Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by ticks, but it’s uncommon in cats. When exposed, cats often don’t show the same symptoms as dogs and humans, making diagnosis difficult. Symptoms can include fever, lethargy, and decreased appetite. However, appropriate treatment can quickly improve a cat’s condition. Continue reading to discover the symptoms, causes, risk factors, treatment options, and prevention methods for Lyme disease in cats.

What Is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease, caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, is primarily a tick-borne illness that affects humans and dogs, but it rarely impacts cats. While cats can be infected, many do not display symptoms. It’s important to consider Lyme disease as a potential diagnosis for cats showing compatible symptoms, particularly in regions where the disease is prevalent, such as parts of the Northeast and Midwest. Even in these areas, cats may test positive for the bacteria without exhibiting any signs of illness.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Cats:

The symptoms of Lyme disease in cats are similar to those seen in dogs and humans, but they tend to be milder. Signs usually emerge a few weeks after infection.

If your cat shows these symptoms during tick season, it’s important to contact your veterinarian. Numerous other tick-borne diseases can affect cats, especially in the northeastern U.S. One such disease, anaplasmosis, can cause fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite, and it is also treated with antibiotics.

• Limping:

Lyme disease can impact the joints and muscles, causing your cat to limp. This limping may alternate between legs as the cat tries to cope with the pain. The discomfort might improve temporarily, only for the pain to return later.

• Stiffness and Pain:

An infected cat may suffer from stiffness and pain in its joints and muscles, and the joints in its limbs may become swollen.

• Fever:

A fever in a cat can signal various health issues, including Lyme disease. While it’s ideal for your vet to take your cat’s temperature with a thermometer, you can look for symptoms like lethargy, shivering, or an elevated heart or breathing rate. If these symptoms persist, contact your vet right away.

• Lethargy and Decreased Appetite:

A cat with Lyme disease may become lethargic and lose its appetite. The bacteria can also impact the heart, leading to severe fatigue.

• Secondary Kidney Disease:

If Lyme disease goes untreated, a cat may develop kidney disease as the bacteria spreads through the bloodstream. This can result in vomiting and increased thirst and urination. The disease may cause inflammation in the kidneys, impairing their ability to filter the cat’s blood and toxins effectively.

What Causes Lyme Disease in Cats?

Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Ticks become infected by feeding on infected mice and small animals, and they transmit the bacteria when they bite other hosts.

Lyme disease is spread by the deer tick, also known as Ixodes scapularis or the black-legged tick, along with some related tick species. The specific type of tick may differ depending on the region, but the deer tick is small enough to bite both animals and humans without being easily noticed.

Cats that spend significant time outdoors, particularly in areas with bushes or tall grass, are at higher risk of contracting Lyme disease bacteria. Ticks can also enter yards on other animals, meaning that even indoor cats may be bitten by ticks. Ticks often latch onto dogs and can come into the home, posing a threat to indoor cats. There is no evidence that Lyme disease spreads through direct contact between animals or from infected pets to their owners.

How Vets Diagnose Lyme Disease in Cats?

Since very few cats show symptoms after being infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, diagnosing Lyme disease relies on multiple factors. An antibody test alone is insufficient, as not all exposed cats become ill, and antibodies can remain in the bloodstream for a period after exposure.

Your veterinarian will use the following tools to help diagnose Lyme disease:

• Assessment of the cat’s history, especially regarding tick exposure
• Observation of clinical signs
• Laboratory tests, including blood, urine, and X-rays, to rule out other causes
• Sampling of joint fluid for further analysis

How to Treat Lyme Disease in Cats?

Lyme disease is usually treated with antibiotics. In dogs, antibiotic treatment often leads to quick symptom improvement, and this is expected to be similar in cats. If there are more serious complications, like kidney disease, a longer antibiotic course may be required, along with additional treatments. Your veterinarian will create a treatment plan tailored to your cat’s specific needs and medical condition.

How to Prevent Lyme Disease?

Effective tick control is crucial for preventing Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses in both pets and humans. To keep your pet healthy, consider the following steps:

• Tick Removal and Handling:

Inspect outdoor cats daily for ticks and remove them safely as soon as you find any. Part the fur to check the skin, as ticks attach themselves to the skin rather than the fur. Since ticks need to feed for at least 12 hours (and possibly up to 36 to 48 hours) before transmitting the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, prompt removal can help prevent infection.

Exercise caution when handling ticks, as they can also infect humans. It’s useful to remember that ticks do not jump like fleas, although it may be difficult to tell the two apart at first.

• Tick Prevention:

There are various preventive tick treatments for cats that should be used for those at risk. Always follow your veterinarian’s recommendations when using these products, as cats can be sensitive to certain chemicals.

• Yard Maintenance:

Maintain your yard by keeping grass and brush trimmed, and remove leaf litter and other debris where ticks might hide. If you live in a high-risk area, consider treating your yard for ticks as well.