How to get a tick off a cat without tweezers

When you discover a tick on your cat, your first instinct may be to grab a pair of tweezers and yank it out. Resist that urge! Safely removing a tick from a cat requires a bit of preparation, know-how and patience. Read on for our step-by-step guide so you can safely remove a tick from your cat.

Table of Contents Show

How to remove a tick from your cat
1. Gather your tools
2. Locate the tick on your cat’s skin
3. Use the tick removal tool to carefully remove the tick
4. Confine the tick
5. Clean the tick bite area
6. Clean up
7. Know when to seek outside help
Prevent ticks on your cat

How to remove a tick from your cat

1. Gather your tools

You’ll first need to gather some supplies to make the removal as fast and as comfortable for your cat as possible.

A tick removal tool: This tool does a much better job than a pair of tweezers, which can squeeze the tick and break it up, potentially leaving some of it behind in your cat – along with possible infection. While tweezers aren’t recommended for removing a tick, if you don’t have a tick removal tool on hand, use tweezers with narrow, pointy tips rather than ones with angled or bevelled tips. If you don’t have a tick-puller, due to the very dangerous nature of paralysis ticks, either take your cat to the vet to remove the tick, or do your best to remove the tick with what you have available. Leaving the tick attached until you get the right tool is not an option for this deadly parasite!
A pair of disposable gloves: Ticks can carry diseases, some of which can also affect you and your family. Wear gloves to avoid direct contact with the tick.
Antiseptic wipes
A small, sealed container to confine the tick

2. Locate the tick on your cat’s skin

Part the fur carefully around the tick, taking care to keep your cat as calm as possible. If possible, recruit a helper to hold the cat still while you work. Speak in a gentle, soothing voice, and move slowly.

3. Use the tick removal tool to carefully remove the tick

Removing a tick is tricky – you want to avoid accidentally leaving the tick’s mouthparts in your cat’s skin. Follow the instructions on the tick remover, and position the tool over the tick’s body, very close to your cat’s skin. Carefully pull and twist to bring the whole tick away without squeezing. Good to know: You should never try to burn off a tick or ‘suffocate’ it with a layer of petroleum jelly, as these methods could harm your cat.

4. Confine the tick

Put the tick in a sealed container, and then keep it to show your vet, in case your cat becomes ill.

5. Clean the tick bite area

Gently wipe the affected area of your pet with an antiseptic designed for pets.

6. Clean up

Clean your tick removal tool with a disinfectant and store it safely in case you need it again. Then dispose of the gloves and wash your hands thoroughly.

7. Know when to seek outside help

If your cat gets distressed, the tick doesn’t come out in one piece, or your cat becomes unwell, get some advice from your vet. A single paralysis tick can make a cat very sick and can even be fatal. If your cat shows any symptoms of tick paralysis, consult your vet immediately.

Prevent ticks on your cat

If your cat spends time outdoors, especially if you live along the east coast of Australia where there are paralysis ticks, it’s advisable to use a product registered to control ticks. Make sure to use a product specifically designed for cats (some products for dogs can be extremely dangerous for felines). Your vet is the best source of information on the right tick prevention product for your cat.

Ticks are small, egg-shaped bugs with eight legs that resemble small spiders. Usually they range in size from 1mm to 1cm and have a white body, but this gets larger and darker as it gets filled with blood they suck out of their hosts (your cat, essentially).

There are many old wives’ tales about how to remove a tick from a cat without a proper tick remover, but these are not advisable as they could cause further harm to either you or your cat.

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When your beloved pup faces a tick bite, you'll probably want to jump on the problem ASAP. Maybe you're out for a hike and left the tweezers at home or maybe you're afraid of squeezing (and accidentally bursting!) the tick while using the sharp metal tool. Either way, you're in luck. There are tons of great ways to remove ticks sans tweezers, and we're going to walk you through every method. Plus, we'll cover methods you should avoid, too. To discover all of the best tick-removal methods that don't use tweezers, read on!

To safely remove the tick, you'll have to access it first. For your own safety, first locate and put on a pair of latex gloves. Ticks can carry dangerous diseases, so you want to keep a safe distance. Next, part your dog's hair away from the tick. If you find this difficult, use water or rubbing alcohol to wet the surrounding area first.[1] X Research source Go to source

Wrapping dental floss around the parasite helps you extract the tick. First, unspool a length of dental floss. 6 inches will be more than enough. Next, loop the dental floss around the tick’s mouthparts, wrapping as close to the skin as possible. Tie a knot on the other side of the tick to form a small circle around the parasite's belly. Finally, tug upwards on the string to pull the tick from your dog’s skin.[2] X Research source Go to source
- If you’re having trouble looping close enough to the skin, grab a straw. Loop and tie your floss around the straw.
- With the string still situated around the straw, place the straw over the belly of the tick, with the end as close to the head as possible.
- Next, slide the floss off of the straw. With a little luck, this will help you easily place your loop close to the tick's mouth.

