TULSA, Okla. –
Mandi Anderson has ten cats. She knows each one by name and personality — something her late cat Marsha Kay embodied fully.
“They’re just little characters,” Anderson said. “And cats are the best.”
But when Marsha Kay started acting off, Anderson rushed her to the vet and got a diagnosis she’d never heard of: bobcat fever. Despite treatment, Marsha Kay didn’t make it.
“Her organs had started to shut down,” Anderson said.
Anderson isn’t alone. Green Country veterinarians and animal rescues are warning pet owners after seeing more cases of the tick-borne illness this year — and one Oklahoma State University expert says the situation may be getting worse.
What is bobcat fever?
Bobcat fever, formally known as cytauxzoonosis, is a tick-borne disease transmitted to cats through the bite of a Lone Star tick. It is specific to cats — dogs, humans and other animals are not affected.
Dr. Lindsay Starkey, an associate professor at OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says the disease has been known since the 1970s, when it was first described in cats in Missouri. Oklahoma, she says, is prime territory for it.
“The main tick that causes the issue is the Lone Star tick, and we have plenty of them,” Starkey said.
Once considered almost always fatal, treatment options have improved — but survival is still far from guaranteed.
“Maybe it’s a 50/50 shot they make it,” Starkey said.
Why is it a concern right now?
Starkey says she believes this spring could be worse than years past, with ticks emerging earlier than usual and more reports coming in from pet owners and animal rescues across the region.
“I feel like we might be having an outbreak,” she said. “I’ve been seeing a lot more social posts, hearing private practitioners talking more about it, pet owners concerned about it — and even pet owners that have lost multiple cats in the same season this year.”
While there is no formal reporting mechanism for bobcat fever cases, Starkey says the volume of conversations she is hearing is higher than a typical spring.
What are the symptoms?
Starkey says symptoms can appear within 48 hours after a tick has fed on a cat — and the disease moves fast once it takes hold. She says to watch for:
- Lethargy or depression
- High fever
- Difficulty breathing
- Pale gums or mucous membranes
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, which occurs as the body struggles to process destroyed red blood cells
“All of that can lead to a dead cat,” Starkey said.
If a cat is not treated quickly, the disease can become fatal within 48 hours of serious symptoms appearing.
What does treatment look like?
Treatment is intensive and not guaranteed to work. Starkey says cats with bobcat fever typically require several days in an ICU-type setting, with multiple medications including antiparasitic and antibiotic drugs. They can also develop dangerous clotting disorders, and their bodies may struggle to maintain proper oxygen levels and blood flow.
“It is an intensive treatment strategy,” Starkey said. “The cat could die before we ever get the chance to treat it — that’s not an uncommon finding.”
Anderson experienced this firsthand with Marsha Kay. After losing her, she became more vigilant — and when other cats later showed symptoms, she caught it early enough that they survived.
“Just stay on top of it and don’t lose hope,” Anderson said. “And love on that cat, because that love helps heal them too.”
How can I protect my cat?
Starkey recommends a three-part approach:
Check your cat regularly. Examining your cat’s fur for ticks is one of the most important things you can do. Starkey notes that a tick needs to be attached for more than a day before it can transmit the disease, so catching one early matters. However, she warns that ticks, especially younger nymph-stage ticks, can be very small and easy to miss even with regular checks.
Make sure your prevention product covers ticks. Many flea prevention products do not protect against ticks, which means they offer no protection against bobcat fever. Starkey says owners should confirm their product specifically includes tick control.
Don’t assume indoor cats are safe. Ticks can hitch a ride indoors on people and pets, meaning even cats that never go outside can be exposed. “Indoor cats are still at risk,” Starkey said, “but it’s a lower risk than outdoor cats.”
For cats that don’t tolerate topical treatments, Starkey says there are alternatives.
“For those cats that don’t like the liquid on their back, there’s a collar option, there’s oral options — there’s other ways we can approach this medically,” she said.
Starkey recommends working with a veterinarian to find the right product, as some treatments safe for dogs can be harmful to cats.
Is this a risk for humans, too?
The Lone Star tick, responsible for bobcat fever in cats, does not transmit the disease to humans. However, Starkey notes it is the same tick responsible for Alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that can cause humans to develop an allergy to red meat. It is also a major carrier of ehrlichiosis, a serious tick-borne illness affecting both people and dogs.
“It’s aggressive, it’s everywhere, and it’ll come after you,” Starkey said of the Lone Star tick. “They actually seek out the carbon dioxide that cats and dogs and people breathe out.”
