Cats can be both indoor and outdoor animals, but there are quite a few risks to consider if they are allowed to go outside. One of the most common health issues for an outdoor cat is parasitic worms. They can be in the things that the cat might find to eat outside and can create health risks, potentially devastating their digestive system.

One of the best ways to treat worms is to use a dewormer. Most times, it will be prescribed by a vet. However, if you know that your cat is showing symptoms of worms, you can pick up a quality dewormer to quickly take care of the problem.

Below, we have sorted through potential deworming medicines to highlight the top ones for you. However, we highly recommend taking your cat to the vet instead of treating them at home.

A Glance at Our Top Picks in 2024

The Best Cat Dewormers

1. Bayer Tapeworm Cat De-Wormer — Best Overall

Bayer is a company that is a trusted producer of animal medication and is often used by veterinarians to treat a variety of illnesses. Bayer also produces a tapeworm dewormer using praziquantel. This medication helps treat tapeworms that are often contracted when a cat has fleas.

The medicine comes in the form of tablets, each of them containing 23 mg of praziquantel. There are three tablets in the medicine jar for your cat to take, although it should remove the tapeworms after a single dose. You do not need a prescription for this medication.

The tablets are meant to be taken orally. If your cat is accustomed to taking medication or well-behaved, you might be able to give it to them whole with a quick swallow. However, more often than not, you’ll have to crumble it up into their food or give it to them with a treat.

To conclude, we think this is the best cat dewormer available this year.

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2. Pro-Sense Liquid Cat Dewormer — Best Value

If you are not entirely sure that your cat has worms or you don’t want to invest a large amount in medication if you might have to go to a vet, anyway, this budget option is right up your alley. This medication is the best cat dewormer for the money. It comes in a liquid form and helps treat and control roundworms for any cat older than 6 weeks.

This medication not only is for treatment but also works as prevention. Roundworms can cause a variety of painful symptoms, like abdominal swelling, vomiting, and diarrhea. Using this is also protects your family because humans are also susceptible to roundworm infection.

The liquid formula is relatively easy to use by mixing it directly into your cat’s food. Since this can change the texture, some cats are warier than other crumbled tablet forms of medication. You can use this medication monthly to prevent a reinfestation if you believe there to be a risk.

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3. Vet Recommended Cat Ringworm Treatment — Premium Choice

Looking for the premium option to bring ringworms to their hypothetical knees? This topical formula helps treat ringworms through a spray. It helps soothe your cat’s irritated skin while healing the ringworm symptoms. It also helps prevent them and can be as prevention to keep them at bay.

This medication comes in a concentrated form that should be mixed with water into spray bottles. There is enough in the bottle that you buy to fill two 16-ounce bottles. It is an all-natural spray, so there is less concern for harmful chemicals on your cat’s skin.

The medication has antiseptic and antifungal characteristics to heal the fungal damage and skin infection, common symptoms of ringworm infections. It works on contact and is gentle on the skin. It is even hypoallergenic for those kitties that have allergies. The spray is water-soluble and biodegradable as well.

If you’re looking for a premium pick, we think this is the best dewormer for cats you’ll find.

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4. Homeopet WRM Clear

Homeopet WRM Clear is a natural medication that can be used on cats and various other animals to clear worm infestations. This treats tapeworms, roundworms, hookworm, and whipworms. It is a homeopathic liquid and can easily be added to your animal’s food.

This is a natural remedy and can be used on dogs, cats, birds, and small rodents. It is entirely drug-free. It works as both a treatment and prevention for all these worms, creating an environment in their system where the worms can no longer survive. Later, they are harmlessly flushed from the animal’s body.

So far, these homeopathic drops have not been found to cause any side effects. It does not sedate your pet and is a great choice for those animals that need support when they are younger, such as puppies or kittens. You can also use it on pregnant and nursing animals. It is registered with the FDA. However, it does take up to two weeks for the full effects of this medication to take place.

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5. Drontal De-Wormer Tablets

Drontal De-Wormer Tablets are prescription medications to help you knock out parasites quickly. Although a vet can be prescribed, a pet owner can also buy this over the counter. It works like a broad-spectrum medication and treats worm infestations of tapeworm, large roundworm, and hookworm.

This medication comes in the form of tablets. It is scored for an accurate dose to reduce the amount of medicine and chemical that needs to be in your cat’s system for it to work. It is easy to crumble it up into your cat’s food, although some cats will still recognize the difference.

You can use this medication for both cats and kittens. The bottle comes with 50 tablets and should be administered with strict adherence to the packaging’s guidance. Watch out for possible side effects, like vomiting, diarrhea, or a loss of appetite. If these get worse, take your cat to the vet.

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6. Safe-guard Dewormer Liquid

This medication from Safe-guard was originally made for treating goats with worms. However, it is safe to use on smaller animals, such as cats, as long as it is used in the right amount. It is also best to consult your veterinarian if you are unsure of the amount to give your cat or exactly what kind of worms are bothering them.

Fenbendazole is the active ingredient in this medication, and it comes in a liquid form. It can be administered by adding it to the food or using a syringe to give it to them orally. For smaller animals like cats, give them 1cc/1ml for every 10 pounds that they weigh, for 3 days. Then, repeat it in two weeks to not only finish the job but also refortify their system against a new hatch.

The medicine only contains a 10% solution of the active ingredient. That keeps it safe for smaller animals and still highly effective at treating the worms. After administration, watch for any vomiting or diarrhea to curb the treatment.

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7.  Hartz UltraGuard Rid Worm Liquid

Hartz UltraGuard Rid Worm Liquid comes in a bottle of 4 fluid ounces and should be used to treat roundworms such as Toxocara canis and Toxacaris leonia. You can use it on both cats and kittens, although they should be at least 8 weeks old, unless otherwise directed by a veterinarian.

