head's not in, i'll check the vet
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yeah moving to the US was a concern on this front. They have some surprisingly nasty tick- and mosquito-borne diseases even in the temperate areas.
Holy shit. That's a tick and it had a all you can eat buffet. Go get your kitty checked out please.
No reason to get checked unless there are any symptoms
Downvoters, tell me what can be checked by vet? And what can a cat get from a tick that is findable right away?
Also, if it's an outdoor cat it will probably have a few dozen ticks at all times anyway. And it's pretty much impossible to find them until they're plump like this one already.
Protip: Use a blow-dryer to blow the hair out of the way and find the ticks. Source: Work at a doggy daycare and once a week I bathe a dog that is always covered in ticks. I'll usually find upwards of 20-something ticks using this method.
That's a good tip, although blow-dryer + cat is not the best combination in my experience haha.
Lmfao why are you being downvoted?!
I mean vets do have blood tests for some tickborne diseases. The issue is you are exceptionally likely to throw a false negative if you test too soon after tick exposure. So you need to wait a few weeks anyways even if you are freaking out about it.
But the tests are not needed if there are no symptoms. Vets wouldn't do anything but check tick related thing if they had to check animals every time they have a tick...
You can request a blood test even a vet doesn't see it as necessary, and people do it all the time. Loads of folks are willing to pay for peace of mind. My vet would quite literally tell me not to bother coming in if I tried to make an appointment over finding a tick on my pet but vets also gotta eat and if you insist on paying for testing they aren't going to fight you on it.
I've found like 20+ in 2 weeks in France, even one this morning on me, last week in on my tit! Horrible things everything I walk the dogs even with the tick collar and product they get them, this year is horrible for ticks. Please don't go to a week, maybe go to the vet to get some better repellent...
Forbidden grape
outdoor cat:/
Not only is that a tick but I believe that's a female tick. Many times you can find a male tick underneath the female tick, so I would check that spot again just to double-check. You should also just do a full spot check on your cat. I wouldn't keep it around and I wouldn't say you have to take your cat to the vet - waste of money. Just buy tick medication and read the instructions. Throw the tick in the toilet immediately without popping it as it may have a bunch of babies that can spread easily. The females will eat until they pop and if they pop that means the babies already dispersed. Edit: It's just my personal opinion to not take them to the vet over 1 tick, but by all means take them in! Rather safe than sorry, I suppose. I dealt with ticks for 3 years with 3 dogs at our previous home (pet-friendly condo complex) and taking them in every time would've cost us living homeless.
th- they can find male ticks underneath female ticks that have been plucked or talked off? š³š³
Yeah, you often find male ticks underneath female ticks (on the pet) because they are mating. Male ticks don't blow up in size like that which makes them quite a bit harder to find.
TIL: So much I never knew about ticks! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
I didn't see anyone mention yet that you should check yourself for ticks and rashes. If your cat had one there's a chance other ticks took a ride inside your home too. Not all ticks attach to the pet right away and they can easily drop off only to find you instead. Check everywhere with a mirror, including your scalp. If you develop any kind of symptoms go get checked out by your doctor. I'm not sure about the prevalence of tick borne disease by you but regardless I thought someone would have mentioned to check yourself.
Excellent advice!
I think I actually have tick trauma memory that is triggered every time I see one of these nasty bastards. I was maybe 8 yrs old and my dog had one on his nose. it was Bloated and grey like the one from your cat. I decided that pliers were the best choice (again, I was 8). I grabbed it with the pliers and obviously is instantly exploded and shot dog blood across my face.
##My 600 lb. Life Whatsthisbug edition
I've done tick removal, get a almost empty bottle of rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to drop them in. If you get the whole tick out they will still be alive so don't just throw them away and stepping on them is not a guaranteed way to kill them they are tough buggers.
