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44 results for “kitten parasites”
100 Essential Tips Every New Cat Owner Should Know
Bringing home a first kitten is exciting but daunting, and poor care can hurt both of you. These 100 essentials cover diet (life-stage food, toxic grapes/chocolate/onion/garlic, no bones or raw meat, fresh water), daily care (brushing, nail and ear cleaning, litter hygiene, n+1 boxes), health (vaccines at 8–12 weeks, deworming, normal temperature 38–39.2°C, spay/neuter, no human meds), behavior (slow blinks, tail talk, no punishment), and home safety (screens, hiding wires, toxic plants, no smoke). Read them once and you'll share a calmer, healthier life with your cat.
Why Does Your Cat Eat but Stay Thin? (Worms and More)
A cat that eats well but stays thin is often fighting intestinal parasites—roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, giardia, or coccidia—that steal nutrients and release toxins interfering with digestion, causing slow or lost weight, anemia, and poor growth. Tell-tale signs include soft stools, rice-like segments near the anus, scooting, pale gums, and a swollen belly. But worms are not the only cause: poor absorption, hyperthyroidism or diabetes, repeated heat cycles, or a low-protein diet can also keep a cat lean. The fix is a tailored deworming plan plus gut probiotics and high-protein meals; spaying helps if heat is the driver. See a vet if weight keeps dropping.
Why Does Your Cat Suddenly Dart Around the House?
When a cat suddenly tears around the house, pounces at empty air, or arches its back and puffs up, it is usually showing what veterinarians call Frenetic Random Activity Periods (FRAPS)—a normal behavior, especially in kittens and young cats. The triggers are mostly instinctual: a retained hunting drive, excess energy, stress, or heat in unspayed cats. Occasionally, frantic running signals a health problem such as hyperthyroidism, a neurological disorder, or a parasitic infection, particularly when paired with appetite loss, weight drop, or lethargy. Meeting the cat's exercise needs with toys and play, plus a calm, safe environment, keeps normal zoomies harmless and happy.
What to Keep in Mind When Using Topical Flea and Tick Treatment on Cats
Cats can pick up external parasites at any time of year, so regular preventive treatment matters. Topical products come as sprays or spot-on drops, and their coverage depends on the active ingredient, so the right choice depends on your cat's lifestyle and the parasites it faces. Apply spots along the spine, dose by weight, avoid bathing for a few days, and use an Elizabethan collar to prevent licking. Kittens can start around two months old with monthly treatment; adults need it every one to three months, more often in warm seasons or for outdoor cats. Never use dog-only products containing permethrin on cats.
Cat Dewormers Compared: How to Choose the Right One
More than half of household cats are estimated to carry at least one parasite at some point, with fleas, roundworms, and heartworm among the most common. Regular, science-based deworming can sharply lower that risk and protect both cat and owner. This guide compares the main types of cat dewormers by their active ingredients and explains how to match a product to your cat's age, lifestyle, and parasite exposure, so you can build a safe, sustainable routine without relying on brand hype.
Pica in Dogs and Cats
Pica is the compulsive eating of non-food objects such as stones, plastic, grass or wall plaster. It often signals a nutritional gap, pancreatic disease or parasites, and swallowed items can obstruct or perforate the digestive tract.
Iron Metabolism Disorders in Dogs and Cats
Iron metabolism disorders in dogs and cats include iron deficiency, microcytic hypochromic anemia with weakness and poor endurance, and iron overload from excess intake or poisoning, causing gut signs and acidosis. Deficiency is corrected with dietary iron and treatment of blood loss or parasites.
Hydrocephalus in Dogs and Cats: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
Hydrocephalus is accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within or around the brain, from birth defects or later causes such as vitamin A deficiency, meningitis, or chronic disease. It causes dullness, poor vision, and aimless wandering, and has no specific cure beyond supportive care.
What to Do When Dog or Cat Vaccination Fails
Measures to address vaccine failure in dogs and cats, covering nutrition, maternal antibodies, parasites, health status, medication, storage, and scheduling.
Do Cats Need Deworming in Winter?
Parasites stay active even in winter, so year-round deworming matters. Fleas, ticks, heartworm, and intestinal worms can all affect cats during the cold months, and several safe topical and systemic products are available.