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Do cats get ticks?
Cats pick up ticks less often than dogs, but outdoor cats are still at real risk.
Yes. Any cat that goes outside can pick up a tick from grass, brush, or leaf litter. Indoor-only cats are at much lower risk, but not zero, because a tick can be carried indoors on a dog, on clothing, or on a cat that slips out for even a short time.
Never use a dog tick product on a cat. Permethrin, common in dog spot-ons and collars, is highly toxic to cats and can be fatal, even from a small amount transferred by grooming or lying next to a treated dog. If you have both a dog and a cat in the house, check every product’s label before it goes anywhere near the cat, and ask your vet if you are ever unsure.
Where to check
- Head, ears and neck (where a grooming cat cannot reach)
- Under the collar
- Around the eyelids and chin
- Armpits and belly
- Between the toes, especially on a cat that spends time in long grass
A cat’s flexibility and constant grooming mean a tick rarely stays somewhere the cat can reach with its tongue or a paw. That narrows down where to look: the head, the back of the neck, and the chin are the places a cat physically cannot groom, which is exactly why ticks tend to end up there.
Why cats get fewer ticks than dogs
Cats groom constantly, and often remove a tick before it settles or feeds. That grooming habit is the main reason cats show up with fewer ticks than dogs in the same environment, not because cats are less exposed. It also means a tick you do find on a cat has usually attached somewhere the cat cannot reach, so a thorough check of the head and neck matters more for cats than for dogs.
An indoor cat that never leaves the house is a low priority for tick checks. An outdoor or indoor-outdoor cat that hunts, roams, or simply naps in the garden should be checked on the same kind of schedule as a dog; see where ticks hide on pets for the full routine.
Safe prevention
| Option | Notes |
|---|---|
| Cat-specific spot-on treatments | Formulated and dosed for cat physiology |
| Cat-labelled tick collars | Look for products explicitly labelled for cats, not just “small pets” |
| Regular hands-on checks | The only prevention step with no chemical risk at all |
Ask your vet before starting any product, particularly if the cat is very young, elderly, pregnant, or already on other medication. Cat-safe options are labelled for cats explicitly: a product labelled only for dogs is not a smaller dose for a smaller animal, but a different formulation that a cat’s body cannot process safely. If a cat shows drooling, tremors, or unsteadiness after any product is applied, treat it as an emergency and contact a vet immediately rather than waiting to see if it passes.
If you find a tick on a cat
Removal technique itself does not change between cats and dogs: see how to remove a tick from a dog for the method, which applies equally to cats. What does change is prevention: never reach for a dog product “because it’s what’s in the cupboard.” A cat-labelled product, a comb, or fine-tipped tweezers are the safe tools to have on hand.
A cat that fusses, hides, or scratches at the site after removal is usually just reacting to the handling rather than showing a sign of illness. Keep an eye on the spot over the following days for redness or swelling, and watch the cat generally for the signs described in signs of tick disease in pets, which apply to cats as well as dogs even though cats are affected less often.
See also: where ticks hide on pets, pet tick repellents, and are ticks dangerous to pets.