Updated July 26, 2026·4 minper ESCCAPAnswer — in the first paragraph ↓
CAT · DEWORMING
An indoor cat that does not hunt and eats no raw meat usually needs deworming 1–2 times a year. A cat with outdoor access is treated every 3 months — the baseline in European guidance. If the cat catches mice or eats raw meat and fish, the interval drops to monthly. Kittens start at 3 weeks of age.
01How often — by lifestyle
Cat
How often
Note
Indoor, single cat, no raw food
1–2 times a year
or a fecal test 1–2 times a year
Goes out in the yard or garden
every 3 months
the baseline for most cats
Children at home, other pets
every 2–3 months
cat worms are a human risk too
Hunts mice, raw meat and fish
monthly
or based on a fecal test
Instead of a schedule you can run a fecal test 3–4 times a year: if eggs turn up, the cat is treated; if not, nothing is given. That path suits owners who would rather not medicate without a reason. Which one fits better is decided with your vet. This advice comes from the European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) and its American counterpart, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC). Dogs follow a similar logic — see how often to deworm a dog.
02Kittens start at 3 weeks
Kittens pick up roundworms differently from puppies: not before birth, but through the mother’s milk. So the first treatment comes at 3 weeks and repeats every 2 weeks until about 9 weeks of age. After that it is monthly until six months, and only then does the kitten move to the adult routine.
03Where an indoor cat gets worms
A cat that never goes out can still get infected. Roundworm eggs are remarkably tough: they survive in soil for years in any climate and ride indoors on shoes. The second route is fleas — they carry a tapeworm, so flea control lowers that risk as a side effect. The third is raw meat, fish and hunting rodents, which pass on other tapeworms, including the echinococcus that is dangerous to people.
Platera reminds you to deworm the cat
A schedule by your cat’s lifestyle and a nudge when it is due.
Platera9:00 AM
Mia’s booster shot is tomorrow — clinic at 12:00
Point your camera
04Frequently asked
Does a cat need deworming in winter?
Yes. Unlike flea and tick control, deworming does not follow the seasons. Roundworm eggs survive in soil for years in any climate, and a cat can get infected indoors as well. So the interval does not change in winter — it depends only on the cat’s lifestyle.
Can cat worms infect people?
Roundworms can, and small children are most at risk. That is why families with young children usually shorten the interval to 2–3 months. The echinococcus tapeworm is rare but also dangerous to people: it spreads through raw offal and prey animals.
Can a fecal test replace the tablets?
Yes, it is an accepted alternative: the test is run 3–4 times a year and the cat is treated only when the result is positive. For an indoor cat at minimal risk, 1–2 tests a year are enough. The trade-off is regular trips to the clinic with a sample, in exchange for medicating only when needed.
What if the cat refuses to swallow a tablet?
Besides tablets there are spot-on drops made for cats: their coverage is comparable and includes both roundworms and tapeworms. Pastes and suspensions exist as well. The specific product is chosen by the vet based on the cat’s weight and age, along with whatever else is due.
CAT · DEWORMING