By cutting a "v" into your card, you can nudge the tick from your dog's skin. Cut a "v" that's no larger than the tick's head. Then, lining up your "v" with the tick's head, slide the card under the tick's belly, on your dog's skin. Now, try to gently edge the tick's head from your dog's skin with the card.[3] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- Your goal is to remove the tick entirely, especially the head. These parasites attach to your dog via tiny hooks in the skin.
- In other words, attempting to forcefully rip the tick from your dog's skin risks leaving the head attached.

Using a hot needle, make the tick uncomfortable enough to let go of your dog's skin. First, locate your needle and a box of matches. Next, heat the needle by holding it inside a flame. Now that the needle is hot, hold it directly on top of the tick—if possible, on the parasite's head. Now, you wait. If all goes well, the heat will encourage the tick to dislodge its head.
- Note that this approach involves risk. If the tick dies while still attached to your dog's skin, removing the head could become even more challenging.
- Heat can also cause the tick to produce more saliva. This saliva can carry diseases able to infect your pet with illnesses.
- If you're in a pinch, you may decide this method is still worth trying. But if you have other options available, try something with less risk first.

Place an oiled cotton ball over a tick to encourage it to detach. Though this home remedy isn't considered surefire solution, many pet owners swear by them. After applying oil to a cotton ball, hold it over the tick. Wait ~10 minutes to see if the tick detaches itself from your dog's skin.[4] X Research source Go to source

Hold a soapy cotton ball on top of the tick to make it uncomfortable. Soak your cotton ball in either hand soap or dish soap. Then, follow up by holding the cotton ball over the tick for around 10 minutes or until it lets go. You should already have these items at home, which makes this option super convenient. Though, keep in mind that results for this method are varied.[5] X Research source Go to source
- This method doesn't show consistent successful results. If the tick hangs on, incorporate another removal technique.

This helps to kill any remaining parasites on your dog's skin. These shampoos can cause adverse or allergic reactions in some pups, so first, get recommendations from your vet. Next, follow the package's instructions. Usually, this will mean wetting your dog's fur, thoroughly scrubbing the shampoo into the fur, and letting it sit for a specified amount of time.[6] X Research source Go to source

Buy a kit with tools specially made to remove ticks efficiently. Most products come with two tools: one made for bigger ticks and one made for nymphs. Typically, tick-removal kits make for easier and more effective tick removal. These usually put less pressure on the tick's body, reducing the risk of accidentally forcing the parasite to regurgitate harmful diseases. Purchase these at pet stores or online.[8] X Trustworthy Source American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. Go to source

Removing a tick the wrong way increases the risk of illness. You may end up causing the tick to embed itself into the skin without actually killing it. Bursting the tick, causing it to produce more saliva, or causing it to regurgitate its stomach's contents could all release dangerous diseases capable of infecting your dog. Stay away from these methods:
- Smothering with alcohol, Vasoline, or nail polish[9] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- Burning with cigarettes or matches[10] X Research source Go to source
- Pulling the tick off with your fingers[11] X Research source Go to source

Watch for a rash or irritated skin around the affected area. Once you remove the tick, your dog's risk of disease drops significantly. Even if you accidentally leave the head embedded, your dog will naturally push the parasite out in a matter of days. Your only concern is disease transmission, and you're likely to see signs of that in the form of a rash or irritated skin. Check your dog daily. If you notice abnormal skin around the tick bite, call your vet right away.[12] X Research source Go to source

This article was co-authored by Belgin Altundag and by wikiHow staff writer, Caroline Heiderscheit. Belgin Altundag is a Certified Dog Trainer and the Owner of Happy Doggies Day Care/Day Camp in West Hollywood, California. A passionate animal lover, Belgin is knowledgeable about multiple training styles, including obedience training, problem-solving, activity training, and behavior modification. In addition to being an Animal Behavior College’s Certified Dog Trainer (ABCDT), Belgin has also completed the Training Cesar's Way Fundamentals of Dog Behavior and Training Programs 1 and 2 and is certified by the American Red Cross in Cat and Dog First-Aid. This article has been viewed 22,731 times.

Co-authors: 6

Updated: July 11, 2022

Article Rating: 83% - 6 votes

Categories: Canine Health

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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 22,731 times.

"It was just a very interesting article generally. I started off with tick removal and found some good "do's & don'ts. Then it progressed to fever symptoms etc. All very interesting and well worth reading. You can always learn something new. Thanks!"