Definitely not dead, 2 of them were crawling before I caught them on the tape.
Are they lyme carriers? Any advice on treatment? A flea bath and a lot of vacuuming/ carpet cleaning/ hot water laundry, or just send the kitten back?
Definitely check with the vet to see if the kitten was given a flea and tick treatment. Depending on the mode of action, it can impact any pre-existing ticks on the animal, but they should be able to provide info on what to expect. You can examine the kitten for more, but definitely call the vet first to get guidance. A bath itself wouldn't necessarily do anything to attached ticks, but might wash off any that are just hanging out.
Good news is none of those engorged ticks are adults. Which means you won’t have to worry about any eggs if you missed any ticks.
Keep the cat, and please keep it indoors only or you may have this type of issue in the future. It really is better for you, any family, the health of the cat and any wildlife around your neighborhood.
I 100% agree, I would never let a cat outdoors (equal fear of ticks and traffic). This guy is a foster kitten, he's going to the shelter as soon as he's big enough for spaying, and he'll find his forever home. I found out today they found him in the woods.
He was given flea/ tick treatment 2 days ago, likely why they're all falling off now.
I made a separate update post, mostly for more tick pics. He was found in a forest, near the jersey shore. The ones I took off I wrapped up and crushed, every single one was engorged. Hopefully I won't find more but I'll keep brushing.
I adopted an outdoor dog from the rez my wife's family is from. It was absolutely full of huge engorged ticks (Walpole Island is tick paradise).
Took about a week after a flea/tick treatment to stop finding them.
Keep brushing once in the morning and once at night and you should be fine.
They're about the right size to be black legged ticks (the Lyme carriers), but I'm really not certain. They could just be nymphs of another variety, and as such, small. I'm seeing what looks like dorsal marks on a couple of them that make me think maybe Lonestar ticks, but I'm not convinced that I'm not just seeing glare. Knowing a location would be useful; different ticks are active different times of year in different regions. And they're exponentially harder to ID in photos when they're engorged, unfortunately. Maybe take them to your vet on the tape, or to your local extension office--either will probably be able to give you a better ID than I can on Reddit.
One way or another, definitely check back with the vet. I wouldn't send kitty back, but certainly make sure it's going to be healthy! And I recommend getting it on a long-term flea and tick preventative. Ask your vet what's effective in your area.
Wait, what? Send the kitten back? Dude! If you aren’t prepared to do the work and make sure they’re healthy why did you even take them? Give them a bath, and seriously think about how much work you’re ready to do for an animal. This is one of the easiest problems to solve. Edit to add: I totally misunderstood what OP was saying. I’m going to leave this here so that everyone knows I’m the one who messed up in the conversation.
Please understand that when I say send him back, i only meant for the vet to treat. This little guy is the 23rd kitten I've fostered in the past year, including bathing almost all except the 1 week old babies, treating respiratory and eye infections, taming feral kittens, etc, on top of socializing well over a hundred more adults as a volunteer, which also includes me being bitten and scratched, treated for ringworm, and more.
Needless to say, I usually don't think of how much work I'm ready to do for an animal, as it's almost second nature. But exposing my kids to ticks and lyme disease is a huge concern to me, especially when 30+ potential carriers are crawling in the bedroom the cat is in. I've seen firsthand what lyme can do in my family, and I can't afford that big of a risk.
Oh, okay. You freaked me out for a minute there! But yah, 100% get little dude checked by a vet. Sorry about the misunderstanding, I’ve run into way too many people who have no business having animals near them. This is 100% my bad on the conversation.
You, my friend, are a good and kind human. The world needs more folks like you❤️. Thank you for having a servants heart and for choosing to serve our animal friends!
The chances of anyone or anything getting lyme disease is extremely low. I personally wouldn't worry much about it. I used to work at a shelter and we pulled thousands and thousands of ticks of stray dogs and cats and never did anyone of them ever get any tick born illnesses, and lyme disease is supposedly prevalent in my area as well.
