Cats get ticks too!
It is a fable that ticks only occur in wooded areas. Ticks are also observed in gardens, parks and playgrounds as long as grass and shrubs are present. And yes, cats like to walk through those too. Ticks do not leap from trees but actively crawl towards a passing host. Once they are on the host, they start feeding on the host's blood at some point. At the time of blood sucking, an active exchange of saliva takes place. It is possible that germs are then also exchanged. Only infected ticks can transmit diseases, and luckily these are only a small part of the tick population in our country. Unfortunately, you cannot tell from the outside whether a tick carries a disease such as Lyme disease or Babesiosis or Ehrlichiosis.
What are ticks anyway?
Ticks are small spider-like insects that need blood animals and sometimes humans to survive. A bite from a tick usually does not hurt. However, the danger of a tick bite lies in the fact, that while biting, a tick leaves behind saliva that may contain pathogens.
Can I protect my cat from ticks?
Cats can be well protected against tick bites, unfortunately no anti-tick remedy works 100 per cent. If you use good tick repellents on cats, the chances of getting a tick are really minimal, especially if you keep watching yourself. If you do not protect cats at all, it is possible that live ticks will be taken home with them, which, after falling off, will look for new hosts. That host can then be another pet or yourself. You obviously want to avoid this, which is why it is recommended to properly protect all cats walking outside.
How do I protect my cat from ticks?
There are several tick repellents for cats on the market. The most popular are: the spot-on pipettes and the tick collar. We briefly explain both products.
Spot-on pipettes against ticks?
Spot-on products against ticks are in pipette form and therefore often easy to administer. The flea pipette is squeezed empty onto the skin in the cat's neck. The liquid is absorbed through the sebum layer of your cat's skin and thus spread all over the body.
Spot-on products protect cats from ticks by repelling ticks and/or killing ticks as soon as they bite. A spot-on product for cats is usually effective for a little less than a month. All tick pipettes also protect against other parasites such as fleas. Against fleas, the effect is often much longer. To keep your cat protected, you need to re-apply a pipette to your cat's neck every time after the product has expired. An example of an effective spot-on tick remedy for cats is Effipro Duo Spot-On.
Tick collar for cats
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A tick collar protects your cat long-term den from ticks. In fact, a tick collar protects against ticks for an average of 7 to 8 months. A tick collar is applied like a collar. The collar always comes into contact with the cat's skin and releases the active substance via the sebum layer. Via the sebum layer of the skin, the active substance spreads over the entire body and the cat is protected against ticks.
Tick collars for cats have a well-functioning breaking mechanism. This ensures that the band breaks the moment the cat gets stuck behind something. Tick collars for cats are made for cats that go outside a lot without supervision and with the collar breaking automatically, you don't have to worry that your cat can �hang itself�. An extremely high number of tick collars have been sold and, fortunately, we have never heard of a cat dying because it got stuck on something. Of course, it is not the case that the band opens at the slightest or most pointed thing to avoid the need for new bands too often. An example of a good safe tick band for cats that also works against fleas is the Seresto Flea and Tick Band.
Do I still need to check my cat for ticks?
As mentioned earlier, no tick remedy is 100 per cent effective. This means that for even more certainty, you should still regularly check your cat for ticks. A tick can occur anywhere on your cat's body, however, they are often located at the groin, armpits and head. The sooner a tick is removed, the less likely it is to transmit pathogens.
-This is an automated translation- |
