Cats and Ticks on Long Island: Fall Exposure, Prevention Gaps, and Safer Care
By September, a lot of us are ready to put summer problems behind us.
The worst heat is usually over. Mosquitoes start becoming less annoying. Kids go back to school. And it is easy to think tick season is winding down too.
Unfortunately, ticks on Long Island do not really work that way.
Suffolk County health officials warn that ticks can stay active any time temperatures are above 40°F. That means fall can still be a very active time for them, and we can even have tick activity during warmer stretches in winter.
Cats also tend to get left out of tick conversations. People think about dogs hiking through the woods or people doing yard work. But cats can get ticks too.
Fall Weather Can Still Be Tick Weather on Long Island
Ticks don't look at the calendar and decide summer is over.
According to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, ticks can remain active year-round when temperatures are above 40°F.
Long Island is also home to several kinds of ticks, including:
blacklegged ticks, often called deer ticks;
lone star ticks;
American dog ticks;
other local species that are found in wooded or grassy areas.
Suffolk County has an active Tick Pathogen Surveillance Program that collects and tests ticks throughout the county. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County also reports large populations of lone star ticks on Long Island.
That doesn't mean the exact same number of ticks are sitting in every yard from Montauk to Hicksville.
But it does make one thing pretty clear: ticks are well established on Long Island.
Here in Nassau County, the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District also recommends checking pets after they have been in places where ticks may be present.
Cats Get Ticks Too, Even If Lyme Disease Is Rare in Cats
On Long Island, almost every tick conversation turns into a Lyme disease conversation. But there is an interesting difference with cats.
The Cornell Feline Health Center says cats are highly resistant to the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Cats rarely develop the clinical Lyme disease that we worry about in dogs and people.
That's good news, but it doesn't mean ticks are harmless to cats.
Ticks can still attach, feed, cause skin irritation, and carry other infections. Cornell lists several tick-borne diseases that can affect cats. Some are rare. Some can become very serious.
Signs of illness from a tick bite can include:
fever
low energy
not wanting to eat
pale gums
trouble breathing
swollen lymph nodes
weight loss
behavior that is simply not normal for your cat
Those signs can also occur with many other feline health problems, so context matters. If your cat recently had a tick and then starts acting sick, tell your veterinarian about the tick exposure.
Finding a tick does not automatically mean your cat will get sick. Cornell notes that most ticks do not transmit disease and tick-borne illness is still considered relatively uncommon in cats.
The Indoor-Cat Question Is More Complicated Than It Sounds
I hear some version of this a lot: "My cat never goes outside."
That does lower a cat's exposure to many outdoor risks. But an indoor home is not always completely separated from the outdoors.
A 2025 global survey by Merck Animal Health found that 43% of people with exclusively indoor cats reported dealing with a flea or tick problem.
However, that number includes fleas and ticks together. It doesn't mean that 43% of indoor cats had ticks. Still, it shows why "indoor only" is not always the end of the conversation.
Ticks Can Come Into a Home in More Than One Way
A cat may have some exposure if:
a dog in the home spends time outside
people walk through tall grass, brush, parks, or wooded areas
the cat uses a screened porch or catio
the cat goes outside on a harness
the cat travels
a door gets left open and the cat escapes
your home or yard is close to brush, leaf litter, or wooded edges
Ticks do not jump or fly. They tend to wait on vegetation and grab onto a person or animal that brushes past them.
Your cat's real level of risk depends on how they live.
A senior apartment cat who has never stepped outside has a very different lifestyle from a cat who sits in a catio every afternoon or shares a home with two dogs who love walking through the woods.
It's Easy to Miss a Dose
One thing that stood out to me in the research for this article was how common missed flea and tick prevention really is.
In the 2025 Merck survey, 83% of pet owners said flea and tick treatment was important. But 51% of cat owners also said they had forgotten a flea or tick treatment during the previous year.
That is a pretty big gap!
Veterinarians generally recommend covering the entire year for fleas and ticks. But owners often purchase only a few months of prevention.
