How often should you deworm your cats? Nope, it's not once a year but every 3 months, that's 4 times a year according to vets.
Why deworm your cats?
Infestation depends on the type of worm, but cats usually get worms from fleas, eggs, or infected particles in feces. Fleas are tapeworm egg carriers. If a flea lands on your cat, they may ingest the flea by grooming or scratching.
If you see your cat rolling around in the garden, brushing up against other cats, or stuffing their face with creepy crawlies, you may need to deworm your cat to avoid any potential parasite infection.
Even those cats who don’t venture out are prone to parasites, so if you think your cat stays indoors most of the time and you still need to get deworming done.
Worms that infect a kitten through its mother’s milk or an adult cat through contact with other animals such as infected rodents. So, if a kitten gets infected with these worms, there is a potential risk of these worms damaging the immune system and causing problems like growth retardation.
Considering that humans can also be infected with worms, deworming your cats is essential to protect everyone.
Do all cats require deworming?
Kittens: If you have a weaned kitten who has never been dewormed, or a cat whose last deworming you don’t remember, you should visit a veterinarian as soon as possible. They will provide you with a deworming program tailored to your kittens' needs.
Adult Cat: Vets recommend that you deworm adult cats at least every three months. And typically, you need to deworm them four times a year.
Hunting Cats: Outdoor cats or even indoor cats who like hunting are more likely to get worms after hunting infected rodents such as rats or cockroaches. Additional deworming sessions may be required.
Nursing Cats: It is important to deworm these cats before mating, after the pregnancy is complete, and then during breastfeeding with the kitten's first worming treatment. Before worming your cat, ask your veterinarian which products are safe to use.
Benefits of deworming your cats
Keep your cat healthy: If you see a cat infected with these worms, you won’t be able to tell from its appearance that it has worms. The worms reside in your cat's intestine and feed on nutrients, resulting in weight loss, diarrhea, a coarse coat, and weakness.
Prevent Reinfection: Dewormers used during the deworming process work by either paralyzing or killing the worms present inside the cat's intestine. By deworming your cat on a regular basis, you can prevent reinfection.
Protect yourself and your family: There is a chance of transmission of some worms like roundworms from cats to humans, through direct contact with infected soil or cat litter. This can cause an organ or even eye damage. Although the chances of this happening are rare, if it happens, it can be dangerous, especially for little children.
How to deworm your cats?
The vet will prescribe a dewormer medication for your cat, which could be a small pill, liquid, injection, or topical medicine to be administered based on your cat's weight, age, and condition.
How to protect your cats?
When it comes to preventing worms in your cats, preventative care is essential. Some methods for preventing worms in your cat are as follows:
- Regular deworming and deflea
- Regular health and fecal examinations
- Maintain the cleanliness of your litter box
- Keep your cat indoors to limit their potential exposure