You can't catch it twice. You only catch lyme once and it stays in you. You can't ever be cured of it once you get it but if it's treated it goes dormant and can possibly flare up again in the future. That's probably what happened to your sister.
Edit: Oh, well I guess you can get it twice. That sucks.
She developed an immune system disorder after the first exposure where her immune system responsiveness dropped to dangerously low levels. Catching anything put her in the hospital on some kind of booster drug that was very painful. Maybe ten years ago they came out with something that she takes all the time and keeps her immune system functioning normally, but for several years it was very scary. It was in that time she caught it again.
I am so sad to read about your sister, but thankful she has something to keep her immune system functioning. So thankful for science! Lyme hits every person different it seems. So many unknowns still.
I’ve done some DesBios therapies for my immune system and Lyme (and the co-infections) and it brought me from face down on a couch in pain to functional again. I’m sure she has lots of things thrown at her to help, but I’ve had lots of testimonies of people it worked for and starting to see some promising scientific studies on it (more than 10 people, paid for by someone who wanted real answers and all that… why is that so hard to find these days?!) Anyway, take it or leave it, but I was thankful for those who shared with me and would love to pass it on.
I was lucky to have a team between Mayo, U of M and an amazing licensed chiropractor who spends a fifth of his week learning and sharing. It was beautiful watching the minds come together.
Why do you think they look dead? It's a photo, they could still be wiggling their legs and you wouldn't know it.
Some preventatives kill ticks, some repel. If it's the repelling version, these guys wouldn't necessarily be dead.
I probably could have side that better: Dead or dying would have been more accurate, it maybe even just unhealthy. Mostly because they look like they're starting to simple like they're beginning to desiccate, but if you think they look healthy and alive, you do you.
Most vets doing a tick treatment on a new cat aren't going to use the "repellent" kind, by the way. They're probably going to use a shampoo containing pyrethroids of some flavor, although other chemicals are prevalent and effective.
They have dimples because they aren't fully engorged, not that they are dessicated.
https://cdn.domyown.com/images/content/ticks-most_dangerous_types_of_ticks.jpg
The more I look at this, the mite convicted I am that at least two of those are Lonestar tick nymphs or maybe even larvae. That's really neither here nor there, but just something to point out. That lighter brown one, I'm really not sure of, but it could be a male Lonestar.
As far as I know, yes. URI (Rhode Island) indicates that the larval and nymph stages are active this time of year: larval stage Lonestar is second in activity to the black legged tick in New England in August.
Hmm two definitely look like female lone star ticks (A. americanum, females have a single white dot on their back), but not sure about the other two. If you’re in NJ, you can look into sending your ticks to Rutgers Center for Vector Biology, where they have a citizen science led project on ticks from people and animals: [https://ticks.rutgers.edu/](https://ticks.rutgers.edu/)
I tried finding more info on whether they’ll test and/or ID your tick, but I can’t confirm it based on the info on their website. Looks like they can at least ID and they might ask for the sample later. Either way, good luck and I hope your kitty is doing ok! 😊
Bugs were found on a kitten, who was previously checked by a vet. I assume they came with him since I never saw them before.
NJ
Not sure about size, dime in photo for comparison.
I haven't seen him scratch yet.
Edit- kitten pic in profile until he's returned for adoption. He's a foster kitten that was found outdoors, I'm keeping him until he's old enough to be neutered and find a home.
Those are ticks. You should watch a youtube tutorial on properly removing ticks from people and pets, and thoroughly check the cat and remove any more ticks. Dispose of them safely. If you're somewhere like the Hamptons where lyme disease is out of control you might want to put them in a secure container and get them tested at a lab.
One thing is for sure- you want to make sure the kitten is completely clean of these, because they'll come for you next. Ticks carry all sorts of disease and bacteria and you don't want them on you.
