How does a tick that has drunk blood from a cat look? - briefly
After feeding on a cat, the tick swells into a balloon‑like form, its abdomen expanding dramatically, turning gray‑white, while the legs appear proportionally shorter. The body surface becomes smooth and stretched, indicating a full blood meal.
How does a tick that has drunk blood from a cat look? - in detail
An engorged tick that has taken a blood meal from a cat presents a markedly altered appearance compared to its unfed state. The dorsal shield (scutum) remains relatively unchanged in texture, but the abdomen expands dramatically, often increasing the overall length by three to five times. The engorged body becomes rounded, resembling a small, translucent balloon; the cuticle stretches and appears glossy.
Color shifts from the typical dark brown or reddish hue of a flat tick to a lighter, almost amber tone. The stretched cuticle becomes semi‑transparent, allowing the underlying blood to be visible as a pinkish or reddish tinge. The tick’s size can reach 6–10 mm in length, depending on species and the volume of blood ingested.
Key morphological features after feeding:
- Abdomen: swollen, rounded, glossy; cuticle stretched and semi‑transparent.
- Legs: still visible, but appear proportionally shorter relative to the enlarged body.
- Mouthparts (capitulum): protrude slightly from the dorsal surface, often visible as a small, dark projection.
- Eyes and sensory pits: remain in their original positions but may be partially obscured by the expanded cuticle.
- Surface texture: retains the fine, hair‑like setae of the unfed tick, though they become less distinct under the stretched skin.
The tick’s ventral side also expands, with the anal opening moving farther from the anterior margin. The overall silhouette changes from a flat, oval shape to a plump, oval form resembling a tiny sack filled with liquid. This transformation is consistent across ixodid species that feed on felines, reflecting the volume of feline blood absorbed during the attachment period.