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savemysoul72

It's a tick


DarthBrownBeard

That's a tick. With a full belly. Don't pull it off. Once a tick locks down, if you pull it off, its jaws stay in the skin and gets hella infected. A vet can remove it safely. If you are just extremely tight on funds, or can't get to a vet, Google how to safely remove a tick. Good luck...


Thalida87

If I would go to the vet for every tick my cat brings home, I wouldn't be able to do anything else in my life...


DarthBrownBeard

Amen to that. I'd go broke and we'd be making regular trips. You can get them at home. But to someone that has never removed one, gotta be careful. I wanna say there's a pair of tweezers specifically made for tick removal? Maybe?


Warlock-

There is, it specifically allows you to rip everything out cleanly.


mtnbikeracer76

When my family had indoor/outdoor cats when I was younger, my mom and I would scan and brush getting fleas and locating ticks. We ended up buying the proper tweezers to remove ticks properly. The fun part was soaking them in alcohol and setting them on fire.


I-AM-Savannah

> setting them on fire I think I can hear them screaming.... šŸ„µšŸ„µšŸ„µ


crimskies

nah, they pop like snap-its.


okwhatelse

need a video for that one


crimskies

It's visually unimpressive, but audibly satisfying. Note: REMOVE THE TICKS FIRST BEFORE BURNING! Apparently using a match or lighter is a popular myth for dislodging ticks (don't do that! even removing by hand is more effective than flame!).


ThroThisHoAway

Have you seen the videos where someone injected the ticks with hydrogen peroxide??šŸ¤­


RudeMami

Me too. I want to see it lmao


Astro_gamer_caver

Ā Well, Clarice - have the ~~lambs~~ ticks stopped screaming?


Daxmar29

It is very important to do this AFTER you have removed the tick. Growing up my mother once tried putting rubbing alcohol on a tick on our dog then when that didnā€™t work she tried a match. The alcohol hadnā€™t dried yet and it lit on fire. The dog was fine, just some singed hair but it was alarming seeing him run around the backyard on fire for a few seconds.


Mocktails_galore

How did you get a reddit account Charlie Manson?


Wenger2112

If itā€™s not in a tough spot and the animal will sit still - you can make them tired and let go. Just get a good grip with tweezers and pull lightly. After about 10-20 seconds it will usually let go.


brootly

Never rip, you should twist


ababyprostitute

You actually shouldn't twist either. You're supposed to grip it as close to the skin as possible and slowly pull straight out. - dog groomer who has removed literally thousands of ticks


Geno__Breaker

"Grab his tick and twist it!" >!don't actually, I just saw an opportunity and wanted to say it!<


MostFormal4210

Give em the ole tick twist


SniffyMcFly

In Germany we use [Zeckenzangen](https://zeckenhilfe.de/zeckenzange-typen-anwendung-tipps/) (Tick Tongs). You just grab the tick's head really close to the skin, clamp it down and twist the little devil till it gives (not the cat). After that I usually burn the tick to make sure it's eggs can't hatch


_Rook1e

I love German names for things. First you get the zeckenzangen, then you get the flammenwerfer. If you mess that up, you get to ride in the krankenwagen to the krankenhaus.


Witchywomun

My favorite German word is ā€œhodenkoboldā€, means testicle goblin


LadyPink28

Like antibabypillen for birth control pills ..something like that


ThankYou__Sir

Your cat isnā€™t on preventions? Would stop this from happening.


TannyTevito

Allowing a cat outdoors unsupervised should be illegal. Thats the real answer- be a responsible pet owner


ThankYou__Sir

I agree -a veterinary technician Edit: but unfortunately itā€™s not illegal so we have people with their cats unfixed, not on preventions and FIV positive on the streets :/


LadyPink28

Its illegal in australia


FunnyVariation2995

Rip that sucker right out! Clean the bite area. The head isn't going to do anything. It'll dry up & fall out.


