My cat has ticks! How do I remove them and find effective prevention?

Thanks for visiting Petcoach! Since mites are not visible without the use of a microscope, I am going to assume you are seeing ticks on Tikvichko. Ticks can be prevented with only 1 preventative that I am aware of on he market right now, and hat product is called Bravecto for cats. Here is a website link with more information. https://us.bravecto.com/for-cats.aspx But to rid the ticks that are on him currently, and also to treat for his other conditions (likely an upper respiratory infection and possible tick borne disease) I highly recommend taking him in to your vet for a proper exam and possible tests to make sure he didn’t get some infection from the ticks. The vet can also remove the remaining ticks safely without hurting him so much. I hope he is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Best wishes and take care.

Unfortunately, there is no evidence that any of these "natural" alternatives work well for fleas, and I have never seen any of my clients have much success with them. If you want to use a flea collar, I would recommend the Seresto collar - it's safe and non-toxic, and is usually quite effective for both fleas and ticks.

I would recommend Bravecto for cats https://us.bravecto.com/for-cats . You could combine this with a Seresto cat collar if needed. I would recommend discussing with Levi's vet what products they are finding effective in your area as sometimes a vet will find one product works best for pets in their region.

Tick prevention can be achieved in many different ways. There are TONS of products available on the market, some of which are prescription only and others that are over-the-counter. You might ask ten different vets and get ten different answers as to which product is best, and this is sometimes due to the fact that certain products work better in certain geographic regions. For instance, where I practice in western Pennsylvania, we find that the Seresto Collar provides the best protection, particularly against deer ticks. However, this is not what was routinely recommended further down south. The recommendations will likely be different in the UK as well, so asking some local vets their opinion would be a valuable tool for you. Just in general, there are three different formulations for protection: topical, collar, and oral medication. Any of them are capable of getting the job done, just some are better than others in particular instances. In terms of humans, ticks can definitely infect us with diseases. The tick itself has to do this though; the dog can not get the disease and then spread it to us. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with today.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In my opinion, the best two flea and tick preventative medications are Bravecto and Frontline plus. Any of those would be good options for him. Good luck and have a good night!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Andromeda. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. You can take the tick if you still have it and discuss tick species in your area. I believe Feline Revolution Plus will cover brown dog ticks. I hope this information helps!

They do look like seed ticks to me. They need to be removed. Get a small jar and pour a half inch of so of isopropyl alcohol in the bottom. If you have a set of fine tweezers or forceps, grasp the tick next to the skin and pull, being careful not to pinch your cat. If your cat isn't cooperative, you can dap a bit of petroleum jelly on the tick, which will block their pores so they can't breathe then they will back out after a while. You can also bathe your cat in a good flea and tick shampoo labeled for use on cats (Adams works well). Trim his claws first for your own safety and put a drop of mineral oil or a tiny strip of a non-medicated eye ointment (Artificial Tears is a good one) to keep the shampoo from stinging his eyes. Apply the shampoo generously, work it into a thick lather and let it stay on for at least ten minutes. You may need to use your fingernails to gently scrape the ticks loose from the skin, then rinse him thoroughly, making sure to remove all the shampoo from his coat. Towel dry very well and if he will tolerate it, use a blow dryer to dry him completely, using the warm, not hot setting.