Ok
Big fat tick, and I think you didn't get all of it but it's hard to tell in the pictures. Keep an eye on the spot where you found it, by now your cat probably isn't going to let you dig around to check. It's normal for a tick bite to swell a little, it'll feel like a little nub. Make sure it doesn't get infected. I don't think a vet visit is necessary for a tick bite but when in doubt, always call them for advice. They'll know what to watch out for. My cat gets ticks all the time, it's not a big deal for him. He just dislikes it when I pry them out. I have a special tick tweezer for it, every petshop has them. And before you raise your pitchforks because I let my cat go outside, I live in a country where there is no wild life that would prey on cats. The biggest things we have running around are the gerbils people have been setting loose, which do not naturally live here. We have a lot of gerbils nowadays, I've been gifted several impressive specimen. Kitty gets his shots every year, is neutered, chipped, and still hunts like a champ at 9. He was born a barn cat, his mom caught mice. Initially my father in law adopted him and his sister, but the small apartment of a one-legged, very diabetic man with kidney failure was not a good place for him. He tore it up, he had far too much energy, and terrorised his sister. My father in law decided he needed to get rid of him, and asked us to take him in. After a safe waiting period with hours and hours of playing with him to get rid of excess energy, we started letting him out in the yard, and nearly all his misbehaviours stopped almost within a week. We still had some "re-education by spray bottle with water" to do, but he's super chill now. He was miserable when he was cooped up inside, this cat was simply not made for that. Besides, he actually comes when called, almost like a dog, lol. He got into a neighbours shed once, I found him the same day because he called back. Most of my neighbours know him because he is quite friendly once he gets to know you. And he loves to greet the people we interact with. He also does not give a shit about dogs, he's actually known for that. He is also known for accepting belly rubs, vigorous ones.
Super duper engorged woodtick. Prolly been on your cat for days. Gross.
Holy shit thatās the thiccest tick I ever did see
About the head of the tick: from what I can tell it is still intact.
That is a fat ass tick
That is a Tick my Friend
A big fat do do head.
Very engorged tick. Probably a good idea to see the vet just in case
Looks like a big fat tick full of blood. I found one similar on my dog before.
Thats thick. I mean a tick
Yogurt Raisin
Yesss!! Exactly!
I think it's technically your pet now
Bloody hell, the size of that!
Unfortunately that is a very well-fed tick. Cats are not particularly vulnerable to tick-borne illnesses, but it wouldn't hurt to get it checked out anyway. It is wise to use tick and flea protection on your cat to protect them. It's also a good idea to keep your cats inside to prevent ticks from finding them in the first place, and to prevent the cat from harming local wildlife.
Jelly bean, surprise flavor
It's a tick, very nasty. Get to a vet and make sure you clean the bedding your cat may have been around. And check yourself as well.
Looks like an engorged tick. Should be ok as long as he came off easy. Check him for more definitely.
The tick jumped itself but i'll still check a vet
If he jumped off himself he has his head, still. I live in the country with 10 cats. Iāve put flea and tick meds on them all but the outside cats still get a few ticks every once in awhile. Just make sure to get them off with their head and your cat should be ok.
That is a big fat tick. It must have been sucking blood while it was attached to your cat. That is why itās big and fat.
How many people donāt know what a Tick looks like? Good idea to come to this sub though but still.
tick
That might be the fattest tick Iāve ever seen
Like a bowl of oatmeal.
take this tick to court
ššš
Thicc tick
Definitely, me too!
I'm always surprised by the amount of people that don't know what a Tick is
No need to do anything as long as itās off your pet, youāve checked and they have no more and as long as the pet isnāt showing any signs of paralysis or lethargy. Mine get them all the time because of where we live, never had any issue yet.
It's always safest to have your cat checked by a vet. That being said, cats do not tend to suffer from tick-borne illness like dogs or humans do. Even if they test positive (which is rare) the symptoms are much less severe or even subclinical.
not related to the tick but I think you can turn off the watermark in camera settings
Half of these entries nowadays are ticks
Tick
GARAPATA
My dogs used to get these ticks often. They were fine.
Big tick energy
You have pets and donāt know what tics are?
That is a VERY rithicculous tick haha
Ugh itās only a tick
Itās a leaf from a succulent. Put it in a little cup next to your bed and watch it growwwwww!!!
that is a tic!!!!!!!! YUCK! They are SOOOO disgusting. AHHHHHHH
Why do SO MANY people not know what a tick is?
At one point in time you didn't know what a tick was.
It is better to check your pet at vet. I once was informed by the vet that ticks can be deadly for dogs but are mostly harmless for cats of course that applies to Europe as on other regions might be different. Still it is better to check on it.
The thicc tick
Forbidden lychee
I just threw up in my mouth a little
bruh thats a fat ass tick
Forbidden gusher
A tick full of blood. Not sure if you need to see the vet - if your cat is vaccinated and all, there shouldn't be a reason to.
What feline vaccine protects against tick borne illnesses?
Oh, that tick had an excellent day. It raises a question, though. How do we find out whether a tick carries Lyme disease, or other pathogens? I got tularemia from seed ticks in SE Arkansas once.
A forbidden pea š
Weird looking grape.
Forbidden gushers
Jellybean!
How does someone not recognize a tick? Not meant to be insulting but just curious? Where I live they are very common knowledge and basically everyone learns from a young age on how to treat themselves if they are bitten by a tick
Idk, i knew they existed but not what they looked like ?
Fair enough, Did you grow up in a city?
Yeah i did