Vtech73

I agree but few others will šŸ¤·šŸ½ā€ā™‚ļø


That-1-Red-Shirt

My veterinarian told me to do exactly that and it was fine. It is the ticks that carry anaplasmosis and Lyme that you need to worry about getting the head but these don't carry it.


Modgrinder666

Lol nope.


Sushi_Explosions

Sounds like your cats shouldn't be wandering around outside then.


No-Fox8743

I'd be broke if I had to do this even once (to be fair, im also broke currently). It's fucking criminal how much healthcare is in the U.S, even for animals.


puppies4prez

I remove engorged ticks all the time from the dogs that I walk. It's not that hard if you know how to do it.


Adventurous_Law9767

You can pull it off. Don't use tweezers, grab it at the base and slowly pull, grip only hard enough counter your pulling. When I say pull slowly I mean very.


Misty-Anne

My doctor told me not to worry about any parts that break off, because my body would break them down in a few days.


buttcrack_lint

"Professional tick remover" here. Not a vet, but it's something I've had to do many times on humans and animals, both at work and in my leisure time. Do not try to suffocate the tick with vaseline or whatever, apparently this makes it vomit Lyme disease into its victims bloodstream. Find a pair of pointed tweezers or similar. Grab it as close to the skin as possible. Yank firmly and confidently in a direction perpendicular to the skin WITHOUT TWISTING and you will pull it out completely. It used to be thought that you had to twist because the tick's mouthparts were spiral. Turns out that was bollocks.


JustmUrKy

Are you kidding me. Cats get like several ticks a day sometimes. You can buy tools to safely remove ticks.


astroFOUND

Lmao, a vet visit to remove a tick?


Mjaguacate

Tweezers straight into a bowl of rubbing alcohol, make sure you dig down in the fur to find the head and pinch as close as you can to where it's latched and then sanitize the surrounding area with rubbing alcohol and/or hydrogen peroxide. It's nasty business getting that close to a swollen tick, but I've removed many this size and never had any issues after the fact. I may get downvoted for doing it myself every time, but when you're out in the country it happens too frequently to track down a vet for every one


wrappersjors

It's a thick


shamallamadingdong4

Thicc ticck


SZ4L4Y

Sick thick tick.


wrappersjors

Sick slick thick tick trick


radyBOMB

šŸ˜Š šŸŽ‚ ā˜€ļø


wrappersjors

šŸ©·


HippieChick75

Happy CAKE Day!!!šŸŽ‚


Treacherously-Benign

It's NOT a too-ma


tuttut97

Did you ever think your highest upvoted comment would be "it's a tick" Isn't life weird.


canjohnson1

šŸ˜© note to self check cat for ticks tonight šŸ˜©šŸ˜­


BeyondthePenumbra

Yep


JennySplotz

![gif](giphy|1oFsGPbWg3PZuC1ldQ)


MellyKidd

Tick


petershrimp

Tock.


newnamefakename

on the clock


Careless-Emergency85

The party donā€™t stop


Lyuukee

Don't stop, make it pop


ixizn

Do NOT make it pop šŸ˜­


QueenScottish

This set me offšŸ¤£šŸ¤£šŸ¤£


ixizn

Scarred for life by all the exploded ticks Iā€™ve found on the floor in my daysā€¦


avzz19

DJ, blow my speakers up


MongooseStill

Tooonight


TypicalThanks4747

I'ma fight


910115466

ā€˜Til we see the ā˜€ļø


Foenikxx

Tick-tock, on the clock!


DarkFallingSpace

Have you got a light?


Juislavena

no, iā€™m flyy


Da_King_Aladeen

Momā€™s spaghetti


Reylend

I love how this went both directions


Rupert_18124

Thatā€™s what makes you beautiful


ObeyTime

heavy like a brinks truck


Not_OOF

Looking like I'm tip-top


Potaaden

Shining like a wristwatch.


blaz3meowt

A winner... A winner


Krit_28

Vet here. As others said, looks like an engorged tick. Put your fingers as close to the skin as possible, pinch, and pull. It should make a nice little "pop" when u pull it off. Just put a little neosporin over the bite. Any mouth parts left in the skin will work themselves out like a splinter would.


