How often should I treat my cat for worms in New Zealand?

If you’ve been the unimpressed recipient of a mouse or two, you’ll definitely want to have a safe and effective worming prevention plan in place. Intestinal worms are extremely common in cats, and that’s not just because they’re likely to eat infected rodents!

Even if you have an indoor cat, regular de-worming is essential. Tapeworm-carrying fleas can easily get into our homes by hitching a ride on clothes, bags, other pets or visitors and your cat can easily ingest the infected fleas by simply grooming herself.

Some cats may seem healthy from the outside but because intestinal worms feed on your cat’s nutrients and blood, an untreated infection can lead to weight loss, increased appetite, diarrhoea, dry and coarse-looking fur, and/or weakness. Severe infections may lead to anaemia or a ‘pot belly’. In extreme cases, they can pass to humans where their larvae migrate through the body, causing damage to organs and the eyes.

A parasite prevention plan is the best way to be sure your cat and your family is kept healthy and safe. Most wormers work by paralysing and killing any existing worms in your cat, and the dosage wears off too, which is why regular and continuous worming is absolutely vital

How often should I de-worm my adult cat?
Most cats should be wormed at once each season – so at least four times a year. Cats that hunt should be wormed monthly as they’re at higher risk of eating infected rodents.

For adventurous felines, our vets recommend the Bravecto Plus Spot, Broadline Spot-On all-in-one treatment or our Advocate Spot-On Plan.

How often should I de-worm my kitten?
De-worming treatments for kittens should begin from birth every fortnight until they’re eight weeks old. After this, it’s safe to worm once a month until they’re six months old. Your vet should provide you with a suitable worming treatment to last them to their sixth birthday.

When they do become six months old, you can decrease treatment to once every one – three months. The frequency depends on the dosage and compatibility with other products.

If you’ve recently got a weaned kitten, or you don’t know if or when they were last wormed, treat them immediately, before putting a long-term treatment plan in place.

How often should I worm my pregnant cat?
Pregnant cats should be wormed at the end of their pregnancy and then once during lactation at the same time her kittens receive their first worming treatment. Always check with your vet which products are suitable for pregnant cats.

Make caring for your cat safe and easy with a Vetty subscription. You’ll receive the best (and most cost effective) flea and worm treatments directly to your door, as soon your cat’s due.