How to Treat Tapeworm in a House Cat

Tapeworms can be disgusting and frustrating for pet owners. Most owners do not realize that they will not only need to treat their cat for this problem, but their home, as well. The only transmittal of tapeworms to indoor cats is through fleas or rodents, and in most scenarios, fleas are the culprit. There are many methods to treat your pet and your home, but not all methods are safe for your family and cost-effective. All other animals in the home also will require treatment, which can become extremely expensive, so cost-effective measures must be taken into consideration.

Things You'll Need

  • Topical flea treatment
  • Pill pockets
  • Towel
  • Borax laundry additive
  • Tapeworm tabs (Praziquantel)
  • Steam cleaner
  • Rubber gloves
  • Vacuum
  • Cat litter
  • Scrub brush
  • Bleach
  • Bucket
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Instructions

  1. Treating the Cat

    • 1

      Place the correct dosage of tapeworm tablets into the pill pocket. The instructions for dosage are on the back of the bottle and are determined by the weight of the cat. Close the pill pocket completely around the pill.

    • 2

      Feed your cat the medication encased in the pill pocket. This may require you to wrap your cat in a towel and force open its mouth, using your thumb and forefinger to push against either side of the mouth, at the corners. Stuff the pill pocket in quickly and close your cat's mouth.

    • 3

      Massage your cat's throat, gently, while holding its chin up, so it can swallow more easily.

    • 4

      Put the rubber gloves on to protect your hands from irritation, then apply the topical flea treatment by parting the fur between the shoulder blades and squirting the medication onto the skin. Rub in the solution using the nozzle of the tube.

    Treating the Affected Surroundings

    • 5

      Vacuum all surfaces that could have been exposed to the fleas and tapeworms, concentrating specifically on carpets, furniture, cat trees or perches and beds. Steam clean the same surfaces that were just vacuumed. Throw away cardboard scratch boxes, if you have any.

    • 6

      Spread the borax on the same surfaces that have been cleaned, and grind it in so that the powder is no longer visible. Borax acts to dry out the shells of the fleas and their larvae and can destroy the invasion that has taken over your home, in as little as 24 hours. It is a natural laundry additive and is safe for use around children, and pets as long as it is not swallowed.

    • 7

      Use the remaining Borax to wash all pillows, bedding, cat toys and mats. Throw away any objects that your cats use that you could not clean in some manner or treat with Borax. Wait two hours before going on to Step 4.

    • 8

      Fill the bucket with equal parts bleach and cold water. Empty the litter box completely. If you have multiple boxes follow this step for each one. Wash out the litter box thoroughly, using the scrub brush and the bleach solution. Rinse the litter box out with cold water for fifteen minutes.

    • 9

      Pour new litter into the litter box and wait 24 hours before proceeding to Step 6.

    • 10

      Vacuum and steam clean all surfaces that you have treated throughout your home, again, as the Borax has had time to kill the fleas. Then, use a bleach water solution to clean out your cat's food and water dishes and steam cleaner and the vacuum.