Since our pets are exposed to parasites through various sources, it is nearly impossible to prevent them from coming into contact with worm eggs, or larvae. Worming is important both for your pet’s health and for lowering the risk of contaminating the environment and exposing the family (zoonosis).

Routine deworming of adult cats is achieved by treating with Milbemax™ every 3 months. Kittens and breeding cats often need deworming more frequently. Discuss the ideal treatment plan for your cat with your vet.

You might think not, but it is definitely a good idea to regularly deworm indoor cats. Even cats that never venture outside of your home can become infected with worms. It is easy to carry worm eggs indoors on the soles of your shoes. Also, you can bring an infection on your hands or gloves indoors, for instance, if you have been gardening. Insects and rodents can sneak into homes, bringing worms with them.

If your indoor cat swallows an infected flea, for instance when grooming, or if it plays with or licks your shoes and clothes, it can become infected. Fleas are not necessarily deterred from entering your home by walls and doors. And once an indoor cat has worms, in some cases it can reinfect itself.

Your cat is at risk for intestinal worms throughout the entire year. Roundworm eggs that are passed on from the environment or from other infected cats are very resilient and can survive environmental extremes for several years. Cats can also pick intestinal worms up from hunting and by swallowing infected fleas.

Yes, there is a risk. Some worms can also infect people. If you accidentally ingest roundworm eggs, for instance, the larvae can move through your body and make you ill. If the larvae end up in your eyes, you run the risk of becoming blind. This is a very rare risk, but if it occurs the consequences are obviously devastating. That is why it is so important to minimise risks by regularly deworming your cat. Adequate hygiene measures e.g. washing hands, regularly cleaning your cat’s litter tray, covering sand pits etc. also form an important part of protecting your family.

Even if it is uncommon, people can also become infected with tapeworm if they accidentally swallow a flea infected with tapeworm larvae.

Milbemax™ is a broad-spectrum wormer, which means that it kills the most common intestinal worms affecting cats. Milbemax™ for cats is effective against roundworms, hookworm* and tapeworms in cats.

*Not clinically significant in cats in NZ

 Absolutely! You can use Milbemax™ worm tablets  for your cat in conjunction with products such as Seresto^™, to kill intestinal worms and protect against fleas and ticks. Or, you can also combine Milbemax™ use with Advantage^™ to ensure protection against fleas as well as intestinal worms.

Yes, there is. Fleas can be infected with the larvae of the flea tapeworm. If your cat swallows an infected flea, it can contract a tapeworm infection.

Most of the time, you can’t. But even if you don’t know if your cat has worms, you can look out for certain signs. They may include diarrhoea and vomiting, although these signs can also be caused by other conditions. You might see spaghetti-like worms in your cat’s stool or vomit, or rice-like tapeworm segments around its bottom. Weight loss, lethargy and a bloated belly may also indicate a worm infection, especially in younger animals.

Even if your cat is not showing any signs of the infection, it would still be healthier without worms in its intestines! It’s also worth remembering that cats can pass worms on to people too.

 There are three main ways that your cat can become infected:

1. By ingesting worm eggs or larvae from the environment.
2. Suckling mother’s milk as a kitten may result in a roundworm infection.
3. From eating other infected animals. Rodents, rabbits, birds and insects such as fleas can carry intestinal worm larvae. If your pet ingests them (while hunting or by swallowing infected fleas while grooming), it runs the risk of developing intestinal worms.

 While you can’t eliminate the risk of your cat from becoming infected with worms, there are several practical measures, such as regularly cleaning the litter tray, covering sand pits and keeping your cat indoors, that can help reduce the risk. Another crucial way of protecting your cat is by regularly using a product like Milbemax™ that kill the intestinal worms most commonly found in New Zealand cats. That’s how you can ensure that your cat can enjoy its adventures unhindered.