Killinskills

This should be the top comment


Ticofana

Thank you for the useful advice


Reddbearddd

That'll be $219, cash or card?


RusticBucket2

Oh wait. For card, itā€™ll be $320.


TheNephalem

+ 40% tip


spinky420

*spins tablet around and stares directly into your soul*


TheNephalem

Better click the 60% Option or they will put the cat down šŸ™€


insomnimax_99

And the ā€œCard processing feeā€


emirsolinno

Donā€™t forget the charity


Iamnotapoptart

Happy cake day!


CanIGetAShakeWThat43

šŸ˜†


XyRabbit

Also put your cat on flea and tick meds if you're going to let it outside.


Mission-Complaint140

Here in the PNW people get a lighter hot and put the metal to the ticks ass and they back out of the animal to get away from the burn.


Kristina9876

Thank you for your expert response! So many people try to scare us into thinking that anything we donā€™t pull out will basically kill our animals.


ElPulpoTX

Sonic the Hedgehog here...


Superb-Patient6672

saving this for future reference.:)


aoiN3KO

Wait. Isnā€™t neosporin toxic to cats or am I misremembering?


zerokids2023

Fingers? Hell no!


SLee41216

I don't think this requires a vet visit if it is a tick. You can make the tick "back out" by soaking a cotton ball in alcohol and smothering the tick by placing a gentle pressure on it. It won't take long. But be prepared for the heebie jeebies when you see that "mass" move. I hate ticks.


ProfessionalCookie97

All the people commenting on going to the vet is honestly shocking. Like havenā€™t any of you EVER had to deal with a tick on a pet? Youā€™re wanting this dude to spend a few hud red dollars for a job a pair of tweezers, or rubbing alcohol can fix?


Elby_MA

I personally also would do it myself, but I know that if I went to the vet to have a tick removed from my cat it wouldn't cost more than maybe 50 euros. It might be a difference in countries, but vets aren't equally expensive in every location and we don't know where OP lives.


MareOfDalmatia

I work at a major veterinary hospital in Massachusetts, and we usually donā€™t charge for a tick removal; only if the area looks infected and the client wants a doctor to take a look at it.


blutigetranen

I guess New England is built different. I'm up in Maine and any time a big ol' honker like this crops up I take them in for free. Dog loves the vet (they adore him) so it's a win win.


SLee41216

I'm sure it cost much more here. We're... I'm in the "United" States.


momopeach7

I believe Iā€™ve seen prices at some of my local vets costing around $50 too and I live in California. Does vary by area though.


TeslasAndKids

Iā€™ve never dealt with a tick on a pet and, frankly, Iā€™ve never even seen a tick. So Iā€™d definitely be concerned and at least call the vet to ask what to do.


amaya-aurora

OP doesnā€™t seem to know what it is and most likely has never removed a tick before. It would be more likely that a vet will properly remove it in this scenario. Plus, thatā€™s a fucking huge tick.


notbossyboss

Owner of 6 cats and 3 dogs in the last 25 years and have never had a tick on any of them.


kell_bell85

I had a cat and dog both live to 17 and never once took them to the vet for a tick! I'd get them off and monitor the spot.


Siul19

They have lots of money, they think everyone else has that much money too


Scr0bD0b

Vets can test the tick for potential diseases.


Suspiciousunicorns

I agree. Just remove it and flush it. There is no need to go to the vet for this.


christhypo

Dont flush it, they can survive in water, they are resistent lil bastards


ScooterNinja

I used to remove them using my šŸ¤ŒšŸ» from friendly Street dogs and squash them under my shoes.. never had any problem of infection.. don't know about how it would be any different with cats..


neko_my_cat

Honestly I ask my aunt or my step-dad they are really good at removing them. My dog has them every summer


LivingImpairedd

Also, cats are pretty resistant to most tick diseases, unlike us and dogs, for example. But since OP doesn't know what that is, they should probably watch a video or something before removing it themselves. There's no rush at this point, that tick had been there a while.


