Cat bug.

Question
My cat is an indoor/outdoor cat, she was origonally a stray but has been to the vet to get her shots and all. She's very friendly and loves sitting on laps, shoulders, stomachs...anything really. Just today I was sitting on the computer with few sheets of white printer paper infront of me, which she sat on while waiting for me to finish and give her more attention. When I was done I got up to leave and she jumped down from the table to follow, when I noticed a tiny reddish brown bug crawling across one of the sheets of paper where the cat had just been sitting.
I grabbed a tissue to pick it up but managed to squash it, and it left blood on the sheet of paper and on the tissue. It was a tiny bug, so I was really supprised to see how much blood there was. Was this a tick? Was it feeding off my cat? Would it be the only one? Could they get onto me?

Answer
Hi
if it was very tiny then it could have been a flea they too are full of blood if it was the size of say have the size of your small finger nail then yes it could have been a tick, they sort of look greyish in colour whereas flease are brown.

Please see my web pages about fleas for more info on these little critters and what to do about them here

/cat-fleas.html

I also have a web page about ticks which you may find of further help

/removing-ticks.html


Check through your cats fur for either other ticks if that what you think it was or for fleas and their dirts. The web pages will be able to let you know what to do about either of them.

Don't worry, all us cat owners have been through this at least once, it is horrible but can be sorted out fairly easily.

best wishes Kate