All animals both domestic and wild are infected with worms. There are many different kinds of worms in existence. Examples include roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms amongst many others. Worms disturb the health system of your pets especially when you do not do deworming once every three months. They can make your cat, or any other animal remains skinny for as long as you do not do deworming.
How do cats get worms?
There more than one way that your cat can contract worms. These methods include:
i. Coming into contact with the eggs of the worms.
ii. Being in contact with animal waste (feces) carrying the worm parasites.
iii. Hunting, preying and eating rodents that are infected with worms.
iv. Having fleas in its fur. Fleas have the capability of causing worm infestation.
v. Eating dirty and contaminated foods. Unhygienic food is the biggest cause of worm infestation.
vi. Sharing the same environment with infected cats is likely to cause your cat to contract the worms.
Do indoor cats get worms?
All cats are prone to worm infestation. Both indoor and outdoor cats are not immune to this fact. The only difference is that infestation depends on the type of worms that your cat is exposed to. Most commonly, cats get worms by being in contact with things such as infected feces and eggs. This happens mostly by stepping the feces, and transferring them to their mouths when grooming themselves. Once when these particles get into the mouth, they are then transferred downwards through the digestive system. From here, they go, grow, reproduce and cause harm to your cat.
Is it possible to know that your cat has worms?
Yes, it is possible to know. Some of the symptoms of worm infestation include:
a) Frequent vomiting by your cot.
b) Rapid weight loss.
c) Being skinny even when feeding well.
d) Loss of appetite when eating food.
e) Feces containing white thin substances. Those substances are actually worms that come out of your cat.
One of the most common and easy ways to examine if your cat has worms is to looking at the feces. Also, you can check around its anus. If you notice some small white things, then the likelihood is that your cat is infected with tapeworms.
How do I rid my cat of worms?
To get rid of worms in your cats, you will need to do the following:
• Deworm your cat regularly. Cats should be dewormed in a period of between six to eight months. Never the less, if you cannot manage to do this, make sure that you deworm him at least once in three months.
• Always provide clean food and drinks to your cat. If your cat takes animal milk, always ensure that you boil it well before feeding your cat. Raw milk is a big agent of transferring worms.
• Get the help of your vet in ridding away the worms from your cat.
What are some of the preventive measures to help my cat not contract worms?
Prevention is better than curation. Ensure that you prevent your cat from contracting worms by:
- Making sure that your cat does not mingle with infected cats.
- Cook raw foods for your cats. Raw foods could be carrying worms, which could easily infect your cat when fed with it.
- Always clean your cat’s habitat. This will discourage worm agents from developing.
- Clean your cat’s litter box to avoid the transfer of worms from one cat to another
- Spray your cat with medicine that kills fleas. Fleas transfer worms from one animal to another.
What amount of time does it take to rid cats of worms?
Tapeworm is common in cats. Most of the medication developed to rid cats of worms takes a maximum of 24 hours to kill the adult worms. Not all worms may die however on a single dose, so it is advisable that you give a second dose between the third and fourth week to kill any remaining worms, both that are adult and those that are still in the larva stage.
Conclusion
Worms are very harmful creatures. They can easily take a toll on the health of your cat and any other pest in your custody. It is advisable that you always deworm your cats, so as to make them worm free. Worms eat up the food that your cat was supposed to eat. This will make your cat not to get all the necessary nutrients for its body. Prevent worms for a healthy, happy cat.
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Saundra J. Graves is a housewife. I love to keep my cats happy always. Also, I want to make sure another person takes caring their cats and kittens. Stay with my personal blog to know caring tips and reviews of cat & dog food, other products also.