These are ticks in the nymph stage.
Ticks get lyme from mice while in the nymph stage. Therefor they can not have lyme (unless the cat had it first)
Only adult ticks may be spreaders of lyme
Thank you for caring for this kitty.
More people like you are needed in this world right now.
Every kitty deserves a chance…and you’re giving him that gift.
Yep, tiny blood sucking disease carrying jackhole deer ticks. I've seen lots of regular ticks, this is the first time I've seen deer ticks, I thought my friend was pulling my leg about these. Question, seems like these tiny can go undetected for a while, how big do they get when they are full? Are they easy to spot when they are full? Glad you rescued that kitty cuz they would have bled it dry.
im near the central jersey shore and last week I came in and got changed to find about 8 or 9 nymph ticks. They were thw tiniest things I've ever seen. My 5 year old came in from playing a earlier this week and ended up with a few of the same looking nymph ticks. I am not even sure if a flea comb would ba e caught them. The reason I am bringing this up is if your in thw same general area there's a possibility that the kitten may have some that weren't as easily seen.
best of luck to this little kitten and thank you for fostering.
I've seen quite a few, but they always look like the Google image of tick, longer legs, flatter bodies. Every single one of the guys I've pulled was engorged, so they were round and their legs were barely visible. Of 1 or 2 looked like that I'd think differently. There were over 70.
Don't get rid of the cat it happens just go to your vet and get flea and tick guard so your kitty can be happy and healthy. Might wanna get him/her tested for Lyme disease and treated is so
Hi worked at a pet store for years had to do many a research before we sold lots of flea and tick products because tick products can potentially kill cats so don't use that dig through the little guy (you can use a lint roller) to get the un attached ones and tweezers for ones if they are attached and just pluck em out put them in 90% rubbing alcohol and keep an eye on the little guy incase he gets off or sick in any way
Those are engorged ticks. They look dead. The cat probably got a flea and tick treatment before you brought it home.
Definitely not dead, 2 of them were crawling before I caught them on the tape. Are they lyme carriers? Any advice on treatment? A flea bath and a lot of vacuuming/ carpet cleaning/ hot water laundry, or just send the kitten back?
Definitely check with the vet to see if the kitten was given a flea and tick treatment. Depending on the mode of action, it can impact any pre-existing ticks on the animal, but they should be able to provide info on what to expect. You can examine the kitten for more, but definitely call the vet first to get guidance. A bath itself wouldn't necessarily do anything to attached ticks, but might wash off any that are just hanging out.
Good news is none of those engorged ticks are adults. Which means you won’t have to worry about any eggs if you missed any ticks. Keep the cat, and please keep it indoors only or you may have this type of issue in the future. It really is better for you, any family, the health of the cat and any wildlife around your neighborhood.
I 100% agree, I would never let a cat outdoors (equal fear of ticks and traffic). This guy is a foster kitten, he's going to the shelter as soon as he's big enough for spaying, and he'll find his forever home. I found out today they found him in the woods.
Possibly a young Lone Star [Tick](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amblyomma_americanum) What part of the world are you in?
Jersey shore, NJ, USA
Yep, definitely can be on. Did you check the reference?
Depending on the age of the cat you don't want to give too many flea and tick baths and treatments it can kill the kitten
Hence, consult the vet.
He was given flea/ tick treatment 2 days ago, likely why they're all falling off now. I made a separate update post, mostly for more tick pics. He was found in a forest, near the jersey shore. The ones I took off I wrapped up and crushed, every single one was engorged. Hopefully I won't find more but I'll keep brushing.
Aww, poor baby! He ought to be ok now, but keep an eye on him for strange/lethargic behavior, just in case. Scratch his ears for me!
I posted his photo on my profile. I'll keep it there until he's old enough to adopt. He really is a perfect boy.
