Why Indoor Cats Need Parasite Prevention
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Most people remember the joys of growing up and either being tormented by disgusting boys throwing dead worms at you, or being the disgusting boy enjoying tormenting the object of their grade school affection. Consequently, the thought of worms tend to hold a fair amount of emotion for many of us. We cannot believe that our much loved indoor cat could possibly acquire worms. BUT our indoor cats frequently have worms and other parasites. How could this occur?
99% of all kittens become infected with roundworms from the mother cat, through nursing and through contact with her stool. Some of these roundworms will encyst and become dormant in the muscles and will not be destroyed by dewormers. When the cat’s immune system becomes stressed from illness, pregnancy or even aging, some of these juvenile roundworms will activate and migrate to the intestinal tract and start reproducing. Also, contact with potting soil can infect cats with roundworms. In a recent study 15% of potting soils were found to carry roundworm eggs.
Many cats will chase and consume insects such as moths and beetles which also can carry a variety of parasites. Indoor cats who are mighty hunters and catch mice that sneak into the house especially with the advent of cold weather often eat their prey and become infected with tapeworms. Even the most sedentary of indoor cats can become infested with fleas as fleas can come indoors via hitching a ride with the household humans. When cats groom the fleas off they swallow them and become infected with tapeworms.
Last but not least, in most areas of the country mosquitoes carry heart worm larvae. Mosquitoes get into many homes – who has not been irritated by that annoying buzz? Heartworm infected mosquitoes bite the indoor cats who then develop heartworm disease. Heartworm disease can cause asthma type symptoms,or even cause fatal heart and lung disease.
So, protect your indoor cat from these parasites and give your cat a monthly parasite preventative from your veterinarian such as Revolution or Advantage Multi, and deworm your bug and rodent hunting kitties 3-4 times a year with a tapeworm dewormer!
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