When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. , an affordable topical treatment that kills the most common worms with only one dose. For some cats, a monthly preventive that kills and controls many types of parasites may be appropriate, like NexGard Combo. The spot-on monthly treatment can be used to treat an infection and then monthly to control intestinal worms plus fleas, ticks, and heartworms.
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Our top picks for the best cat dewormers
Best broad-spectrum dewormer: Profender Topical Solution – See at Chewy
Best tapeworm dewormer: Droncit Tablets – See at Chewy
Best topical for deworming and prevention: NexGard Combo – See at Chewy
Best tablet for deworming and prevention: Interceptor Flavor Tabs – See at Chewy
Best broad-spectrum
A broad-spectrum dewormer kills multiple types of intestinal parasites simultaneously. No other cat dewormer kills as many different types of worms with one dose as Profender. The topical dewormer features two powerful active ingredients, emodepside and praziquantel, which eliminate the two most common species of tapeworms, one species of hookworm, and one species of roundworm.
Aside from its effectiveness, Profender is easier to use than our former top pick in this category, Drontal, which is a pill that often requires a follow-up dose. To give your cat Profender, you’ll only need to part the hair at the base of their head and apply the solution directly to the skin. Following treatment, keep your cat separated from other pets in the household until the solution has dried.
Profender requires a prescription from your veterinarian. Don’t skip this step because cats may have other parasites that even broad-spectrum dewormers can’t eliminate.
Best for tapeworms
Droncit tablets tackle tapeworm infestations quickly and safely in cats and kittens over 6 weeks old. You can give the tablet to your cat whole or crumble it and mix it with their food.
Cats primarily become infected with tapeworms when they ingest fleas infected with tapeworm larvae. Each Droncit tablet contains the active ingredient praziquantel, which works to paralyze and eliminate tapeworms within 24 hours. This ingredient is effective against the two most common species of tapeworms, eliminating them in a single dose.
Unlike the other tapeworm dewormer I considered, Elanco Tapeworm Dewormer, Droncit can be conveniently purchased as single tablets, while Elanco is sold in a three-pack and at a slightly higher cost per pill.
To prevent further infections, you’ll also need to treat your cat for fleas. For this reason, your vet may also recommend monthly flea prevention with NexGard Combo or another of the best flea and tick treatments for cats.
Best topical for deworming and prevention
NexGard Combo kills worms and other parasites with one topical treatment and, when given monthly, controls future infections. It is also a great option for cats who won’t take pills. Simply squeeze the liquid onto one spot on the back of your cat’s neck and allow it to dry.
This newer medication replaces Centagard topical in this category. Centragard targets the same types of worms as NexGard Combo but does not treat or control fleas and ticks, while NexGard Combo does. You can use NexGard Combo one time to treat an infestation of tapeworms, hookworms, or roundworms or give it monthly to keep your cat free from intestinal parasites and also prevent deadly heartworms.
In general, Dr. Colleen Sawyer, a veterinarian with Rolesville Veterinary Hospital, prioritizes products that provide both flea and heartworm prevention. “Heartworm disease, although rare, is not treatable in cats and has a high fatality rate,” she said. “Coverage for ticks, immature life stages of fleas, and intestinal parasites are also important, and fortunately now there are products available that protect against all the above.”
This medication contains three active ingredients: eprinomectin, praziquantel, and afoxolaner. Eprinomectin and praziquantel work together to kill worms and prevent future infections. These ingredients are effective against the two most common species of tapeworms, two species of hookworms, one species of roundworm, and heartworms. Esafoxolaner is a form of afoxolaner, which treats and controls fleas and ticks.
Best tablet for deworming and prevention
Interceptor is a great choice for pet owners who wish to give an oral preventive rather than a topical product because of the many parasites it protects against. In addition to preventing deadly heartworm disease, Interceptor Flavored Tablets treat and control roundworms and adult hookworms with the active ingredient milbemycin oxime. Each chewable tablet protects for 30 days and is safe for kittens as young as 6 weeks.
Interceptor is one of only two chewable parasite preventives available for cats, Heartgard being the other option. Unlike Interceptor, Heartgard only treats and controls one other parasite (hookworms) in addition to heartworms. You can give your cat an Interceptor tablet as a treat or hide it in a small amount of wet food.
