Deworming Your Cat

Keeping your cat or kitten free from internal parasites is very important to the pet's health and overall well-being. Between the ages of 6-16 weeks, kittens should be wormed every 3 weeks. Beginning at 4 months, kittens and cats should be regularly wormed every 3 months.Some of the symptoms of worm infestation include weight loss, anemia (the gums will be pale instead of bright pink), poor condition of the coat, diarrhea (sometimes blood will be present), loss of appetite, weight loss, pot-belly appearance (especially in kittens), vomiting or vomiting up worms, constant anal area licking, stunted growth in kittens, and visible segments of worms around the anus (they look like little grains of rice).You may simply decide that it is easier to visit the veterinarian's office for each worming session. However, considering how often cats should be treated for worms, vet visits are probably too inconvenient. So you will need to learn to medicate your cat yourself. Most worming medicine comes in oral pill and paste forms. Since most cats will not consume food that has been laced with pills or paste, the medication will have to be administered by hand. When medicating your cat, some level of restraint may or may not be necessary. Your cat may be one of the many that actually respond better to minimal restraint. Or the pet could object violently, in which case you may even need someone to help you.

Instructions

  1. "Pilling" the Cat

    • 1

      Set the cat on a flat, level surface at a height that is comfortable for you, such as a table. Or, sit on a couch or bench with the cat beside you.

    • 2

      Cradle the cat's head in the palm of your hand and tilt its head back gently. If your pet is going to be cooperative, it will permit you to do this without a fuss. The jaw will relax, and the cat's mouth will drop open due to a natural reflex. The cooperative cat will not struggle, attempt to flee, or become defensive.

    • 3

      Release the cat immediately if it shows any signs of resistance. This means that the pet may object violently if you continue. Get someone to help you before going on to the next step.

    • 4

      Have your helper hold the cat against his body with one hand, while holding its elbows out straight with the other hand. The assistant should now lean gently on the cat, immobilizing it against the table top. If the animal commences to thrash, stop and wrap it in a large towel to avoid being scratched by its back paws. Only the head should remain uncovered by the towel.

    • 5

      Repeat Step 2. With the cat's head tilted back in one hand, hold the pill between the index finger and thumb of the other hand.

    • 6

      Gently open the jaw a little wider with your middle finger, and place the pill onto the back of the cat's tongue. Use your finger to slip the pill over the back of the tongue.

    • 7

      Close the cat's mouth quickly and gently rub its throat. This will stimulate the swallowing reflex. If it doesn't work, startle the cat slightly by gently blowing on its nose, which may cause it to swallow.

    Administering Liquids and Pastes

    • 8

      Restrain the cat as described above.

    • 9

      Tilt the cat's nose a bit upward, causing the jaw to flex and the mouth to drop open slightly.

    • 10

      Insert the tip of the syringe or eyedropper where the jaw is not completely closed, right behind the canine tooth. Inject the medication slowly into the cat's mouth. With large doses, inject the medication a little at a time.

    • 11

      Give your cat a minute or so to swallow. When it has licked all of the medication from its mouth, you can continue giving it more.

    Know Thy Adversaries

    • 12

      Treat your cat for hookworms with appropriate tablets, pastes or spot-on topical applications. Hookworms cause black or bloody diarrhea and are known to cause death in kittens. The worms have hook-like oral structures that they use to burrow into your cat's intestines and suck the pet's blood.

    • 13

      Medicate your pet for roundworms with applicable tablets, pastes or spot-on preparations. Roundworms commonly afflict cats that have eaten infected birds, mice, bugs and lizards. Sometimes cats even ingest soil contaminated by the feces of other infected animals.

    • 14

      Check your cat's fecal material regularly for the presence of tapeworms, which are far too commonly present in cats. Treat the infected pet with tablets, pastes or spot-on medications. You can actually see these parasites in the feces or even on the area surrounding your pet's anus. They look like little pieces of white rice. Tapeworms are flat, and their bodies are made up of segments. Shockingly, they can grow to 3-4 feet in length.