Hi everyone,
My kitten is 8 months old. We've had him since he was 8 weeks old, and immediately took him to the vet for all his check-ups and injections. He has never been allowed outside and never will be!
At 8 weeks old, the vet gave him a worming treatment as a precaution, but said that he didn't appear to have them. Since then, we have found no signs of worms in his litter or on his fur.
However, due to some of the answers to another question I asked about my kitten wanting food all the time, I'm worried that he may have worms without us realising.
When the vet gave him his first course of worming treatments as a precaution, he told us that we wouldn't need to do it again because we'd be keeping him indoors and therefore he wouldn't pick up worms from anywhere.
If anyone could give me any help I'd really appreciate it, as I'm worried about my kitty now!
Thank you,
xx Emmie
2007-03-20 22:34:08 · 12 answers · asked by Sparklepop 6 in Pets ➔ Cats
The worming treatment that was used was a flea-spot treatment that also treats worms, thanks for reassuring me about that one! :-)
2007-03-20 22:54:00 · update #1
Just because your cat stays in the house doesn't mean he'll never get fleas...your Vet needs to go back to school.
You could bring in fleas on you when you come in from outside..visitors to your home could do the same thing.
If your cat gets fleas when he grooms himself he will ingest the fleas and that can lead to your cat getting a tape worm.
If your cat starts to eat all of the time, but only seems to be gaining weight in his stomach...like he has a "Pot Belly" and you'll also see what look like grains of rice on the fur under his tail and where he sleeps...those are tape worm segments...you may also find live ones in his litter box and this is gross but you may actually see them crawling out of your cat.
If you see any of these signs take you cat to a Vet for a tape worm medication.
BUT, if your Vet told you that he couldn't get worms just because he never goes outside...DO NOT take him to that Vet....find a different one.
Good Luck
2007-03-21 00:40:18 · answer #1 · answered by gracieandlizzie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Worms in cats can affect humans too so you do need to treat him. With some worms they are passed when the cat goes to the toilet. Some like tape worms live inside and sections break off and can then cause re-infestation; so you may not see signs. The vet is right to give worm treatment, sometimes the mother passes worms on to the kitten when or after it is born. In the normal course of life an indoor cat should not get infected! So do not worry about it, I have indoor cats too and they are worm free!
By the way your little boy is probably eating so much because he is growing!! A kitten needs to eat several times a day!
Hope this helps!
2007-03-20 22:50:25 · answer #2 · answered by paula c 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Kittens usually contract worms soon after birth as the worms migrate to the Mom's mammary glands and hitch a ride in the milk. It is usual to worm them from every two weeks from 6 to 16 weeks and then every three months (sometimes more often if needed).
Worms can only be controlled, never entirely eliminated as wormers only kill the adults and not the eggs, so you worm your pet and it kills the current worms but the eggs sit and hatch a few weeks later.
Eggs can be brought in on shoes and by other means after they're excreted from animals on the streets and infect your cat.
If you use a flea spot on that also controls worms, then you can just worm once or twice a year for peace of mind.
2007-03-20 22:43:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Routine worming treatment for pet cats and dogs are as follows:
should be wormed every 2 weeks until the age of 8weeks then every month until the age of 6 months then every 3 months there after UNLESS your cat is a hunter (likes bringing you presents like mice or birds) whether they eat them or not they are constantly re-infecting themselves therefore must carry on being wormed monthly.
Ps, this is the dosing of the two best wormers used widely by most vets- milbemax or drontal it will depend on what kind of wormer you use
2007-03-21 04:13:08 · answer #4 · answered by hales 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Carry on using the flea spot + wormer, its brilliant (I can remember having to wrap cats in a towel and getting a tablet down them, and as for the spray in a can..!). You won't have to do it as often as for an outdoor cat, but he can still get fleas, and flea bites transmit tapeworm.
Worms live in your pet in different stages of development, so they carry some eggs, some larvae and some adults. Its the adults you see in their stools. Its good news that you haven't seen any.
At 8 months your kitten is starting the teenage stage and has some growing and filling out to do. So that could make him hungry.
2007-03-21 03:07:32 · answer #5 · answered by sarah c 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They recommend every 3 months, they can pick up worms from anywhere, even inside. Best to have him wormed again just for precautions.
2007-03-21 01:44:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i had cats and they never went outside but they got worms i used to see the worms in there poo kept an i on your kitten if you dont see any worms then i wouldn't worry
2007-03-20 22:45:09 · answer #7 · answered by patricia t 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Once he has been treated and as long as you never let him he should be fine. The vet did the same to my cat and she never goes out either
2007-03-20 22:38:48 · answer #8 · answered by dixidan_2000 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Your little kitty should be fine if not going out. Thankyou for not letting your cat out!!!!!
2007-03-21 10:41:00 · answer #9 · answered by fairylandk 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he's indoors it should nt be neccessary
2007-03-21 03:12:25 · answer #10 · answered by ~*tigger*~ ** 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