Effective Cat Deworming Guide: Tips for a Healthy Pet

Many new cat owners may wonder: "My cat never goes outside, so do I still need to deworm it?"

The answer is a resounding no!

Even if your cat doesn't go outside, we humans do, and we might inadvertently bring home worm eggs. That's why regular deworming for your feline companion is crucial!

Intestinal parasites like roundworms can be ingested or transmitted by other organisms, such as fleas and mosquitoes. Kittens, who love to groom each other, are particularly susceptible. Therefore, regular deworming is essential for them.

Adult cats use scent as a guide for social interactions and to meet friends, which means they may come into contact with other cats' secretions or excretions on the grass. This can lead to parasitic infections, so adult cats should also be dewormed regularly.

Common internal parasites include: roundworms, tapeworms, coccidia, hookworms, protozoa, Giardia, hemobartonella, and heartworms.

External parasites mainly include: mange mites, scabies mites, ear mites, fleas, and lice.

How should we deworm our cats?

Internal Deworming:

Oral administration, usually every 23 months. For cats that often eat raw meat, it's recommended to deworm monthly.

Recommendations:

Revolution, Bayer

External Deworming:

Simply apply the medication to the skin, usually every month.

Recommendations:

Frontline

Combination Deworming:

Mostly in the form of drops, applied to the skin, usually every month.

Recommendations:

Advantage

Next, I'll summarize some commonly used deworming medications on the market.

1. Frontline SpotOn (for cats over 8 weeks)

Main Ingredients: Fipronil/Metronidazole.

Usage: Apply to the skin at the back of the neck.

Safety Concerns: Nonfipronil is controversial.

(Nonfipronil, also known as fenthion, is a type of pesticide. Although it can effectively eliminate external parasites, some studies have shown that fenthion can harm animals and the ecological environment, and it is also a carcinogen. Fenthion has been banned in agriculture in China. While this ingredient is still considered safe for pet deworming, longterm use can pose significant safety risks to cats.)

Price: 186r/3 tubes, after discount: 101r/3 tubes.

2. Advocate (for cats over 9 weeks)

Main Ingredients: Pyriproxyfen/Mopidectin.

Usage: Apply to the skin at the back of the neck (for treating mange mites).

Safety Concerns: Mainly low risk and the most expensive on the market.

Price: 4kg weight: 308r/3 tubes, after discount: 119r/3 tubes; 48kg weight: 368r/3 tubes, after discount: 139r/3 tubes.

3. Revolution (for cats over 6 weeks)

Main Ingredients: Milbemycin Praziquantel.

Usage: Oral administration.

(Although the official instructions do not explicitly state that Revolution can kill ear mites and scabies mites, milbemycin, as a macrolide broadspectrum antiparasitic, is effective against both internal and external parasites and is also a good choice for treating ear mites and scabies mites. So if your cat is suffering from ear mites, Revolution is a costeffective option.)

Price: 28kg weight: 58.8r/each, after discount: 28.8r/each; 2kg weight or less: 50r/each, after discount: 19.9r/each.

4. Bravecto (for cats over 7 weeks)

Main Ingredients: Selamectin.

Usage: Apply to the skin at the back of the neck (for treating ticks and tapeworms).

Safety Concerns: Similar toxicity to Frontline or higher.

Price: 2.5kg weight: 228r/3 tubes, after discount: 158r/3 tubes; 2.57.5kg weight: 320r/3 tubes, after discount: 200r/3 tubes.

5. Bayer Baytril (for cats over 3 weeks and weighing 1kg)

Main Ingredients: Oxantel pamoate/Praziquantel.

Usage: Oral administration, one tablet for every 4kg of weight. (For treating nematode and tapeworm infections, it can effectively kill internal tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms.)

Safety Concerns: Safe for lactating queens, not for pregnant queens.

Deworming Schedule: For kittens weighing over 1kg at 3 weeks of age, deworm every 2 weeks until 23 weeks after weaning; for adult cats, deworm every 3 months.

Price: 86r/2 tablets, after discount: 52r/2 tablets.

6. Advantage Multi (for cats over 6 weeks)

The Advantage Multi cat version is divided into two types:

1. Each tube contains 0.25ml, with 15mg of selamectin, recommended for kittens weighing