Europeans do not deworm their cats often enough

Feline round and tapeworms
Feline round and tapeworms. Photos in public domain.
Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

The cat roundworm Toxocara cati can infect humans as well. In other words your cat could transmit a roundworm infestation to you1. Although, to the best of my knowledge, it is relatively rare.

Europeans are recommended to administer monthly deworming pills to dogs and cats under the European Scientific Council Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) advice. They ascertained that people dewormed their cats 2.2 times per year on average. This is clearly well short of once a month.

They also ascertained that 54% of cats fell into the highest risk group in terms of the risk of acquiring a worm infestation. Incidentally, 93% of dogs also fell into the highest risk group.

The conclusion is that improved treatment compliance is required in order to reduce the zoonotic (transference of a disease from animal to human and vice versa) risk to humans and to improve cat and dog health.

1. Other endoparasites are also zoonotic: Toxocara spp., Echinococcus spp., Taenia spp., Dipylidium caninum, Dirofilaria spp. and Thelazia callipaeda.

2. The study referred to for this information: Survey of European pet owners quantifying endoparasitic infection risk and implications for deworming recommendations. Published November 1st 2018 on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

P.S. My cat catches and eats mice from time to time. I stopped deworming him a long time ago and I feel guilty but he looks in rude health. His coat is great and there is nothing wrong with him health wise. But I will get some more deworming pills and administer them. I hate to say it but I am not convinced that he needs deworming monthly.

SOME MORE:

Is the kitten healthy?

Is the kitten healthy? Check list infographic.

Click the infographic below for a larger version. It covers the essential basics in order to assess your chosen kitten ...
Parasitic worm

Can an indoor cat get worms?

Yes, is the answer to the question. Please read on. This is a complete page. The question asks whether a ...
Bengal cat smelly poo due to a sensitive stomach

Do Bengal cats have sensitive stomachs?

The answer has to be an unequivocal YES judging by the information on the Internet and you can extend the ...
Flushing cat litter down the loo can spread Toxocara eggs to others and block sewers.

Flushing cat litter down the loo can transmit Toxocara eggs to others and block sewers

Water company comment on this In the UK, Collette Parker, Anglian Water customer engagement manager, said: This kind of animal ...
Roundworm the most common in domestic cats

Infographic on roundworm transmission, cure and prevention

"Roundworms (Toxascaris leonina and Toxocara cati) are the most common intestinal parasite of cats, with an estimated prevalence of 25% ...
Cat has a bug that looks like rice coming out of butt

16 tips on cat worms and deworming

Here are 16 tips on cat worms (endoparasites); one of the most unpleasant parasites to bug cats. Although a lot ...
Hookworm

Hookworm life cycle – 2 charts and background information

The hookworm life cycle is set out below in a chart. I also have a page on deworming cat treatments ...
Human has to Ingest flea to get tapeworm

Can a cat owner’s children get tapeworms from fleas on their cat?

It is feasible although very unlikely that a cat owner, or more likely her children, might get tapeworms from a ...

Two most effective deworming treatments for cats

A good source tells me that the two most effective deworming medications are (1) praziquantel + pyrantel and (2) fenbendazole ...
Child playing in sand

Can I get a tapeworm from my cat?

Can I get a tapeworm from my cat? Theoretically, yes, it is possible to get a tapeworm from your cat ...
Roundworm

How do cats get roundworms?

Domestic and feral cats get roundworms by ingesting the eggs. They ingest eggs in various ways, perhaps by being in ...
Cat tapeworm segments and whole worms

Pictures of cat tapeworm and tapeworm segments

Here is a collage of cat tapeworms and tapeworm segments that I have prepared because people search for 'What do ...

Please search using the search box at the top of the site. You are bound to find what you are looking for.

Useful tag. Click to see the articles: Cat behavior

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

follow it link and logo

Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.

I welcome and value comments. Please share your thoughts. All comments are currently unmoderated.

This blog is seen in 199 of the world's country's according to Google Analytics which is pretty much the entire world.

Scroll to Top