Ticks on Kittens

Ticks on kittens can cause problems because kittens are fragile. Ticks can transmit different kinds of diseases. These ailments can make the kitten ill and may pose health problems for humans too.

How to Restrain the Kitten

You may need someone to help restrain the kitten. Taking the tick out may hurt the kitty, causing it to bite or scratch. Get someone to hold the kitten by the nape. The rest of the animal’s body should be held by the other hand. Another way to restrain it is by wrapping a towel around the body.

How to Remove Ticks

Put your gloves on. Apply a small amount of isopropyl alcohol around the part where the tick is found. Grab a pair of tweezers and use it to grip the tick’s head. If you can’t get to the head, try to get as close to it as possible.

If you look closely the tick’s head may be embedded under the kitten’s skin. Warning: do not squeeze the body of the tick. If you do, the diseases inside its body may be spilled over and transmitted into the kitten. Always keep that in mind when removing ticks on kittens.

Secure the tweezers around the tick. Pull it out. You must use steady force when puling ticks out. Check if you have removed the tick’s head or it remains stuck on the kitten. If the head is missing, apply some alcohol on the area you pulled it out of.

Most of the time, the head will fall off on its own. In a few cases, infection may set in. Apply some ointment just to be sure. You can find these skin ointments for cats in pet stores. Keep an eye on the kitten; you don’t want it to lick the ointment off.

How to Throw Away the Ticks

After you have removed all the ticks, flush them down the toilet. Or you can put them in a trash bag and throw them in the garbage can.

Tips

If the kitten develops a red bump or discharges where the tick was taken off, contact your vet. This could be a sign of a tick infection.

Ticks on kittens can take a long time to remove especially when they are numerous. To avoid infection, you can apply topical tick medications. These are applied every month and work as preventive medicine. Just be certain the treatment is for kittens.