Research overview: Cytauxzoon felis and the bobcat as a tick-borne disease reservoir

Cytauxzoon felis is a tick-transmitted protozoan that causes a frequently fatal disease in domestic cats, with bobcats serving as the natural reservoir host. This overview synthesizes the parasite’s life cycle, the tolerant carrier state in bobcats versus the acute, often lethal illness in domestic cats, and the role of tick vectors in linking the two. It examines the geographic expansion of cytauxzoonosis, factors driving spillover into pet cats, and what the bobcat reservoir means for managing risk. The synthesis illustrates a reverse of the usual concern, where a wild felid harbors a pathogen dangerous to domestic cats. It aims to give readers insight into tick-borne disease dynamics in the cat family and the ecological role of bobcats as silent carriers of a deadly feline parasite.