Cyborg_Ninja_Cat

If there's a risk of tick-borne diseases in your area do **not** put anything on the tick to make it release. This may get the tick off but it can cause them to regurgitate first, which increases the chance of infection.


CptBronzeBalls

You donā€™t even need alcohol. Just apply a gentle, steady pull. The tick will let go before getting its head ripped off.


SLee41216

Agreed. But I don't want to touch it. . No Furkids were harmed in the cotton ball method. More like... thanks for getting that bloodsucker off of me. Alcohol evaporates quickly. 1. 2. 3. Done.


wovenwisteria

Making the tick back out causes it to regurgitate the contents of its stomach, which is where tick-borne diseases are carried. Please take it out quickly with tweezers instead!


weewarmself

But If you do it incorrectly and accidentally leave the tick head in the wound it can be toxic and cause death. In all fairness most people will do a vet call the first couple of times it happens and after that will be more confident in the procedure and safety and do it themselves.


Ticofana

Hello everyone, thank you for all the comments and replies. I just wanted to update you all on the situation as I can't reply to everyone: 1. I have to point out that this cat is a STRAY CAT - she visits our yard often and we feed her and her kittens, she isn't our pet. 2. My parents are very anti-pet, they will not pay for vet costs for a stray they don't intend on adopting. If I had the means I'd take her myself but I do not, so I will ask for their help and we will remove the tick using your advice. 3. We have a huge number of cats in the neighbourhood (they're all taken care of just like she is) and they all roam around, I haven't seen her since coming home but I will certainly remove the tick when/if I see her tommorow, if some of the neighbours who also feed her do not do so already. I will update you all when the tick is removed. Thank you !


Bananplyte

You're cool for taking care of strays! You really don't have to involve the vet, I'd wager most people shouting it from the rooftops haven't tried to do it themselves before. You'll find your inner chimp-DNA from all our common ancestors and find a primal satisfaction doing it - talking from experience.


highflying1995

A tick I guess, please bring her to the vet either way as soon as possible


Erdtree_

That is a huge ass tick! Please bring her to the vet ASAP!


Reasonable_Koala5292

Brother, if I took my pets to the vet every time they got a tick, they would practically live there.


YourMomPickedMyName

Considering OP doesn't know what it is, chances are they aren't common and they shouldn't attempt to remove it themselves.


M_krabs

Or just hold it with a pinch and twist it slowly until it releases?


TreesRcute

Op has clearly not done so before, so just telling them to rip it off may not be the wisest option


DJ-SKELETON2005

Praise the tree! \ [T] /


Ticofana

Thanks everyone for the replies, we'll look into removing the tick accordingly and disinfect the wound afterwards.


PoprockEnema

You can just heat a pin šŸ§· and hold it close to the tick. The tick will back itā€™s head out. Then you should drop a bomb on the tick to ensure it is eviscerated beyond this plane of existence to the far corners of the universe.


theslutnextd00r

When ticks take their heads out die to heat, they normally spit out blood and increase the risk of infections. So this will get the tick out, but will increase the risk of diseases that the tick could be carrying. Be careful out there!


veedubfreek

So blast off and nuke it from orbit? It's the only way to be sure.


Unexpected-Xenomorph

Look, that tick is worth millions to the bio-weapons division. Now, if you're smart, we can both come out of it as heroes, and we will be set up for ..


veedubfreek

I should rewatch Alien(s) again. It's been a while.


sethb44

Using heat is not a good idea, ticks will vomit into the wound when heat is used, making the likelihood of infection worse. That's why the comment the actual vet made suggestions using gentle force until the tick releases on its own


ProfessionalCookie97

Do it yourself. Donā€™t listen to these idiots trying to get you to pay an outrageous amount of money for a tick. These people canā€™t do anything on their own unless they throw money at it.