The liquid is thicker than many other forms of liquid applications. It is syrupy, making it easier to direct and apply right into your cat’s mouth. You can also mix it into their food if they are jumpy and finicky. They need to take 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of body weight. After the first treatment is complete, you should repeat it 14 days later to complete the process.

The active ingredient in this liquid is piperazine citrate. This is typically used for treating roundworms and will not be effective if you are looking for something to treat tapeworms or other kinds. It is not a broad-spectrum medication.

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8.  FurFinds Herbal Dewormer

Before modern medications came about, there were other things that veterinarians and other animal doctors would use to treat and prevent worm infections. This medication uses that type of remedy, mixing herbs to make a safe, broad-spectrum treatment for various worm infestations in dogs and cats.

This medication comes in a 2-ounce bottle in a liquid form. The bottle is sealed with a dropper lid on top to make an oral application easier for your cats and dogs. It also helps you measure it better, especially if you are trying to get lower doses.

FurFinds Herbal medication does not use any chemicals or hormones in its mix. There are no artificial flavors. It is an entirely natural and effective solution to eliminate roundworms, tapeworms, and more. It is vet recommended and FDA registered. All the ingredients are sourced in the U.S.A.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Dewormer

When you want to buy the best worm medicine for cats to treat any of the painful symptoms that the worms are causing, you need to consider a few things. Getting the right medication and administering it correctly is often critical for your cat’s health.

Most of these medications are safe enough to make it difficult to overdose. However, it is always best to consult your vet before giving your cat anything like this and to find out exactly how much to give them. Read on for other considerations.

Application

If you want to give a medication to your cat, you need to consider how you will go about doing that. Are they extremely picky eaters and won’t touch the bowl if they sense anything extra in it? Then, tablets that you have to crumble into their food probably aren’t going to work.

Liquid medications can be added to the food without changing as much of the texture. If you don’t have a cat that will scratch and bite you, the other pro for liquid medications is that you can apply it orally with a dropper or a syringe.

It depends on your cat, your relationship with them, and their behavior when trying to choose the right format. Tablets and liquid form are the most common ones. You might also find sprays for certain kinds of worm treatment.

Doses per Bottle

Although you don’t always want money to be the top priority for your cat’s health, you also don’t want to be cheated. There are many medications out there that you can get over the counter to help treat issues like worms. If you have multiple cats or know that it is likely that your cat will need treatment again, you don’t want an expensive one-and-done treatment.

Age

Consider your animal’s age before giving them any kind of medication, whether it is for worms or something else. Medications that are normally safe for an adult cat can be dangerous for young kittens. Typically, they are safe for use starting at around 8 weeks old, although you should consult your vet, especially if your cat is smaller than most.

Being an older cat does not normally affect the kinds of medication that are and aren’t safe. If they have developed any sensitivities or allergies as they have grown, though, those will be the primary considerations when choosing a medication.

Chemicals vs. Natural

Many of the standard medications prescribed by most veterinarians and sold over the counter are synthetically produced and often loaded with various chemicals. All of these have to be tested so they can be deemed safe for animals. However, most of them have not been around long enough to show conclusively that they don’t have any long-term negative side effects.

Some people do not feel comfortable giving their pets something that could be unsafe. To avoid this, you can buy from companies that produce medication that is natural or made with all-natural ingredients. Often, they are herb-based and formulated from recipes and medicines created before synthetic processing was available.

Prescription

Some medications are only available or recommended if a vet prescribes them. While the majority of those on our list can be obtained over the counter, that doesn’t mean you should use them without the recommendation of a professional.

If you haven’t gone to the vet and want to solve the issue yourself, do plenty of research about the active ingredient in the medication and what kind of illness that it is meant to treat or prevent. If your cat has any sensitivities, take them into account. Find out what the adverse side effects are and watch out for them closely. If they manifest, take your cat to the vet immediately.

Preventative Capabilities

Prevention is often much more valuable and more effective than treatment. If your cat spends a great deal of time outside, especially if they like to explore and hunt things, preventatively give them worm treatments. Many medications work better as preventions than as after-the-fact treatments.

Spectrum of Treatment

While looking through your options, check to see what kind of worms and maladies that the medication works to cure or prevent. Some medicines are specifically formulated to treat a single type of worm. Others are made to treat a variety and are especially effective prevention medications.

Side Effects

Watching out for side effects after administering treatment is vastly important for your cat’s continued health. Common side effects of many dewormer medications include vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. Take note of the specific ones for the medicine that you choose or your vet prescribes so you will be aware of any symptoms.

Time Until Effective

It is worth looking into how long it will take for the medication to be effective. That way, you can track your cat’s health to figure out if it is working for them or not. If they continue as they are or even worsen, it is time to go to the vet. However, some types can take longer than others, and you might be jumping ahead of yourself before letting the medicine take its hold.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick resolution to a serious case of tapeworms, get the best of the best from Bayer. Use their tapeworm cat dewormer to help your cat heal more quickly.

Perhaps you are not sure what kind of parasite is in your kitty, but you still want to give something a try before going to the vet. Use the more budget-friendly option, the Pro-Sense Liquid Cat Dewormer.

Although you can’t always protect your cat, you can still be an excellent caretaker. Give them the support they need by safeguarding them from worms or treating a condition as soon as you notice it. If in doubt, seek medical help with your veterinarian.

This is currently not displayed and marked as unavailable on Chewy. I tried to look for a replacement, but all of the obvious medications for treating some kind of worm that doesn’t require a prescription are pretty much on this list on the Chewy website.

This is specifically for dogs and seems to be dangerous if given to smaller animals?

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Featured Image Credit: Veera, Shutterstock