To purchase NexGard Combo, you must obtain a prescription from your veterinarian. As with all heartworm medications, your cat needs a heartworm test before starting this medication and once every year after.
What to look for in cat dewormers
Before buying one of the best cat dewormers, it’s important to see your veterinarian. If you suspect your cat has worms, the first step is to take them to the vet for a physical exam and fecal test, which is an examination of the stool that reveals what type of worms your cat has. Depending on the type of worms found, your cat might also need follow-up deworming and another fecal exam to ensure no parasites remain.
Your vet can also determine if your cat may have other health issues that need to be addressed. Certain single-celled microscopic parasites (protozoa), including coccidia and Giardia, cause symptoms similar to those caused by intestinal parasites, but they are not true worms. They require different prescription medications to treat them. “Generally speaking, if they have one parasite, they’ll have multiple parasites,” says Dr. Herman Jeffer, a veterinarian at Cornwallis Road Veterinary Hospital. “If they have roundworms, it’s not uncommon to see tapeworms or other worms as well, or ‘non-worms’ like coccidia.”
Parasites prevented and other considerations: Even though some dewormers are available over the counter, do not skip the vet visit since different drugs treat different worms. Some drugs may also be more appropriate for the region where you live and your cat’s specific health needs.
Safety and efficacy: The medication you give your cat should be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine approves and regulates drugs for animals — you can search the Animal Drugs @ FDA database to see if a medication is considered safe and effective. Some flea and tick products for animals are instead regulated by the EPA since they contain pesticides. You can find out whether a flea and tick product is EPA-approved by searching the EPA’s Pesticide Product and Label System.
Ease of use and precautions: Medications come in either oral or topical form. Consider whether you can give your cat a pill by hand or in their food. If you are going to use a topical medication, read the directions carefully to ensure you take the appropriate precautions. You may need to wear gloves to apply some medicines and keep other animals, children, or pregnant people away from treated animals for a period of time.
Be on the lookout for counterfeit products: Counterfeit parasite treatments can harm animals and may be unsafe for humans. For this reason, you should only purchase dewormers and parasite preventives from your veterinarian or a trustworthy pharmacy. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) provides advice for determining whether a pharmacy is trustworthy, which includes checking to see if an online pharmacy is accredited by the National Association Boards of Pharmacy Pharmacy (NABP) Verified Websites Program. NABP-approved online retailers include Chewy, Petco, and Petsmart. The FDA also provides tips for verifying the legitimacy of a pharmacy, and the EPA says there are several ways you may be able to spot counterfeit products, including missing directions or directions that are not provided in English, foreign-labeled products, and lack of child-resistant packaging.
How we selected the best cat dewormers
My knowledge about intestinal parasites and their treatment and prevention is informed by my experience as a veterinary assistant and my 20-year career writing and editing for pet and veterinary publications.
For this guide to the best cat dewormers, I consulted two veterinarians for advice regarding the treatment and prevention of intestinal parasites like tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms, as well as heartworms and ectoparasites like fleas, ticks, and mites. Although this information guided my product selection, my experts did not specifically endorse any of the products included in this guide. I also used the quick product reference guide published by the independent nonprofit Companion Animal Parasite Council. It lists all FDA- and EPA-approved parasite control products for small animals, including each product’s active ingredients and uses.
Below are the main attributes I used to evaluate the best cat dewormers and preventives.
Safety and efficacy: I only considered FDA- or EPA-approved dewormers and preventives for this guide. I then consulted the Merck Veterinary Manual to ensure all ingredients in these products are known to be safe and effective for use in cats and kittens.
Number of parasites treated: With the exception of the tapeworm dewormer, the more parasites a preventive product covers, the higher I rated it.
Ease of use: Products were rated lower if they were more complicated to use than a similar product. For instance, treatments ranked lower if the pet owner must wear gloves to apply the product or if children, pregnant people, and pets must be kept away from the treated animal for a specified amount of time.
Cat dewormer FAQs
What is the best cat dewormer?
