birds and ticks

dadada

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I don't know if I'm being to paranoid, but i'm starting to get really concerned about this. My cat recently started hunting, or she caught two birds like 1 month ago. I heard birds carry plenty of diseases and external parasites such as ticks, can these be transmitted to cats, or humans? She's not scratching herself or anything, and I bathed her since then, however I was wondering if maybe these can nest in her bed or my bed, or something like that, specially since a couple of weeks ago I developed some sort of rash. It's very slight, and non uniform, I think it could be bug bites. Thankx for any info...
 

jennyr

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Any cat that hunts can pick up parasites, internal and external. If you allow your cat out then it is important to keep up to date with wormimg and flea treatments. I use Frontline on mine regularly and get worm tablets from the vet.
 

arlyn

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Mites and lice yes, I have never heard of a bird with ticks, they'd just pick them out of their feathers and eat them.
I would have the biggest concern with internal parasites.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Arlyn

Mites and lice yes, I have never heard of a bird with ticks, they'd just pick them out of their feathers and eat them.
I would have the biggest concern with internal parasites.
 

jennyr

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Just by being out they can pick up ticks - Dushka had one once, though I didn't see it till it was dead. The Frontline had killed it but it was still hanging on to her and I had to remove it. Yuck!
 

tuxedokitties

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Try checking your home for signs of fleas - use a fine-toothed flea comb on your cat, and look for small black bits that look like pepper. Also check the cat's bedding and your sheets for the pepper-like spots (flea excrement). If you find any, that's a sign there are fleas in the house - you'll want to get a good flea treatment product for your cat from the vet, and get some spray for the house (ask your vet for recommendations). Vacuum the house thoroughly, and wash all bedding (yours and the cat's).

If you don't find any signs of fleas, have you noticed that you itch more or the rash flares after handling the cat?

Click here for an article on Causes of Itching Skin Lesions in Pet Owners
Caution
: This is a medical article, so some of the photos included with the article are pretty yucky.

You might want to go to your doctor or a dermatologist and show the rash to him or her, and be sure to mention that you have a cat and suspect the rash is related. Taking the cat to the vet would probably be a good idea, too - if it turns out that your cat has been exposed to something that's spread to you, she'll need to be treated to stop the cycle. Be sure to mention your rash to the vet - some cats can carry mites that can cause itching in the owner even if the cat doesn't have any symptoms.
 

goldenkitty45

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Birds are more of a mite carrier then a tick carrier. Mites are tiny little bugs (white) that look like salt in the feathers. They burrow under the skin causing itching.

Wild birds almost always have mites - if the cat has caught them, the mites are probably on the cat to cause the itching (and will be in the bedding). Call your vet to see what you can bath your cat in to kill the mites. And wash the bedding too.
 
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