J. Veronika Kiklevich, DVM
Q. What kinds of diseases/problems can cats get from ticks?
A. There are several diseases that ticks can transmit to cats. In general, cats are more fastidious than dogs and do not tend to be in tick-infested environments, so it is fairly uncommon to find ticks on cats and the prevalence of tick-borne diseases in cats is much lower than it is in dogs. Organisms that can be transmitted to cats and cause disease include Cytauxzoon felis, Babesia felis, Ehrlichia spp. and Haemobartonella felis. Hepatozoonosis, another fairly rare disorder, is caused by the ingestion of ticks that are infected with the causative protozoan. If you find a tick or ticks on your cat it is important to have the type of tick identified, as only some species of ticks carry infectious organisms. It may then be important to have your cat tested for infectious diseases.