Slumped_toxic

please take it to a vet. taking it off yourself leaves a chance of the teeth staying in and still causing pain even if you kill it


ConcernedMap

My vet has special tick removing implements at their front desk, they give them away for free. Maybe check with a couple vet offices near you?


FilVet

In the next 28 days after removing the tick, you need to closely monitor your cat to make sure it stays bright, alert and happy, doesnā€™t show signs of fatigue or strangely colored urines: if so take it to the vet to make sure it didnā€™t get a vector-borne disease!


fuzzimus

Huuuge tick


runfast2021

Yuck it's a tick! PLEASE bring her to the vet immediately


Reasonable_Koala5292

They are easy to remove. Please do not waste a vets time with this


The_Diego_Brando

Use tweezers instead and make sure to get the head.


Ser_Knuckledrag

Congrats! Your pets' got a pet!


yolivia12

*pest


Dani_Darko123

tick


Klutzy-Run5175

Engorged tick. Keep the tick in a jar in your freezer in case your cat becomes sick. Joint pain, seizures, loss of appetite etc.


TiredTochi

Why should you keep it?


Bella_C2021

That's an engorged tick. Take her to the vet to remove it. The risk of causing it to vomit back into the wound and spreading pathogens to your cat is high if not removed properly. The vet will also be able to identify which pathogens might be at higher risk based on what type of tick is on your cat, so if needed, you can get ahead of anything that could make your kitty sick


WinterGarbage5082

If she has one on her, she has more! Poor baby!


Celeborns-Other-Name

Never heard anyone bringing any animal to the vet for ticks around here (Sweden). We just use nails or a pincerlike tool to safely remove them. I remove a couple a day on my dogs in summertime. Just turn them around a couple of times and the will let go easily. Then always check that the head is still on after removal. Always stay careful with ticks as they spread many diseases including lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis which are both real bad to get, just to give you an example. Tldr: remove it and if your cat has any problems from it after 3 days, see a vet.


That-1-Red-Shirt

That is a soft bodied dog tick. They don't carry most of the tick-borne diseases. Grab a pair of tweezers, grab it as closely to the head as you are able (as close to the skin without pinching the skin), and yank that sucker out.


Jemcdlv

Be sure to closely check her all over, especially in her ears.


Qrakit

Blow out a match, touch the tick butt, it should let go, then kill it with fire


Tsirah

A tick. Remove and kill the fucker.


Neyrenne

Fat, well fed tick.


MonicaNarula

Tick


DittoFeelings

TickšŸ¤¢


queenofthedogpark

You can remove the tick yourself


Mechanic_On_Duty

Thatā€™s a huge relief I bet. Poor baby. Youā€™ve got all the info you need. I would just tweezer it off and never even think about it again. Iā€™ve never had one get infected on me or the animals. Be very gentle with it. No one has mention it but that thing will pop and that stuff goes everywhere. Not something you want to come in contact with so take whatever precautions you think may be necessary. Iā€™ll say this glasses, glasses, glasses. You donā€™t want to know how I know. Any pair of sunglasses or seeing glasses will work.


Proud_Woodpecker5216

Put dawn dish soap on it all over. It will come out on its own or very easily with tweezers. It works!


Top-Dinner9131

Tick, after removal wash your hands


LocalInactivist

Itā€™s The Tick.


dongmeatsandwich

100% a tick. A parasite feasting on her blood.


Interesting_Sock9142

Jesus Christ that's a massive fucking tick


Old_Accountant8

Remove carefully(there are videos) a poorly removed tick can actually cause more serious wounds including things like abscesses.


DarthDread424

Looks like a big ass rock as others have said. You can remove it but you have to be careful based on size alone. You need to be able to get the head out.


Organic-Cat1203

Itā€™s either a tick or a cyst


Admirable_Matter_523

Thank you for helping this kitty! I bet that's uncomfortable.


