If you notice your cat is sick, listless, lost their appetite or their hair is losing its shine, they might have parasites, among which there are two main types:
-Internal parasites, that stay in the intestines and most common ones are roundworms and tapeworms.
-External parasites such as fleas or ticks.
Obviously, you will be able to see any external parasites, even if they have an amazing ability to hide; whereas if you think that your cat may have internal parasites, it is best to go to the vet to get them checked. If your cat does have parasites, there are different ways to deworm a cat at home and at OneHowTo we will teach you how to put them into practice.
Home remedies
Home remedies to deworm a cat will work slower and are not as effective as shop-bought products, however, they can be a good option for when your cat doesn't have many parasites or as a preventive measure. Most of these solutions are based on shampoos or essential oils from plants like oregano, pennyroyal, rosemary or mandarin.
You can add a few drops of any of these oils to a shampoo or product that you normally bathe your pet in, while attempting to keep them away from overgrown areas or stagnant water.
Spot-ons or pipettes
The so-called pipettes are the most used anti-parasitic treatments today if you want to deworm a cat at home, as they are both effective and easy to use. The liquid inside the pipettes is poured in a line along the cat's backbone and, once applied, the active substance will spread over their body. At OneHowTo we have a step by step guide if you don't know how to apply spot-on treatments to cats.
One of the main advantages of this type of product, as mentioned, is that they come ready to use. You just apply the liquid directly onto the animal, and wait a few days before bathing them, to make sure it is effective as possible. They are sold in tubes, so choose depending on the weight of your cat.
Flee collars
Before pipettes existed, it was very common to see cats wearing a thin plastic collar. This accessory is coated in insecticide based on active substances that act when they come into contact with flees. They can protect your cat for up to 12 weeks maximum, but after that, they lose their effectiveness.
Shampoos, soaps and sprays
Although different from the home-made ones, these also contain synthetic active substances, but they aren't any more effective.
They are perfect to eliminate those parasites that your cat already has but not much else. In fact, to keep your pet protected using these products, you would have to bathe them every 2 or 3 days, and as you know your cat isn't a big fan of water. If you're not sure if your cat already has parasites, take a look at our article on how to tell if your cat has parasites.
Tablets for internal parasites
Before every vaccination, it is important to check for internal parasites. In fact, during the first months of your cat's life, you should deworm them once a month and, and after they are 4-6 months old, once or twice a year.
While pipettes are also effective against internal parasites such as worms, we recommend using pills to get rid of any roundworms or tapeworms. They are usually sold in boxes of 2 tablets and they cost around £7.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Deworm a Cat at Home, we recommend you visit our Pets category.