Our cats might have worms without you even knowing about it. Roundworm and tapeworm are the two main types of intestinal worm affecting UK cat, the symptoms of which are not always easy to spot. Intestinal worms can easily be picked up by your cat e.g. from eating microscopic worm eggs from the environment, from hunting or from swallowing infected fleas when grooming. Kittens can even pick roundworms up from their own mum when they suckle her milk.

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Worms are parasites that cats can get by accidentally eating their eggs. There are two main types of intestinal worm your cat might get:

  • tapeworm. These are exceptionally long, flat worms that attach themselves to the wall of the gut. Your cat may pass these worms in segments.
  • roundworm. These are the most common type of worm and look like white earthworms.

How do cats get worms?

Cats can pick up worms from a variety of sources, from eating prey such as birds or mice, from having fleas which carry worm larvae, or from their mother’s milk as kittens.

Symptoms of intestinal worms in cats

You may not realise your cat has worms at first. Some common signs to look out for include:

  • tapeworm segments in your cat’s poop, around their bottom or in their bedding (like grains of rice).
  • weight loss.
  • eating more.
  • itchy bottom.
  • Diarrhoea.
  • kittens with a severe infestation can get a rounded potbelly.

If your cat has any of these symptoms you should always take them to your vet to get checked over.

Different ways to worm cats

Traditionally, we have relied upon worming tablets. There are a wide range of tablet wormers out there, and they have a good spectrum of action, covering all the important and common worm species. However, giving worming tablets to cats can be stressful and before you know it those doses start to become less and less regular. Your cat looks healthy, and it does not seem like a problem…but sadly a worm burden can make cats unwell.

Regular effective worming treatment is a key part of protecting your cat from these unwanted invaders. In fact, it is recommended that many UK cats should be wormed monthly if they tend to spend time outdoors hunting and scavenging prey. However, the normal recommendation is every 3 months. It might be that in the future more reliable tests will allow us to easily check which cats are infected and need treatment; but at the moment, these tests are either unreliable, untested, expensive, or all three.

When it comes to choosing a worming treatment, consider the effectiveness of the product and which parasites it treats, as well as your cat’s lifestyle and behaviour. This is where your vet or your SQP come in – they will be able to help you.

Spot-on wormers

Spot on wormers aren’t new, but they are having a bit of a moment right now, with prescription and SQP drug formulations (such as Dronspot) now available. A spot-on wormer can indeed  be an effective way to worm your cat. Here are the pros and cons of a spot-on wormer:

The pros:

  • Most cat owners find applying spot-on treatments much easier than giving tablets.
  • Just as fast acting and effective as traditional worming tablets.
  • Most products are suitable for use in kittens from 8 weeks of age and weighing over 500g, as well as adult cats of all sizes. Always check with your veterinary surgeon or SQP.

The cons:

  • A small number of cats may experience itching and fur loss at the application site.
  • Care should be taken as the product dries to ensure young children and other pets do not touch the area. Regular cuddling can then resume as normal!

Tips for using spot-on worming treatments:

  • Apply the spot-on treatment high up on the back of the neck. This will stop your cat from turning around and licking the product off.
  • Spot-on products should only ever be applied externally to unbroken skin with no cuts, wounds, or scabs.
  • Though cats are much less likely to swim or receive baths, they should not get wet for the first 24-48 hours after application.

How to apply a spot-on wormer to your cat:

  1. Find the place between the cat’s shoulder blades, this is an ideal place to do this as the cat should not be able to lick the area.
  2. Open the spot-on treatment pipette and pierce the opening as outlined on the instructions.
  3. Part the fur on the back of the neck so you can see the skin.
  4. Squeeze the treatment onto a few different areas of the skin between your cats. shoulder blades, parting the fur each time if necessary.
  5. Give your cat lots of praise.
  6. Wash your hands.
  7. Offer your furry friend a treat so they associate the treatment with something tasty.

How often you apply treatment will depends on your cat and the treatment you choose, but if you are not sure, read the packaging instructions or speak to your vet or SQP.

Many SQPs and Veterinary Practices will be willing to show you how to apply the treatment.

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