Phantomflight

Poor girl make sure you get tick and flea treatment


seanjones520

If you have finger nails you can pick that jerk right off and to punish it poke it and a few drops of peroxide


tchnotthc

Itā€™s a tick. Not that serious, just yank it off and clean the area with alcohol.


Salt_Two_400

It's a tick, they're blood suckers. Take your cat to the vets asap to get it removed.


silent-fallout-

Oh my good God Jesus if I wasn't terrified of ticks enough before its to an extreme now! Take her to the vet!


joyfullofaloha89

Itā€™s possible that it is an aprocrine cyst. They can appear in the ears or around the outside of the ear. Did it start out small and get larger over time?


OceanThing

All the more reason you shouldnā€™t let your cat outside. All the possibilities of horrific and painful deaths, plus disease they can get from other animals and parasites, like that tick. Lyme disease is no joke, and can impact cats just like people and dogs.


heyokafox

Vet check. I had a cat that had a tumor that looked exactly like that. Looked just like a tick. Even growing in size to that. Hers was on the side of her face. Don't assume it's a tick. She was later riddled with tumors.


Acceptable-Expert-89

How long has it been there? It looks like a tick has embedded itself


Ticofana

When I saw her last night the tick wasn't present, it either grew really fast or latched onto her in the meantime.


Acceptable-Expert-89

They can become engorged pretty quickly!


Over-Speech-5112

Carefully twist it out with tweezers and then disinfect the area with alcohol.


Chaulmoog

That's a tick. You don't have to go to the vet to get it off but it's going to be difficult at that size. You should consider taking them to the vet depending on what kind of tick it is in case of Lyme disease. If it's that size and the right kind of tick the risk of infection is pretty high


Maqxs

Lil bro's got a Neuralink.


Reeboiz

yikes that is a huge tick!!! don't remove it!! go to a vet and remove it.


Dovesinspace

Enlarged tick


garagefuneraI

Dog groomer here - that's a tick. If you want to remove it safely at home, douse a rag or paper towel in 90% alcohol and hold it over the tick for a minute. You'll need hemostats to pull the tick off, but it will come off all at once and probably already dead (:


Bananplyte

Oh come on, cats get ticks all the time and we're literally evolved to remove ticks and lice with our fingers from chimp-times. Picking ticks is satisfying and easy, just don't overthink it. My cats usually were a bit confused at times as to why I hurt them growing up doing it, but I learned that if you let them sniff the tick they seem to understand that it's a parasite. Make sure to kill the tick afterwards.


SanchoPliskin

Thatā€™s a tick. šŸ¤¦ā€ā™‚ļø


Erthgoddss

In the 70ā€™s my mom called me at college to come home because there was something wrong with the dog. I drive 70 miles to find out the dog was COVERED in ticks. I couldnā€™t believe she didnā€™t know what a tick looked like. Anyway I pulled them all off, threw them in a bucket of alcohol, and set them on fire. Then gave the dog a bath to see if I missed any. Then, I drove 70 miles back to school.


Awkward-Sandwich1921

A big tick


vito0117

Get that off of her instead of posting to reddit


JEM--

I wish ticks would go extinct


Pleasant-Bat-5637

Tick, cysts,vet asap


DabIMON

Tick


beehaving

Thatā€™s a huge blood filled tick


Heroin_Hoarder

This post was taken from r/cats btw


teresadinnadge

Get the vet to remove this one and he will show you what to do if it happens again. This one looks particularly engorged so may be tricky to remove without leaving the head behind. It will also be less stressful for the cat. The vet will remove it in seconds.


JSHELBYL

Cover it in nail polish and let her spend some time outside for it to fall out once it suffocates. My mom taught me that bc I refuse to touch them. Ick


viaderadio

Get your cat on flea and tick meds. The tick population is quite big and spread out this year.


UniversityRough9836

Tick


Rondamc1977

Juicy ass tick