Do you know how often you need to deworm your cat? Are you wondering if indoor cats can have parasites? It is widely believed that cats that don’t leave the house are not exposed to parasites; therefore, they don’t need to be dewormed. Incorrect! And in this post, we will reveal how your cat can contract parasites, even if he does not leave the house.

But first, we will learn about the different ways to deworm cats so that you know how to protect your feline fully.

Types of deworming for cats

Cats must be dewormed in two ways: internally and externally. Only then will they be protected against all parasites.

Internal deworming. In this case, you can use pills, tablets, or pastes or use special pipettes. The latter method is usually used in cases where it is impossible to administer the medicine by mouth. With internal deworming, you will protect your feline’s body from internal parasites, such as worms and tapeworms.

External deworming. This treatment of deworming can be carried out using anti-parasitic pipettes, collars, or sprays. With it, we will avoid infestations by ectoparasites such as fleas, ticks, lice, or mites that can transmit diseases and be very annoying.

Please take a look at the types of dewormers in this other post, in which we tell you all about them, so you can choose the best way to deworm your cat.

Related Article: How to Train your Cat not to Scratch?

Common ways your indoor cat can get parasites

Most indoor cats spend most of their time indoors, but occasionally they like to sunbathe on the patio or window. Some also live with roommates who go outside, occasionally outside themselves, for example, when their owners go on vacation. In one way or another, your indoor cat can come into contact with parasites in different ways. Here are the most common:

Insects

Even if your cat is very homey and never goes out, he can enjoy hunting and consuming insects at home. Insects serve as a means of transport for some of the most common intestinal parasites. That is why deworming of cats is super important.

Fleas

They are one of the most common carriers of worms. Your cat can get roundworms if he eats a flea or gets bitten by one of them. And how does a flea get to your house? Most of the time, you can bring them yourself in shoes or clothes without realizing it, and once inside the house, that flea will find your cat. Heated houses can also be a breeding ground for these insects and a place of refuge for the rodents that carry them. As you can see, flea prevention is essential.

Worm eggs

The most normal thing is that, again, you wear them yourself in shoes or clothes. Does your cat sniff your street clothes to see where you’ve been? Most cats do, as they are curious animals. Unfortunately, this is where they can come into contact with pinworm eggs, and therefore you should never neglect to deworm your cat. Also, always remember to keep your house clean and keep dirty clothes out of reach of your feline.

Other pets

Do you also have a dog or other animal? Whether they get along or your cat will come into contact with it, it will likely pass the parasites if that other pet is infected. For this reason, you should deworm all of your pets simultaneously.

Meal

If you feed your cat raw food such as meat or fish, it is one way that it can get worms. The best way to avoid this is to choose to offer high-quality food in the form of dry or wet feed to lick safely.

All of these cases bridge the gap between the parasite and a typical house cat!

Indoor cat deworming

Do indoor cats need to be dewormed? After reading all of the above, you can now guess the answer. And this is affirmative. 

The possibility of contracting parasites in an indoor cat is indeed much lower than in cats that go outside. Veterinarians recommend deworming cats that don’t leave the house about as often as cats that do. Why? It is not possible to know when the feline will be exposed to new parasites again. It can happen the minute after the dewormer stops working; therefore, you must regularly administer preventive methods.

How often should you deworm your cat?

It depends on several factors, such as:

• The place where you live
• The method you use
• Seasonality

Depending on these factors, you may need to apply an antiparasitic every three months or only once a year. Talk to your vet; he will assess all the factors surrounding the specific circumstances of your pet.

Remember that keeping your cat at home does not eliminate the risk of contracting parasites. We’ve listed the most common ways indoor cats get parasites, but there may be more depending on your situation.

Now that you know the different ways to deworm cats out there, the only sure way for your feline to remain parasite-free is to give him dewormers as often as your vet recommends.