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The 5 Best Cat Dewormers of 2024 - Business Insider

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The 5 best cat dewormers of 2024

Written by Jackie Brown; edited by Lisa Sabatini
Updated
This article was medically reviewed by Karie Johnson, DVM, a veterinarian in the south suburbs of Chicago whose focus is on nutrition, osteoarthritis, behavior, and end-of-life care. She is published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Association.
Various packages of cat dewormers from Drontal, Droncit, Cetragard, Interceptor, and Revolution are on a blue gradient background.
The best cat dewormers come in two main forms: tablets and topical treatments. Chewy; Petsmart/Business Insider
  • Best broad-spectrum
  • Best oral tapeworm dewormer
  • Best topical tapeworm dewormer
  • Best oral parasite preventive
  • Best topical parasite preventive
  • What to look for
  • How we selected
  • FAQs

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As an assistant in veterinary hospitals for eight years, one of my jobs was conducting fecal tests to look for the presence of worms. If your cat has worms, the best cat dewormers can get rid of them fast and keep them from coming back. Deworming medications kill the parasites your cat already has, while parasite preventives stop future infections from taking root.

With so many deworming treatments available, it can be difficult to choose the right one for your cat. For this guide, I selected products based on their safety, efficacy, number of parasites targeted, and ease of use. I also asked veterinarians about treating and preventing intestinal parasites in cats. My top pick for the best cat dewormer is Drontal, which kills more worms than any other medication.

Intestinal parasites, commonly referred to as worms, hide inside your cat where they silently cause harm. Common intestinal parasites in cats include roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms. Some, like roundworms and hookworms, can also infect humans. Different drugs kill different worms, so you'll need to visit your vet for a fecal test before giving your cat a dewormer. Further, the dewormers I recommend require a prescription from your vet. Once your vet has determined what kind of worms your cat has, you can use one of the following treatments to get rid of them.

Read more about how Business Insider Reviews tests and researches pet products.

Our top picks for the best cat dewormers

Best broad-spectrum: Drontal Dewormer - See at Chewy

Best oral tapeworm dewormer: Droncit Tablets - See at Chewy

Best topical tapeworm dewormer: Centragard Topical Solution for Cats - See at Petsmart

Best oral parasite preventive: Interceptor Flavor Tabs - See at Chewy

Best topical parasite preventive: Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats - See at Chewy

Best broad-spectrum

Drontal Broad Spectrum Dewormer

Bayer Drontal Broad Spectrum Dewormer effectively eliminates several types of intestinal parasites including tapeworms, hookworms, and roundworms.

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What we like
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Veterinarian recommended
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Kills several types of worms
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Safe and reliable
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Kills all parasites within seven days
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Low risk for side effects
What we don't like
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Not for kittens younger than 8 weeks old or less than 2 pounds
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Can be hidden in food but may be difficult to administer if cat doesn't easily take pills

A broad-spectrum dewormer can kill multiple types of parasites simultaneously. I recommend Bayer Drontal Broad Spectrum Dewormer because it is safe, effective, and eliminates all parasites within seven days. No other cat dewormer kills as many different types of worms as Drontal. This dewormer features two powerful active ingredients, pyrantel pamoate and praziquantel, which together cover tapeworms, hookworms, and roundworms.

To give your cat this medicine, place the tablet far back in their mouth until they swallow it or crumble and mix it into a small amount of wet food. Drontal has a very low risk for side effects and is safe for kittens and cats more than 8 weeks old and ranging from 2 to 16 pounds.

Bayer Drontal Broad Spectrum Dewormer 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.

When using a broad-spectrum dewormer like Drontal, your cat may require one or more follow-up treatments to make sure all the worms are eliminated. If your cat has fleas, you should also use one of the best flea treatments for cats to prevent future tapeworm infections.

Best oral tapeworm dewormer

Droncit Tablets for Cats

One Droncit tablet quickly and safely kills tapeworms in cats and can be given mixed with food.

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What we like
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Kills tapeworms within 24 hours
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Easy-to-administer tablet
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Powerful active ingredient
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Long-trusted brand name
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Single pills available for purchase
What we don't like
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Some cats may experience salivation or diarrhea after taking
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Not for kittens under than 6 weeks old

Droncit Tablets tackle tapeworm infestations quickly and safely in cats and kittens 6 weeks of age and older. They are conveniently sold per pill, unlike the other tapeworm dewormer I considered, Bayer Tapeworm Dewormer Tablets, which are sold in a three-pack and at a slightly higher cost per pill.

Each tablet contains 23 milligrams of the active ingredient praziquantel, which works to paralyze and eliminate tapeworms within 24 hours. This ingredient is effective against the most common species of tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum and Taenia taeniaeformis), eliminating them in a single dose. You can feed the tablet to your cat whole or crumbled and mixed with food.

Because cats can become reinfected by ingesting another flea, effectively eliminating tapeworms requires treating your cat for fleas as well.

Best topical tapeworm dewormer

Centragard Topical Solution for Cats

One dose of Centragard Topical Solution quickly and safely kills tapeworms in cats, treats hookworms and roundworms, and prevents heartworms when given monthly.

Check price at Petsmart
What we like
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Kills tapeworms with one dose
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Easy-to-administer topical solution
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Treats and prevents roundworms and hookworms
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Prevents heartworms when given every 30 days
What we don't like
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Not for kittens less than 7 weeks old or weighing less than 1.8 pounds
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Not for use in pregnant or nursing cats

Centragard is one of the best cat dewormers because it quickly and safely treats tapeworms and two other intestinal parasites (hookworms and roundworms) in cats and kittens 7 weeks of age and older. It is a great option for cats that won't take pills. Simply squeeze the liquid in one spot on the back of your cat's neck and allow it to dry. You can use Centragard 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.

Centragard contains the active ingredients eprinomectin and praziquantel, which work to kill worms and prevent future infections. These ingredients are effective against the two most common species of tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum and Taenia taeniaeformis), two species of hookworms (Ancylostoma tubaeforme and Ancylostoma braziliense), one species of roundworm (Toxocara cati), and heartworms.

Because cats can become reinfected by ingesting another flea, effectively eliminating tapeworms requires treating your cat for fleas as well.

Best oral parasite preventive

Interceptor Flavor Tabs

Given monthly, Interceptor Flavor Tabs prevent heartworms and treat and control roundworms, adult hookworms, and adult whipworms.

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What we like
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Prevents heartworms
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Treats and controls roundworms, adult hookworms, and adult whipworms
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Easy-to-administer flavored tablet
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Protects for 30 days
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Safe for kittens as young as 6 weeks of age
What we don't like
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Can be difficult to give some cats oral medications
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Some cats don't like the taste
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't protect against fleas, which transmit tapeworms
...

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