Deworming your cat is essential, even if it does not leave the apartment. It allows him to stay healthy and to avoid that you and your family are contaminated. Even kittens are susceptible to infestation.
Deworming is an essential preventive measure to fight against your cat's internal parasites. Worms can cause significant damage to organs and you too can become infected. The kitten must be dewormed very early with adapted products and the treatment must be regular throughout its life.
At what age should you start worming your cat?
Why deworm your cat?
Deworming your cat should not be considered as an accessory, even for cats that never go outside. Worms can be responsible for very serious and sometimes irreversible lesions on various organs of your cat. Certain parasites can be transmitted to humans and be dangerous. Children are particularly at risk because hygiene notions are not always well learned. Even in an apartment, your cat is likely to be parasitized. You can bring home worms, eggs or larvae under your shoes or on your clothes. Once ingested, the eggs or worms will settle and grow in the digestive tract. Larvae can seriously damage some of your cat's organs while feeding on her blood and food. For a kitten, these parasites represent an even greater danger that can be fatal.
The kitten must be dewormed very early. Indeed, contamination can take place in the mother's womb. If the mother is parasitized, she can transmit the worms in her litter during gestation. The kittens can also ingest worms while suckling. It is therefore essential to deworm the pregnant cat as well as the kittens.
How often should I deworm my cat?
How does deworming work?
Deworming kills the worms present in the digestive tract. There are two most common types of worms. These are the roundworms, which are round worms that can be transmitted to humans, and the cestodes, which are flatworms. The deworming for cats does not act as a preventive measure, but only as a curative measure. It will act at the time of taking, that's why it is necessary to deworm your cat regularly.
When should you deworm your cat?
It is quite difficult to know when your cat is infested. He may look healthy, but be parasitized. Certain symptoms should alert you. This is the case if you see eggs or larvae in the feces, if your cat vomits or has diarrhea, if he is anemic or if his coat is dull. Worms can cause a decrease in weight or vitality. An excessively bloated belly in kittens can also be a sign. Don't wait for these symptoms to appear before worming your cat. Deworming is recommended two to four times a year depending on your cat's lifestyle. If your pet never goes outside, two deworming sessions per year are sufficient. On the contrary, if your cat goes out a lot, you must deworm him four times a year, at each change of season. Kittens must receive special and adapted treatment. At the beginning of its life, your kitten should be dewormed every two weeks for the first month, then every month until the age of six months. Pregnant cats must be treated a few days before mating, around the 45th day of gestation and after giving birth.
Which deworming treatment for cats should I choose?
Cat dewormers come in the form of tablets or pipettes. It is important to choose the dewormer with the widest possible range of action, i.e. the one that is active on most digestive worms. The tablets must be swallowed by your cat. They can be presented in a treat to facilitate their absorption. Others are in the form of pipettes whose liquid is to be deposited on the skin. Both forms of deworming are very effective.