The best worming medication for your cat depends on several factors and should be determined by your veterinarian. “It’s important to see your veterinarian so they can identify what parasites are present and then prescribe the appropriate deworming medication,” Sawyer says. “Your vet can also explain any risks for human disease, which is also parasite-dependent.” Available treatments include single-dose dewormers and preventive medications that both treat and control worms when given monthly. Both types of treatments are available as pills and topicals.
Can I give my cat a natural dewormer?
Talk to your veterinarian before using natural dewormers for your cat. “When pet owners are looking for a product for their pet, I think they want research behind it,” Jeffer says. “Most of the time you really can’t guarantee that from a product that’s labeled ‘all natural,’ which hasn’t stood up to the research that FDA-approved products or EPA-approved products have gone through.” He says that conventional, veterinarian-recommended dewormers are very effective and extremely safe to use. “They’ve all been used over decades, and there are very few to no side effects associated with them,” he adds.
Can indoor cats get worms?
Outdoor cats are most at risk of picking up intestinal parasites like roundworms and hookworms, as well as heartworms, fleas, and ticks. However, even indoor cats need parasite prevention. Fleas can be brought into the house by other pets or even on your clothing, and cats that live inside can still be exposed to other parasites. Jeffer says heartworms are the main risk for indoor cats. “Even one heartworm can potentially be fatal to a cat,” he says. “Even if a couple of mosquitoes get into the house that happen to be carriers for heartworm disease, there’s a chance that an indoor-only cat can get heartworms and can actually die from it.”
Should you give cats parasite prevention medicine year-round?
Veterinarians recommend broad-spectrum parasite prevention for all cats. Some owners think their cats only need preventives in the spring and summer, but veterinarians recommend keeping cats on a broad-spectrum parasite preventive all 12 months of the year. Different parasites are active during different months, and parasite activity can vary depending on where you live. Additionally, parasites can become active earlier than expected, including in the winter. “It’s a little bit of a gamble, especially with climate change and the unpredictability of the weather in most areas of the country,” Jeffer says.
Indoor-outdoor cats are at high risk for contracting intestinal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms, and all cats, including those that live indoors, need prevention from deadly heartworms. Sawyer says parasites can find their way into your home in many ways. This includes other animals like the family dog or small rodents. Humans can also bring fleas inside on their clothing or shoes, and mosquitoes that transmit heartworm disease can easily enter through open doors or windows.
Types of worms and their signs and symptoms
Cornell University veterinarians estimate that as many as 45% of cats have intestinal parasites at any given time. In adult cats, parasite infestations may cause mild to moderate digestive symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and gas. However, heavy infestations, especially in kittens, can lead to more severe digestive symptoms, weight loss, anemia, malnutrition, and restricted growth.
“We’ll see cats coming in, for example, if they’ve been in a feral situation. They are anemic, bloated, they have chronic diarrhea and vomiting, their coats are brittle and unkempt, and they can be very depressed,” Jeffer said. “Kittens can actually die from parasite infestations.”
Some of the most common worms seen in cats are tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms.
Tapeworms: If you see something in your cat’s feces that resembles grains of white rice, or you notice them licking or biting the area under their tail, they could have a tapeworm infestation. Cats contract tapeworms when they ingest an infected adult flea. As the tapeworm grows, segments break off and pass in your cat’s stool.
“Probably the most common kind of worm that pet owners are going to notice is a tapeworm,” Jeffers says. “The cat might have other ailments that need to be addressed, so there are a lot of reasons to bring your cat to the vet to sort out which worm it is and to make sure there aren’t secondary issues that are resulting from that infection.”
Roundworms: Common in cats, especially in kittens, roundworms are large (3 to 6 inches), smooth, and round-bodied. You might not notice symptoms, particularly if your cat has only a few roundworms. In kittens, large numbers of worms may cause a pot-bellied appearance, vomiting, diarrhea, low appetite, dull coat, and restricted growth. You might also see roundworms in your cat’s stool or vomit.
Hookworms: Tiny worms nearly invisible without the assistance of a microscope, hookworms are blood-sucking parasites that attach to the wall of the intestines. Signs of hookworm infection in cats include anemia, weight loss, and dull coat. Hookworm-infested cats also sometimes have dark, tarry-looking stools.
