worming the cat?

[Annpan]

Do you?

How often?

How do you?

I have just read on the back of the worming tablet box that you should 'remove sources of worms, eg... fleas and mice' now our cat is a mouser, catches and eats whole mice every day and only leaves the liver behind (or maybe it is the kidneys or spleen or something, but it is small) so there is no chance in 'removing' the mice. So is there any point in going through the hassle of worming her? what damage do the worms do? what kind of worms? we could only find one product that did both types of worms.... is this right? Oh help....

[lovelygreenleaves]

Hi Annpan,

Please please please don't take just my word for it, and talk to your vet who can advise you on what is suitable for your cats. There are lots of worming tablets out there that don't cover all types of worms, and I've heard that cats can have bad reactions to some. I use Drontal which is about £1.50 a tablet - no problems yet! The norm is every three months, but I think you can do it more often if they are real hunting cats - but please check this out first! Apparently worming them gets rid of the nasties that are in their gut at that moment in time, so stops any worms before they get big and cause health problems.

Worms are horrible (tapeworm can leave lovely little 'segments' around your house!), can cause allsorts of health problems and discomfort and can infect humans!!! Check out the Drontal website http://www.drontal.com/cat.html for good info.

To make it easier, if you stroke the cat's neck when you give them the tablet it apparently makes them swallow. You can also get smaller tablets if it's difficult, I can't remember what they're called but vets will know.

I don't know why they put that about mice, what do they expect you to do??

[Millymollymandy]

I do my cat twice a year with some very expensive tablets from the vet. If I buy cheaper ones from the pharmacy they are huge tablets which need breaking in half and because of his weight he needs 1.5 of them and it's a lot easier just popping one little tablet in his mouth than three halves!

In my experience in the past the powders that you mix with wet cat food don't work as cats just KNOW when there's medicine in their food!

I'd always worm any cats that I have, likewise chickens. I haven't done my ducks though and have seen no evidence of them having worms, but I can't risk worming them and them pooping it out in the pond. Don't know what effect that might make on the environment.

[Shirley]

Not sure what we use for our cat but we do worm her as she is also a mouser and regularly ends up with the tapeworm - my friend is a vet and she gets the tabs and administers them to the cat - she makes it look really easy!

I've heard of cats having reactions to the spot on stuff but can't remember if that is just in combination with the flea stuff - ie don't use the two at the same time.

[Annpan]

Before, we had some powder that the vet gave us and I think they told us they only did one type of worm.... the troublesome one? But the last time she was wormed was 2 years ago and it is only recently that I thought she isn't very big and doesn't seem to be putting on any weight and I wondered if it could have something to do with worms?

The first time (5 years ago) she was wormed she was clearly poorly and we cuddled her on our bed... then she vomited out little parcels of wriggling worms

I crushed up half a tablet and put it in her wet food, she seems to have eaten most of it... I don't fancy doing the force feeding thing



So... is it the tape worm that is the problem? rather than round worm? and you get spot-on for that.... actually, the last time she got a spot on thing from the vets for ticks and worms..... I wonder if that would have been it....

[mrsmiggins]

The first time (5 years ago) she was wormed she was clearly poorly and we cuddled her on our bed... then she vomited out little parcels of wriggling worms

Aaaaargh!!!! That's horrible!!

Tapeworm and roundworm are both horrid. We use Drontal too because I've heard some just don't work but this does because our cat had worms and now doesn't! It does both worm types so it's quick and easy. If you leave tapeworm they get those segments crawling out of their bum, and roundworm causes them to have a massive belly full of worms! What a nice topic!!!!

Our cat isn't bothered about us popping the tablet in her mouth anymore, the trick is to be quick and catch them unawares then do that stroking the neck thing.

I haven't heard of a spot on that does both worms and fleas, what's that one? We use frontline for the nasty fleas.

[Annpan]

OK, no idea how to tell if the cat has a problem with worms, or what? does it need to be a problem? should you still worm them? I have never seen anything come out of her bum

She's not uncomfortable or anything


Is there a natural deterrent that can reduce the concern?

[Silver Ether]

why isnt there a liquid ... life would be so much better.

[lovelygreenleaves]

OK, no idea how to tell if the cat has a problem with worms, or what? does it need to be a problem? should you still worm them? I have never seen anything come out of her bum

She's not uncomfortable or anything


Is there a natural deterrent that can reduce the concern?

Hi Annpan,

If your cat hunts, then it's highly likely that they'll always have worms, which cause problems that are sometimes difficult to detect until they get bad. I would recommend giving them worming tablets at least every three months to be worry-free! If you get the right tablet, it will kill the worms. HTH

[red]

all cats have wroms - and if the hunt as ours does, they will jsut reinfect themselves - however you can cut the numbers down - and so we worm with the hits all types kind now and then.

find the easiest is to kneel on the floor holding cat between knees facing away from you, tipe head back open mouth drop tab down. its all done ina flash and over before the cat has a chance to object.

[ina]

Didn't even know you could buy them in the supermarket....

I worm mine at least twice a year - more often if necessary. It's due now. Tablet doesn't seem to be a problem; the spot on worked fine, too, but is very, very expensive! My first cat here in Scotland couldn't take the tablets, she got sick, so I had to use the spot on.