How often should I deworm my cat?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Kittens need deworming every 2 weeks, starting at 2 to 3 weeks of age and continuing to about 10 weeks, with the mother treated at the same time. For adult cats, TroCCAP's tropical guideline advises monthly treatment. Europe's ESCCAP scales it by lifestyle: 1 to 2 times a year for a strictly indoor cat, up to monthly for a roaming hunter.
Indoor cats are not worm-free: fleas carry tapeworm, and kittens catch roundworm from their mother's milk. Your vet sets the interval from how your cat lives and who lives with it, and chooses the product; never use a dog product or guess a dose.
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What do the guidelines say for kittens and adult cats?
All agree kittens need treatment every 2 weeks at first. They differ on the starting age and on adults.
| Guideline | Kittens | Adult cats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TroCCAP, roundworms (tropics) TroCCAP (Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites) | From 3 weeks, every 2 weeks until 10 weeks; nursing mother treated at the same time | All cats monthly after that | |
| TroCCAP, hookworms (tropics) TroCCAP (Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites) | From 2 weeks, every 2 weeks until at least 10 weeks | Monthly | |
| ESCCAP (Europe) European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) | From 3 weeks, every 2 weeks until weaning; monthly to 6 months if the kitten roams | By risk group, from 1 to 2 times a year up to 12 times a year | |
| CAPC (North America) Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) | From 2 weeks, every 2 weeks until year-round parasite control begins | Year-round control, poo tests at least twice a year | |
| Merck Veterinary Manual Merck Veterinary Manual | From about 3 to 4 weeks, every 2 weeks until 3 months, then monthly to about 6 months | Not set; flea control is critical |
TroCCAP writes for tropical countries such as India. If a kitten came from the street, ask your vet to start the schedule at the first visit.
How do kittens get worms?
Mostly from their mother's milk. TroCCAP says kittens are infected with roundworm especially by the milk route, and CAPC adds that, unlike puppies, kittens are not infected before birth; milk spreads it when the mother is infected while she is nursing. That is why ESCCAP lets kitten treatment start a week later than for puppies, at 3 weeks.
Hookworm is the other kitten worm in hot countries. TroCCAP says heavy infections in kittens cause anaemia, diarrhoea and weight loss, and can cause breathing problems. Merck lists the first signs of roundworm as poor growth and loss of condition. A kitten that is pot-bellied, thin, pale or has diarrhoea needs a vet, not just a dewormer.
How often should my adult cat be dewormed?
ESCCAP sorts cats by how they live. TroCCAP, for the tropics, advises monthly for all cats.
If Your cat lives only indoors, or has only a netted balcony or fenced space, and is unlikely to eat rodents or other prey
ESCCAP's lower risk group: treat 1 to 2 times a year, or test the poo as often. European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP)
If Your cat roams freely, meets other cats, or may hunt rodents, birds or lizards
ESCCAP's higher risk group: 4 to 12 treatments a year against roundworm and the same against tapeworm. European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP)
If Your cat eats raw meat or offal, or hunts
ESCCAP says test the poo at least 4 times a year and treat by result, or deworm at least 4 times a year. Merck notes roaming cats get tapeworm again from eating prey. Merck Veterinary Manual
If Your cat shares a home with children under 5 or 6, or an elderly or immunocompromised person
ESCCAP suggests planned monthly deworming, or a monthly poo test and treatment by result, depending on your vet's assessment. European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP)
If You are not sure how your cat lives when you are out
Deworm or test at least 4 times a year. ESCCAP says 1 to 3 dewormings a year do not protect enough, and even every 3 months does not always prevent egg laying. European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP)
Does an indoor cat in a flat really need deworming?
You may have read
My cat never goes out, so it cannot get worms.
Myth
What the sources say
Merck says the common cat tapeworm comes from swallowing fleas while grooming, so flea control is critical even for indoor cats. Merck Veterinary Manual
You may have read
Deworming once a year is enough for any cat.
Myth
What the sources say
ESCCAP keeps once or twice a year for its lowest risk, strictly indoor cats only, and says 1 to 3 dewormings a year do not protect cats whose risk is unclear. European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP)
You may have read
A kitten from a clean home has no worms.
Myth
What the sources say
Kittens catch roundworm from their mother's milk, TroCCAP says, so every kitten starts on a schedule. TroCCAP (Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites)
You may have read
Worms in cats do not affect people.
Myth
What the sources say
TroCCAP says children are most at risk from cat roundworm eggs in soil, and that hookworms are the most common cause of itchy skin tracks in people. TroCCAP (Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites)
What keeps a cat's deworming plan working?
- Ask your vet to set the interval from your cat's lifestyle and household, and recheck it at the annual health check. European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP)
- Treat a nursing mother cat at the same time as her kittens. TroCCAP (Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites)
- Keep year-round flea control, because fleas carry tapeworm. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Scoop the litter tray daily and wash your hands afterwards, even if you used a scoop. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Keep the litter tray away from children and from where food is made. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Limit hunting where you can: TroCCAP recommends preventing predation and scavenging, and prompt removal of faeces. TroCCAP (Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites)
- Never give a dog product to a cat or split a tablet to guess a dose. Ask your vet.
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Questions owners ask
When should I first deworm my kitten?
- Between 2 and 3 weeks of age, depending on the guideline. TroCCAP's hookworm advice and CAPC start at 2 weeks, while TroCCAP's roundworm advice and ESCCAP start at 3 weeks, and Merck says about 3 to 4 weeks. All then repeat every 2 weeks while the kitten is young. Your vet picks the start.
Can I deworm my cat every 3 months?
- Every 3 months meets ESCCAP's minimum of 4 times a year for a cat whose risk is unclear, but ESCCAP adds it does not always stop egg laying. TroCCAP, written for the tropics, advises monthly, and ESCCAP suggests monthly for cats living with small children. Ask your vet.
My cat is pregnant. Should she be dewormed?
- Ask your vet before giving anything. Guidelines say a nursing mother should be treated at the same time as her kittens, because she often has a fresh infection then, and ESCCAP describes a specific treatment before birth that your vet may suggest. Never give a pregnant cat a medicine without a vet's advice.
I found a street kitten. When should it be dewormed?
- At its first vet visit, which should be soon. The vet estimates its age, checks for fleas, diarrhoea and anaemia, and plans deworming alongside vaccines. Keep it apart from your other cats until then, and wash your hands after handling it and its litter.
Does deworming protect my family from toxoplasmosis?
- No. Toxoplasmosis is caused by a different parasite, not the worms a dewormer treats. CDC advises daily litter changes, washing hands, and that pregnant women avoid cleaning litter trays where possible. See Petym's answer on cats and pregnancy for more.
Keep reading
- DewormingThe worms Indian pets get and why deworming matters.
- Cat vaccination schedule in India
- Can I keep a cat while pregnant?
- Found a kitten on the street, what do I do?
- Do indoor cats need vaccines?
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- TroCCAP (Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites): Feline guidelines: ascarids (roundworms) (opens in a new tab)
- TroCCAP (Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites): Feline guidelines: hookworms (opens in a new tab)
- European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP): GL1: worm control in dogs and cats (7th edition, June 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC): General guidelines for dogs and cats (last updated 24 April 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC): Ascarid (roundworm) guidelines for dogs and cats (last updated 28 February 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Gastrointestinal parasites of cats (cat owners; last updated May 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cats: healthy pets, healthy people (15 June 2026) (opens in a new tab)