By Tabitha Evans Moore
Editor & Publisher
LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Confirmed cases of bobcat fever are in Moore County and it’s here to stay — at least for the summer. Those were the words of Lynchburg Veterinary Hospital’s Dr. Bryant Morton in a recent social media post warning locals to protect both house cats and barn cats with tick control.
“It is difficult, expensive and heartbreaking to try to save cats that become infected,” Morton wrote. “PLEASE protect your felines.”
The warning comes as tick season reaches its peak across the region. For cat owners in Moore County, the message is urgent: bobcat fever is not a distant threat. It is here, it is active, and without prevention, it is nearly always fatal.
WITHOUT TREATMENT THE MORTALITY RATE IS 100%
Bobcat fever — known medically as cytauxzoonosis — is a tick-borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite Cytauxzoon felis. The disease gets its name from bobcats, which serve as the parasite’s natural reservoir. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, the lone star tick is the primary carrier, though the American dog tick can also transmit it under certain conditions.
Here is the cruel biology of it: bobcats carry the parasite and rarely show symptoms. Up to 80% of wild bobcats may be infected without any sign of illness. But when the same parasite makes its way into a domestic cat via a tick bite, the result is catastrophic. Without treatment, the mortality rate in domestic cats approaches 100%. Even with aggressive veterinary intervention, survival is not guaranteed.
Tennessee is squarely within the disease’s range. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, confirmed cases have been documented in domestic cats across the state, and the Companion Animal Parasite Council notes that most U.S. cases occur in the southeastern and south-central states between March and September — precisely the window Moore County is in right now.
FASTING MOVING DISEASE
The disease moves fast. A previously healthy cat may go off food and become lethargic within days of infection. As the disease progresses, symptoms can include:
• High fever
• Loss of appetite and lethargy
• Crying out as if in pain
• Difficulty breathing or respiratory distress
• Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice)
• Rapid progression to hypothermia, recumbency, and coma
Cats that present with hypothermia or respiratory distress are considered to have a very poor prognosis, according to the Companion Animal Parasite Council. The window for effective treatment is narrow, which is why early recognition matters.
DISEASE PEAKS IN THE SUMMERTIME
Hard statewide case counts for Tennessee are not publicly tracked in a centralized database, which is itself part of the problem — the disease is likely underreported as cats that die at home are never diagnosed. What research does show is consistent and sobering.
A 12-year study of cytauxzoonosis cases in Oklahoma found 232 confirmed diagnoses between 1995 and 2006 at just two veterinary facilities, with May representing the single highest-volume month. The disease showed a bimodal seasonal pattern, peaking in April through June and again in August and September. That same study found nearly 70% of cases occurred in low-density residential areas — exactly the kind of semi-rural setting that defines Moore County.
Locally, Dr. Morton’s 2025 warning about elevated case numbers appears to be holding into 2026. The Times covered the regional rise in bobcat fever last summer, when Dr. Jennifer Strope of Elk River Veterinary Care reported seeing two or three cases that season and noted that a decade or two earlier, she had seen as many as 30 to 40 cases per year in the region before newer prescription tick control products became widely available.
NOT ALL TICK PRODUCTS ARE SAFE FOR CATS
Morton is recommending four specific tick-prevention products for cats: Seresto collars, Advantage Multi, Credelio for cats, and NexGard Combo. All four are available through the Lynchburg Veterinary Hospital’s online store at prices he says are equal to or less than retail, with veterinary rebates available.
A critical warning from Morton: not all tick products are safe for cats.
“We have seen cats get extremely sick because their owners gave them a cheap toxic tick control or one that wasn’t labelled for their size cat,” he wrote.
Read labels carefully, and when in doubt, call your vet before applying any product.
Morton’s advice extends beyond house cats. Barn cats, often overlooked because they live outdoors by design, are at equal or greater risk.
“Even your barn cats should be given the gift of tick control,” he wrote.
Beyond medication, limiting a cat’s time outdoors during peak tick season — particularly in wooded or brushy areas where lone star ticks are most active — significantly reduces exposure risk. Bobcat fever cannot be transmitted from cat to cat or from cats to dogs or humans. The only route of infection is through a tick bite.
If your cat shows any of the symptoms described above after outdoor exposure, do not wait. Contact Lynchburg Veterinary Hospital or your nearest veterinary provider immediately. In cytauxzoonosis, hours matter. •
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