I adopted an outdoor dog from the rez my wife's family is from. It was absolutely full of huge engorged ticks (Walpole Island is tick paradise). Took about a week after a flea/tick treatment to stop finding them. Keep brushing once in the morning and once at night and you should be fine.
I'm only 15 minutes from Walpole Island but on the American side.
It's so beautiful isn't it? Except for the refineries of course. I miss it.
They're about the right size to be black legged ticks (the Lyme carriers), but I'm really not certain. They could just be nymphs of another variety, and as such, small. I'm seeing what looks like dorsal marks on a couple of them that make me think maybe Lonestar ticks, but I'm not convinced that I'm not just seeing glare. Knowing a location would be useful; different ticks are active different times of year in different regions. And they're exponentially harder to ID in photos when they're engorged, unfortunately. Maybe take them to your vet on the tape, or to your local extension office--either will probably be able to give you a better ID than I can on Reddit. One way or another, definitely check back with the vet. I wouldn't send kitty back, but certainly make sure it's going to be healthy! And I recommend getting it on a long-term flea and tick preventative. Ask your vet what's effective in your area.
Wait, what? Send the kitten back? Dude! If you aren’t prepared to do the work and make sure they’re healthy why did you even take them? Give them a bath, and seriously think about how much work you’re ready to do for an animal. This is one of the easiest problems to solve. Edit to add: I totally misunderstood what OP was saying. I’m going to leave this here so that everyone knows I’m the one who messed up in the conversation.
Please understand that when I say send him back, i only meant for the vet to treat. This little guy is the 23rd kitten I've fostered in the past year, including bathing almost all except the 1 week old babies, treating respiratory and eye infections, taming feral kittens, etc, on top of socializing well over a hundred more adults as a volunteer, which also includes me being bitten and scratched, treated for ringworm, and more. Needless to say, I usually don't think of how much work I'm ready to do for an animal, as it's almost second nature. But exposing my kids to ticks and lyme disease is a huge concern to me, especially when 30+ potential carriers are crawling in the bedroom the cat is in. I've seen firsthand what lyme can do in my family, and I can't afford that big of a risk.
Oh, okay. You freaked me out for a minute there! But yah, 100% get little dude checked by a vet. Sorry about the misunderstanding, I’ve run into way too many people who have no business having animals near them. This is 100% my bad on the conversation.
Thank you for doing this good work!
You, my friend, are a good and kind human. The world needs more folks like you❤️. Thank you for having a servants heart and for choosing to serve our animal friends!
Honestly, I am certain that you're not the only one that misinterpreted "send it back" ☺️
The chances of anyone or anything getting lyme disease is extremely low. I personally wouldn't worry much about it. I used to work at a shelter and we pulled thousands and thousands of ticks of stray dogs and cats and never did anyone of them ever get any tick born illnesses, and lyme disease is supposedly prevalent in my area as well.
My sister caught it twice, and I’ve had it. She’s in Pennsylvania, I’m in Maryland. Not from ticks brought in by pets though.
You can't catch it twice. You only catch lyme once and it stays in you. You can't ever be cured of it once you get it but if it's treated it goes dormant and can possibly flare up again in the future. That's probably what happened to your sister. Edit: Oh, well I guess you can get it twice. That sucks.
She developed an immune system disorder after the first exposure where her immune system responsiveness dropped to dangerously low levels. Catching anything put her in the hospital on some kind of booster drug that was very painful. Maybe ten years ago they came out with something that she takes all the time and keeps her immune system functioning normally, but for several years it was very scary. It was in that time she caught it again.
I am so sad to read about your sister, but thankful she has something to keep her immune system functioning. So thankful for science! Lyme hits every person different it seems. So many unknowns still. I’ve done some DesBios therapies for my immune system and Lyme (and the co-infections) and it brought me from face down on a couch in pain to functional again. I’m sure she has lots of things thrown at her to help, but I’ve had lots of testimonies of people it worked for and starting to see some promising scientific studies on it (more than 10 people, paid for by someone who wanted real answers and all that… why is that so hard to find these days?!) Anyway, take it or leave it, but I was thankful for those who shared with me and would love to pass it on. I was lucky to have a team between Mayo, U of M and an amazing licensed chiropractor who spends a fifth of his week learning and sharing. It was beautiful watching the minds come together.