This isn't surprising. Pet care routines can get complicated.
Flea and tick prevention doses can be missed because:
the treatment date falls during a vacation
someone thinks another person already gave it
the reminder gets dismissed on a busy day
the cat is difficult to medicate
the product runs out
That's just normal life. The problem is that preventive care only works when the schedule is actually followed.
Make the Schedule Harder to Forget
A few simple systems can help:
put the dates in your phone calendar
set a reminder a few days before the dose is due
keep parasite prevention dates with your cat's other medical records
include the date in the care instructions you leave when traveling
check the supply before a trip, not the night before you leave
You do not need an elaborate tracking system - just need one that you will actually use.
Cats Need Cat-Safe Parasite Prevention
This part is especially important. Cats can be very sensitive to some chemicals used for parasite control.
There are different types of feline parasite prevention available, including topical, oral, and other veterinarian-recommended options.
The right option depends on things like:
your cat's age
health history
other medications;
indoor or outdoor access
other animals in the home
local exposure
how well your cat tolerates different medications
Your veterinarian has the full picture and can help you choose the safest approach.
Prevention Works Better When You Check Your Cat
Even cats on regular parasite prevention should still get a quick body check after possible tick exposure.
This is especially helpful after:
outdoor time
catio time
travel
an accidental escape
time in a yard with tall grass or brush
You do not have to turn it into a major event. I would make it part of everyday petting or grooming.
Slow Down and Feel the Skin
Run your hands over your cat's body and feel for anything unusual.
Check areas like:
around the ears
the head and neck
under the chin
the shoulders
between the front and back legs
around the paws and toes
along the back
near the base of the tail
With long-haired cats, you may need to part the fur to really see the skin.
You're basically looking and feeling for a small bump that was not there before. This gets easier when you already know your cat's body.
If you regularly groom or pet them, you start learning where their normal little bumps, scars, thin spots, and sensitive areas are. That makes something new much easier to notice.
If You Find a Tick, Keep It Simple
Cornell recommends using tweezers or forceps to remove an attached tick. Grip the tick close to the skin near the point where it is attached and pull with steady pressure. Wear gloves if possible and wash your hands afterward.
If your cat will not let you remove it safely, the tick is in a difficult-to-reach spot, or you are not confident about doing it correctly, call your veterinarian.
I would also contact your vet if:
the area becomes very red or swollen
part of the tick appears to remain in the skin
your cat seems painful
your cat becomes unusually tired
appetite changes
gums look pale
breathing changes
you see anything else that is clearly not normal for your cat
Again, most tick bites do not lead to serious illness. But noticing a change early is always better than realizing days later that something has been going on.
Add Flea and Tick Details to Your Cat-Sitting Instructions
Parasite prevention is easy to forget when you are writing out feeding instructions, medication schedules, litter preferences, hiding spots, and emergency contacts.
To provide the best care for your cat, it still belongs in the care plan.
Before you leave, tell your cat sitter:
when flea and tick prevention was last given
if another dose will be due during the trip
if your cat goes outside or uses a catio
whether there has been any recent tick exposure
if your cat has reacted badly to a parasite product before
who your veterinarian is
how you want the sitter to handle finding a tick
If medication will be due while you are away, discuss it before your trip.
Long Island Cats Still Need Tick Awareness After Summer
Fall is one of my favorite times on Long Island. The weather finally gets comfortable again, windows start opening, and we all get a little break from the heavy summer heat.
But cooler weather does not automatically mean ticks are gone. For cats, good prevention is mostly about being consistent.
Work with your veterinarian on a parasite-prevention plan that fits your cat. Stay on schedule. Check your cat after possible exposure. Pay attention to changes in their skin, coat, appetite, energy, and behavior.
And if you travel, make sure your sitter has the information they need to keep that routine going.
I provide professional in-home cat sitting in Hicksville and throughout Central Nassau County, with visits tailored to each cat's routine and personality. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation.
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