Essential Tips for Safe Cat Deworming: Dos and Don'ts

Understanding the Main Causes of Feline Parasite Infections

1. Unrestricted Eating Habits: Cats that consume garbage, raw meat, dirty water, and other unsanitary items are more susceptible to parasites.

2. Outdoor Play: To prevent exposure to damp and unsanitary areas, keep your cat away from such places. Upon returning home, ensure thorough cleaning. If a bath isn't possible, a quick wipedown with a damp towel can suffice.

3. Contact with Infected Animals: Be cautious about your cat's interactions with other animals, especially those showing signs of illness. Maintaining a clean diet and living environment is crucial, as this can significantly reduce the risk of your cat contracting parasites, even without regular deworming.

While online descriptions of feline parasitic symptoms can be alarming, rest assured that with proper care, most issues are manageable. Early detection and treatment, along with your cat's overall health, are key. For instance, kitten eczema, often caused by milk droplets on the kitten's body that aren't cleaned up promptly, can lead to fungal infections. This condition is not contagious to humans and typically resolves as the kitten grows older.

How to Deworm Your Cat

Deworming cats involves both internal and external treatments. Internal deworming targets intestinal parasites like roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms. External deworming is aimed at fleas, ticks, and lice, with fleas and ear mites being particularly common in cats.

Some external deworming products can also treat ear mites, such as Advocate and Revolution. These are typically administered as a single dose per cat.

External Deworming

For spoton treatments, apply the product to the back of your cat's neck, where they can't reach to lick it off. Gently part the fur and apply the solution directly to the skin, not the fur. Frontline Spray can be used on the entire body, excluding the face. Avoid bathing your cat for about a week after applying external deworming to ensure the product remains effective.

Internal Deworming

The dosage of internal deworming medication is usually based on your cat's weight, as indicated on the packaging.

Generally, it's recommended to start deworming cats after weaning, ideally at around 4 weeks of age. Monthly deworming is common until the cat is six months old, after which it can be reduced to every three months. If you're not using a combined internal and external dewormer, start with internal deworming and then follow up with external deworming a week later.

Pregnant and lactating queens should be dewormed approximately 10 days before giving birth and 2 to 4 weeks after weaning.

In my experience, if your cat rarely goes outside and doesn't come into contact with unfamiliar animals or show signs of fleas, an annual deworming schedule may be sufficient. If your cat frequently scratches its ears or shakes its head, it might have ear mites, which can be cleared up with ear drops.

Internally, if your cat primarily eats dry food, rarely ventures outside, and there are no other pets in the home, deworming once or twice a year should be enough. Over the years, I've managed my cat with no issues. If your cat exhibits symptoms like frequent vomiting, weight loss, loss of appetite, or bloody stools that suggest a parasitic infection, it's best to consult a veterinarian for a diagnosis before deworming, as different dewormers target different parasites, and frequent use can cause side effects.

Final Tips for Deworming Your Cat

1. Deworm your cat only when they are in good health. Some cats may experience mild vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite after taking internal dewormers, which is common and usually resolves within one to two days. Monitor your cat closely, and seek veterinary care if symptoms persist or are severe. When applying external dewormers, use an Elizabethan collar to prevent the cat from licking the medication.

2. Purchase deworming medications from reputable sources and follow the instructions on the label or consult with a veterinarian.

3. Avoid deworming during your cat's neutering or estrus period.