Conference misery::feline

    
    The easiest method I've discovered is, with a pair of twizers (sp?)
    grab the tick and turn clockwise while pulling out. Works everytime.
    Remeber you HAVE to turn it clockwise...or the head will stay in.
    
    Shaw

    I always blast the little disgusting creatures with a good soaking
    spray of *Repel-X (this is for horses, BTW) and wait a few minutes
    for the spray to make the tick retract it's jaws and let go of it's
    hold on the animals skin.  Just yanking off the tick can leave behind
    the head and jaws, and cause a *serious* infection to develop....
    Then I use a rag or tissue to remove the tick, and then I burn the
    little $#%$*%@&^% (:
    
    Lynne
    
    *any type of "good" flea/tick/fly repellent should work-even a drop
    of lighter fluid. (yep-this is what the doc told my mom to put on the
    one that had imbedded itself in my head when I was a kid!)

    Jill, after you pull the tick off, you might want to drop the little
    critter in a jar full of rubbing alcohol.  This will kill it in no time
    and is much safer and cheaper than shooting a blast of chemicals on it.

    How on earth could I ever spot a tick on Zelda, a long haired black
    cat?  Maybe it's a good thing she doesn't go outside, although I'm sure
    if we ever tracked ticks inside, they would eventually find the cats. 
    This is a beautiful time of year, excluding the pests that lurk
    outside!

    This is the time of year when I run my hands over my cats several
    times a day.  No matter how long the hair is or how large they are
    they love the "massages" and hold still while I do it. I run my hands
    under the air pits in front and between the legs in the back. You can
    feel a tick this way even if it isn't full of blood.
    
    I put VICKS on the head of the tick and they begin to back off in no
    time, and I am right there with the tweezers. I always burn those
    little suckers so there is NO danger they will escape.
    
    Flea and tick collars work great but if there is a large infestation
    and the animals walks through it they will carry them along.
    
    Barbara & her 3M's + 1

    We use some drops of oil or soak the like, and then tweezers. Just
    tweeezering out is really dangerous, the head can be stuck.
    
    BTW, re .1, what about left-cut ticks? :*)
    
    Nat

    
    RE:the last few ,
    
     Beleive me folks, my method of twisting clockwise and pulling has 
    worked for me for the past twelve years. The head has never been 
    left behind. I lived in northern California which the tick season is 
    a lot longer than down east, and I tried every other method mentioned
    here, but none was as smooth and easy. 
    I usually flush them down the toilette if indoors, or like some, burn
    them outdoors. 
    
    Shaw

    I know that this is not the approved method but I have been
    doing it for my dogs for the last 23 years and never had a problem - 
    I forgo the tweezers and just use my finger nails and twist the ticks
    out (like one of the previous noters- only she used the tweezers).
    Sometimes, if there is blood, I will put some hydrogen peroxide on the
    wound.
    
    Sadie is checked at least once a day, EVERY day and this time of year 
    I usually find at least three on her per day.
    
    They are really disgusting creatures! - They get flushed down the toilet 
    or burned after they are removed.   
    
    Pat 

I've also heard of a meathod of getting a couple of those makeup cotton
swabs, soaking them with alcohol, and putting it over the tick.  The
tick suffocates and they pull out.  

Then either burn them or flush them down the toilet.

Holly

    re .8: correct... and any other method may work well, if someone
    experienced says so. Al in all, I wish all of you no ticks at all!
    
    Nat

    I myself have resorted to the old alcohol or nail polish remover
    method on the cotton.  Placed over the tick, the tick suffocates
    and withdraws - and comes off with one step.
    
    Warning though.  I used to flush these buggers down the toilet.
    I've now learned to burn them as they can swim and water doesn't
    affect them and they can start nesting in septic systems.
    
    Oh, and BTW, alcohol is a "cleaner" and less irritating method...
    but hey, I was desperate!  (And also forgot about the nail polish
    I was wearing - sorry Bunny...yes he was white!)
    
    :*)
    
    

    Jimmy's got one at the moment (it always IS Jimmy who gets anything,
    and he hates going to the vet).   
    He's recently bitten or scratched one off and had to have an injection and
    course of antibiotics and cream for an extremely nasty infection.
    
    The one he's got now, I'm playing safe with. It's been blasted with a
    tick/flea spray and I'm waiting for the horrible thing to drop off (the
    vet promised me it would when it was dead). If it isn't off in the next
    day or so I have to take him to the vet. I've been told not to pull it
    off myself in case it causes another infection.
    
    A lady I work with says she gets rid of them by popping them with a
    needle, then pulling them out. I don't think I could do that myself -
    I'm a bit squeamish. 

    
    Nail pollish remover works great...and also clear nail pollis or any
    pollis for that matter...the little critters breath throught there back
    and if you cover up the back w the pollis, they can't breath and they
    back out to get a gulp of air..when they back...grab em' and burn em'
    
    Lou