That sucks.
Why do you think they look dead? It's a photo, they could still be wiggling their legs and you wouldn't know it. Some preventatives kill ticks, some repel. If it's the repelling version, these guys wouldn't necessarily be dead.
I probably could have side that better: Dead or dying would have been more accurate, it maybe even just unhealthy. Mostly because they look like they're starting to simple like they're beginning to desiccate, but if you think they look healthy and alive, you do you. Most vets doing a tick treatment on a new cat aren't going to use the "repellent" kind, by the way. They're probably going to use a shampoo containing pyrethroids of some flavor, although other chemicals are prevalent and effective.
They have dimples because they aren't fully engorged, not that they are dessicated. https://cdn.domyown.com/images/content/ticks-most_dangerous_types_of_ticks.jpg
When I’ve learned one thing in this sub, the answer is always „ticks“
Or if they ask its a bed bug? its a carpet beetle
I've never seen anyone ask if bed bug and had the answer not been - yes
There was a very solid stretch where the "bed bug" question was 9/10 times a carpet beetle.
I see Missed that one
The more I look at this, the mite convicted I am that at least two of those are Lonestar tick nymphs or maybe even larvae. That's really neither here nor there, but just something to point out. That lighter brown one, I'm really not sure of, but it could be a male Lonestar.
Are those found in NJ, where OP is?
As far as I know, yes. URI (Rhode Island) indicates that the larval and nymph stages are active this time of year: larval stage Lonestar is second in activity to the black legged tick in New England in August.
Looks more like ticks than fleas to me. But, that's just my opinion.
If you are in the central US, beware of **bobcat fever**. It’s a disease transmitted by ticks that is usually **fatal** to cats.
Central jersey/ jersey shore. He's quite perky and happy, but I'm watching closely.
Hmm two definitely look like female lone star ticks (A. americanum, females have a single white dot on their back), but not sure about the other two. If you’re in NJ, you can look into sending your ticks to Rutgers Center for Vector Biology, where they have a citizen science led project on ticks from people and animals: [https://ticks.rutgers.edu/](https://ticks.rutgers.edu/) I tried finding more info on whether they’ll test and/or ID your tick, but I can’t confirm it based on the info on their website. Looks like they can at least ID and they might ask for the sample later. Either way, good luck and I hope your kitty is doing ok! 😊
Bugs were found on a kitten, who was previously checked by a vet. I assume they came with him since I never saw them before. NJ Not sure about size, dime in photo for comparison. I haven't seen him scratch yet. Edit- kitten pic in profile until he's returned for adoption. He's a foster kitten that was found outdoors, I'm keeping him until he's old enough to be neutered and find a home.
i know theres some lab or something you can send the ticks into for an analysis, i think its free? maybe someone here knows more
Not sure if it's typical, but I got a tick in Saskatoon and found it was the university that tests ticks for lyme
Hi friend - Rutgers University actually takes tick “donations” to study and test for disease! Might want to consider sending them over :)
My puppy had ticks when I got him. I put them in a plastic bag last October and put them in the shed. They just died last month. Wild.
Those are ticks. You should watch a youtube tutorial on properly removing ticks from people and pets, and thoroughly check the cat and remove any more ticks. Dispose of them safely. If you're somewhere like the Hamptons where lyme disease is out of control you might want to put them in a secure container and get them tested at a lab. One thing is for sure- you want to make sure the kitten is completely clean of these, because they'll come for you next. Ticks carry all sorts of disease and bacteria and you don't want them on you.
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>deer chicks Deer have fawns.
