According to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Lyme disease is the most common disease transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, or fleas in the United States. It’s a very real threat in our home state of Virginia with a high population of deer. You probably already know people and dogs can get Lyme disease, but can cats get Lyme disease, too?

Cats and Lyme Disease

Cats can get Lyme disease, but it’s actually not very common. A tick (commonly a deer tick) that has the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria must be attached to your cat for at least 18 hours in order to transmit the disease. Symptoms include:

• Difficulty breath
• A stiff walk with an arched back
• Fever
• Lack of appetite
• Sensitive to touch
• Superficial lymph nodes close to the tick bite
• Inflammation of joints
• Depression

Rare symptoms include heart abnormalities and nervous system complications.

Always check with your vet when you have questions about your pet’s health. Tests will need to be run in order to determine whether or not your cat has Lyme disease.

Are you a parent of a pup? Find out the signs of Lyme disease in dogs.

Protect Your Family from Tick-Borne Disease.

We are here for you with our tick control services that prevent and treat tick infestations so you can feel more comfortable spending time in your backyard. Call us today at 571-620-1168 for a free quote.