“I have an indoor cat, so it doesn’t need worming treatment, right?”
Wrong!
Many people think if their cat isn’t going outside, they don’t need parasite treatments. However, cats can still be exposed to parasites inside the home.
- Cats living with dogs (who will be taken out for walks) can then be exposed to fleas that the dogs bring in. Fleas carry tapeworms that are released into the cat when the cat ingests the flea with their natural grooming behaviour.
- Prey species such as mice, birds, and insects can be hosts for roundworms, hookworms, lungworms, and tapeworms. While your cat may not go outside, sometimes prey can come inside for your cat to catch.
- Feeding raw or undercooked meat such as beef or chicken is a risk of roundworm and tapeworm. Dirt with parasite eggs can be brought in by owners on their shoes or clothing.
So, while indoor cats are at decreased risk of parasitism, there still is a risk and so the recommendation would still be to treat for worms at least twice a year to keep your cat healthy but also to reduce the risk of spread of these parasites to humans as well.
