Ticks are unwelcome hitchhikers that you may find on your cat from time to time, particularly if they spend time travelling through scrubland or fields. A recent study found 6.6% of cats are infested with ticks.
Ticks are blood-sucking parasites that are close relatives of spiders. They will climb and wait amongst vegetation for a mammal to pass by. Possible candidates are deer, hedgehogs, dogs, your cat or even you. When a tick lands on an animal it will find an area of thin skin to grasp onto and insert their mouthparts. They then excrete an anti-clotting agent to prevent blood clots from stopping the flow of their blood meal. Depending on the life stage of the tick, it could attach itself to your cat for up to two weeks.
Tick activity in the UK is seasonal, with the majority of ticks being seen in spring and early summer, and cats experiencing a second marked seasonal peak in the autumn. Recent data now shows that the current UK climate allows ticks to be active and attaching to pets throughout the year in most parts of the country, though still with marked seasonal increases.