How to Prevent Parasites in Cats

How to Prevent Parasites in Cats

Do you think that your cat has parasites? Parasites can seriously harm the health of your cat, for example, weakening their immune system, causing malnutrition and complications in breathing, damaging the kidneys and, in serious cases, can lead to death. For this reason, it is extremely important to deworm your cat, even when it does not have symptoms because prevention is always better than cure. Read this OneHowTo article to discover how to prevent parasites in cats.

Steps to follow:
1

Although they are of different appearance, all parasites are harmful to the cat. Parasites can be round, flat, long and microscopic. Generally, they bury themselves in the gut, causing symptoms that can alert the presence of parasites. However, some parasites go undetected, e.g. Toxoplasma gondii (microscopic) hardly cause, making prevention even more important. Moreover, we can not forget that these symptoms often appear when the infection is at an advanced stage, so we have to act immediately.

2

These are the symptoms that your cat may display if it has parasites:

  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhoea
  • Deterioration to its coat
  • Weight loss
  • Abdomen distention (in kittens heavily infected by parasites).
  • The presence of parasites in the faeces (cats eliminate parasites through the stool)

In this OneHowTo article we'll show you how to know if a cat has parasites.

3

As the saying goes, 'it's better to be safe than sorry', so, if you want to protect your cat from parasites it is recommended that you see you vet for deworming. Veterinarians recommend cat deworming every three months, but if the cat leaves the house regularly, you should do so more frequently, even monthly.

4

Prevent the cat from coming into contact with raw meat or faeces of infected animals. The consumption of these foods and contact with waste, can cause parasites to enter the gut.

This article will give you more information about foods that are bad for cats.

5

Other simple habits that you can take to ensure the prevention of parasites in a cat are to:

  • Replace the sandbox or cat's litter container.
  • Wash bedding.
  • Clean and hoover the house, furniture and other objects that the cat uses.
  • Avoid exposing the cat to likely sources of infection such as stray cats or those you suspect are not dewormed.
  • If you have other cats at home, you may want to deworm them at the same time a s he infected cat.
6

Although not very common, cats can infect us with their parasites. This usually occurs in unsanitary conditions and when cats wander extensively. It can also happen while cleaning the cat's litter box. The parasites are passed on orally.

Although this is few and far between, prevention is also important. Therefore, extreme hygiene is advisable: wash your hands before eating and after touching your cat, as well as after cleaning the litter tray.

7

Although you can purchase an anti-parasitic treatment in shops and specialised sites, it is best to go to the vet and the specialist. They will be able to prescribe the appropriate treatment after having examined them properly. In this OneHowTo article we will tell you the different ways of worming a cat, as well as some home remedies, using pipettes or soaps for parasites.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Prevent Parasites in Cats, we recommend you visit our Pets category.