Cat is bringing home ticks..

Disclaimer: read last paragraph for the question...

To start this is my first post...cat was found as a stray about a year ago...he was an inside cat (besides me trying to walk him on a collar here and there) until one day he got out and got lost for 3 days...eventually he found his way back...after that he always wanted to go out...so I would go out with him and bring him in...then he started staying out longer...and he would be let out when I wasn't home because he would constantly meow....to a point where he would sometimes go out 2-3 times a day...

Now we're facing a problem though...one it's driving me crazy on some days having to go out every 30 min to an hour to check on him and try to catch him to come inside...a lot for the time he likes to stay out for 2-3 hours plus...I definitely want him to go out less and I'm gonna have to control that but the real problem is that everyone in the house now has TICK BITES...the big ones you can see when he comes in and I grab them...but the baby ones or the small ones...I must of found like 2-3 and 2 because they were in him and 1 because I felt it( but when I looked at it i couldn't believe how small they are and that I could actually feel that on home..) so how many is he bringing in that I can't find on him...???

he actually made friends with a stray outside ...they greet each other/play...he climbs trees...has a ball ect ec...but we don't want him going out as much ... maybe we can ween him off eventually from goign outside but now isn't the time, he's used to being out alot...and now summer is here...

The big question is we want him to go out  but the ticks are a problem ... what would be a solution to a cat bringing ticks home without saying he should be an indoor cat...I have has had a lot of red dots and itchy bug bites ... same with my mom and now my dad...it's the small ticks that are hard to find that are making it in I think...also so many bug bites but I never actually seen a tick on me...baby ticks can't attach or something?

Are you sure they are not fleas. Ticks (of any size) will not just bite, they attach to their host and won't come off until they have fed and will be engorged and it takes more than a day or two. I have to remove several ticks on myself and kids every year, we check daily and yes even after a few hours they will be attached and we need to use tweezers to remove them. If your cat is going outside it should be on a flea/tick treatment. There is topical medication and collars. Frontline doesn't work for us, my cat are indoor but they get advantage just in case a flea hitches a ride in with the dog or on our clothes.

Yeah ticks cause they are all black and small looking like spiders...I don't think fleas would leave a red marks around the size of a match head...then again idk...I read collars can be dangerous to outside cats...i guess I will have to try frontline....why does't it work for you? 

The Frontline is a good idea for your cat, it's not designed for humans though and any ticks jumping off your cat will still be able to bite you. I'm not sure what you can do besides brush the cat before he comes inside, but that will be time consuming and not always practical.

I use Revolution for my cat.  It is a topical application that protects your cat from fleas, ticks and several types of parasites (worms).  You will need a prescription from your vet, though for Revolution.

Cool I'll check it out...  and I'll try to brush him more often

i prefer revolution because its alcohol based and dries faster-my cat licks like crazy-i have to hold her and distract her for 15-30 min for it to dry.

frontline is oily based and takes longer to dry-some areas frontline doesnt kill fleas but it does kill ticks. i have seen ticks die after getting attached to the cat-which i perfected pulling them out without tweezers but thats because we get more in the spring. the mice and deer other wildlife have been the host for these annoying bugs. 

revolution is more expensive BUT it does more things. revolution is a parasite killer where frontline/advantage are pesticide killers. 

advantage 2 is safe for nursing mom cats and kittens when they reach 2 pounds. the other two i dont know if they are. 

Flea combing cat before come in is not a bad idea-use a glass of water with dish soap-dip comb in it then brush cat- then dip after every swipe-any creepy crawlies die in the soapy water.

Hello! Just wondering - is your cat neutered? That will cut out on his drive to run off if not.

And yes, you definitely want to treat for the ticks. I'm worried about the humans in your house too!

Yeah, ticks stay attached for several days so you wouldn't just find a bite mark---you'd find the tick, unless it's in an area where the tick can go unnoticed for a few days. If the bites are on your ankles or somewhere visible it's not ticks. I would guess it's fleas or chiggers or something like that (cats don't bring chiggers in, you have to walk through their nest, though).

If it's super important to never have him bring in any bugs, you can get Nexguard or Bravecto from the vet. They're expensive though! If he won't lose it, you could try a Seresto collar. If it lasts as long as it's supposed to, it's cheaper than most flea/tick meds, but if he loses it, it's an expensive loss. Frontline works for some people, but in some areas the fleas have developed resistance. But I think it still works for ticks. Revolution is good, too, but you also have to get that from the vet.