Filed in Cats, Fleas and Ticks
Ticks are parasites that attach themselves to your cat in order to take in a blood meal to stimulate egg production. Unlike fleas, they normally cause your cat little discomfort. Tick saliva anesthetizes the bite area and in most cases your cat won't even know it's been bitten. The main concern with ticks is that they carry a variety of diseases that can be passed on to your cat.
The free roaming nature of cats can make them more susceptible to infestation than dogs, who are usually less likely to roam freely. This also makes tick prevention more difficult.
Some of the more common repellents (sprays, powders) have short-term effectiveness and have to be regularly reapplied. However, there are products (spot-ons and collars) that have been proven effective in tick control when properly applied.
You should inspect your cat regularly for ticks, if found, carefully remove them. Improper removal of ticks can cause part of the tick to remain imbedded in your cat's skin and could lead to infection. Grasp the tick (as close to your cat's skin as possible) and gently rotate the tick (similar to unscrewing a light bulb) to remove it. Once it has been removed, examine the tick to be sure that it is whole, and that no part has been left in your cat. When in doubt, contact your veterinarian.