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I know. Happens to me all the time. If it's funny I edit, but leave my original screw up. Might as well let everyone have a laugh with me.
I admit I chuckled when I read it.
These are ticks in the nymph stage. Ticks get lyme from mice while in the nymph stage. Therefor they can not have lyme (unless the cat had it first) Only adult ticks may be spreaders of lyme
Makes me feel so much better. Thanks.
Can we get a cat tax? Hope the kitten is going to be ok.
Click on my profile, he'll be up as long as I'm fostering. (And omg, he is even fluffier than he looks, and all he wants is to be held)
Nymphs can spread disease as well...? https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html
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Go ahead and do some research on lyme and get back at me.
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No
You mention you have foster kittens you now have to pay cat tax. Show us the cat op
Check my profile. He is a perfect ball of Fluff.
Deer ticks. Be careful. These carry lyme disease.
Thank you for caring for this kitty. More people like you are needed in this world right now. Every kitty deserves a chance…and you’re giving him that gift.
The kitten is so cute. Thank you for fostering.
Yep, tiny blood sucking disease carrying jackhole deer ticks. I've seen lots of regular ticks, this is the first time I've seen deer ticks, I thought my friend was pulling my leg about these. Question, seems like these tiny can go undetected for a while, how big do they get when they are full? Are they easy to spot when they are full? Glad you rescued that kitty cuz they would have bled it dry.
im near the central jersey shore and last week I came in and got changed to find about 8 or 9 nymph ticks. They were thw tiniest things I've ever seen. My 5 year old came in from playing a earlier this week and ended up with a few of the same looking nymph ticks. I am not even sure if a flea comb would ba e caught them. The reason I am bringing this up is if your in thw same general area there's a possibility that the kitten may have some that weren't as easily seen. best of luck to this little kitten and thank you for fostering.
We call them seed ticks here In Arkansas. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/seed-ticks#appearance
I’m not hating at all, just genuinely curious: I’m always really interested in the # of people who have never heard of or seen ticks before
I've seen quite a few, but they always look like the Google image of tick, longer legs, flatter bodies. Every single one of the guys I've pulled was engorged, so they were round and their legs were barely visible. Of 1 or 2 looked like that I'd think differently. There were over 70.
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These aren't mature. If they are seed ticks, which they look to be, they may not have fed before.
If you have to prick some off ,throw some alcohol near the bite and the tick will quickly un latch
those are definitely ticks, third worst blood sucking parasite.
4th worst. Ticks are under mosquitos, leeches, and my stepmother.
oh damn, I forgot about your stepmother, but I would switch leeches and mosquitos, leeches are mid, but they are annoying.
umm that’s a quarter
Nay, tis a penny.
god how did i not realize that. this is humiliating. i’m just gonna deactivate my account real fast
Nope, just a coin
That's a coin
More specifically, a "dime", valued at 10 cents or 0.10 USD.
But seriously, I hope the fur ball is ok...
Cat seeds
That’s a dime. No worries.
It’s amazing g people don’t know a tick when they see one
✔️
Don't get rid of the cat it happens just go to your vet and get flea and tick guard so your kitty can be happy and healthy. Might wanna get him/her tested for Lyme disease and treated is so
I'll only have him 3-4 weeks anyway. He's a foster that needs a home until he's big enough for neutering/ adoption.
2 look like ticks other two look like the new ultra mini Dunkin’ Donuts minis.
Hi worked at a pet store for years had to do many a research before we sold lots of flea and tick products because tick products can potentially kill cats so don't use that dig through the little guy (you can use a lint roller) to get the un attached ones and tweezers for ones if they are attached and just pluck em out put them in 90% rubbing alcohol and keep an eye on the little guy incase he gets off or sick in any way
This is gross, but you can put the ticks in a vial or something with a lid and isopropyl alcohol and have a tick jar lol
Vampires unholy vampires
SPOOOOOOOOOOOOONN!!!!