Does Indoor Cat Need Deworming? Yes, Here's Why!

Do you need to take your pet to the hospital for deworming? How often should deworming be done?

Why do domestic cats, who stay indoors all day, still need deworming?

Nowadays, pet cats are no longer needed to catch mice; instead, they are cherished companions who are held and petted by their owners every day.

While the home may seem like a completely sealed and safe environment, it's still important to deworm.

This is because cats can come into contact with the outside world through humans, plants, other animals, and various sources, such as:

Human footwear, outerwear, and pants (the most common)

Sewers, air conditioning outlets

Especially with the popular raw meat feeding method in recent years, it has directly or indirectly led to an increasing trend of parasitic diseases in cats in clinical cases.

These contacts may be as small and invisible as bacteria and viruses, often overlooked.

People have also conducted related experiments and surveys:

In 2003, a parasitic survey was conducted on local cats in Connecticut, USA.

The results showed that among 450 cats, 39.8% were infected with Toxocara canis, 4.7% were infected with Echinococcus multilocularis, 0.4% were infected with Ancylostoma caninum, and 0.2% were infected with Toxascaris leonina.

The probability of cat infection with parasites in animal shelters (67.5%) was significantly higher than that in households (30.4%)

Therefore, even though domestic cats stay at home and seem to be in a hygienic and safe environment, they are still susceptible to parasitic diseases and need deworming.

What are some common parasites in cats?

Internal parasites: Roundworms, Coccidia, Tapeworms, Flagellates, Trichomonads, Toxoplasma gondii, and Heartworms, etc.

External parasites: Fleas, Ticks, Lice, and Scabies mites, etc.

How to deworm?

With the continuous improvement of pet medical technology, deworming medications for cats have undergone significant technological innovation and progress.

It is now possible to deworm safely at home using transdermal agents combined with highly effective and safe deworming medications, without the need to visit a veterinary hospital.

Otherwise, taking your cat out is a major undertaking.

Deworming is generally divided into three categories: internal, external, and both internal and external deworming.

Internal deworming:

Oral administration is required, usually every 23 months. However, if you often feed your cat raw meat or bones, the interval between deworming should be shortened to once a month. Commonly used medications include Hailiemia and Bayer.

External deworming:

Simply apply the droplets to the skin, usually once a month. Commonly used medications include Frontline.

Both internal and external deworming:

Most are in the form of droplets, with the same application method as external deworming, usually once a month. Commonly used medications include Advocate.

The principle is that the ingredients in the medication can enter the bloodstream through the skin, so even though it is applied to the cat's skin, it can still enter the bloodstream and act on the parasites throughout the body.

Internal deworming involves giving your cat deworming medication, which can be quite challenging. The key to giving your cat medication is to be quick, accurate, and decisive!

Accurately place the medication in your cat's mouth, then quickly close the cat's mouth and tilt it slightly upwards for a few seconds to ensure the medication has been swallowed.

If necessary, you can crush the medication and mix it with your cat's favorite treats or canned food. (This trick is mainly used for shy, unaffectionate cats.)

External droplets are very simple. Grab your cat's neck, pull the fur aside, and drop the medication onto the skin. This greatly reduces the difficulty of deworming your cat.

How do deworming medications work?

For example, the active ingredient in external deworming droplets is nitenpyram, a broadspectrum deworming agent. The term "broadspectrum" means it can act on multiple types of parasites.

It has a strong affinity for lipids, which means it can bind well with the natural lipid layer on the skin surface.

After use, it diffuses to the sebaceous glands of the skin follicles and is stored there. It then slowly渗出体外，so the protection time is also extended.

After being excreted from the body, this substance causes excessive excitement and muscle spasms in insects, leading to death, and effectively prevents fleas and ticks on the surface of dogs and cats.

For example, the active ingredient in medications specifically for internal parasites is praziquantel, also a broadspectrum deworming agent, mainly targeting tapeworms and schistosomes in cats. Its mechanism of action is different from the previous one, but the result is the same: causing the parasites to have rigid muscle contractions and paralysis, leading to death.

Combination deworming is not a new concept, and most of them use macrolide antibiotics as the main or sole ingredient.

Macrolide deworming medications mainly target external parasites and gastrointestinal nematodes in the body, but are ineffective against flukes and tapeworms.

How often should deworming be done?

According to the recommendations of ESCCAP, deworming should be done at least every three months. Of course, pet owners can choose the deworming frequency based on the actual situation of their pets:

If your cat often goes outside, such as walking around the community or visiting dog and cat shelters, and its main food is raw meat or raw bones, it is recommended to deworm once a month.

If your cat regularly goes outside or has regular contact with other pets, either at home or at other pets' homes, it is recommended to deworm once or twice a month.

If your cat mainly stays at home and does not go outside, and there are no other pets visiting, it is recommended to deworm every two to three months.

Newly adopted kittens, whether picked up or purchased, should be dewormed first.

When purchasing a cat, you can consult about whether it has been dewormed before and what deworming medication was used.

Getting rid of parasites on cats is not only important for the cat's health but also reduces the spread of zoonotic parasitic diseases, benefiting the health of pet owners and their families.