My Cat Has Worms How Do I Clean My House? 5 Easy Steps
Worms are the most common intestinal parasite in cats, with data from PetMD noting that around 25 to 75% of cats worldwide have roundworms. Indoor cats are less likely to be infected than cats that go outside. Cleaning your home thoroughly helps prevent infestation and even further spread. Here are five tips to guide you in cleaning your house and reducing the risk of re-infestation.
Wash You Cats’ Bedding
Worm eggs and larvae are likely to lie in the cat’s bedding. Wash the bedding thoroughly to eliminate the worms and prevent their spread. Tapeworms can survive for weeks in a humid environment. Wash the bedding in hot water at 60 degrees Celsius to remove the eggs.
You can also wash the bedding with fragrance-free detergents like All Free and Clear, which can eliminate bacteria and parasites.
Vacuum Clean All Floors and Carpets
Worm eggs are tiny and can settle in carpets or hardwood floors. If left untreated, they can hatch and spread. Vacuuming your home at least three times a week can help remove these eggs from your carpet.
Sanitize Home Surfaces
Sanitize your home surfaces using strong disinfectants that are safe for cats but harmful to bacteria and parasites. Use disinfectants like vinegar and bleach to clean your floor, tables, wooden chairs, and areas where your cat loves to play and sleep.
According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention, cleaning home surfaces regularly reduces the spread of worm eggs and other harmful bacteria in homes.
Clean The Cat Litter Box Regularly
The Department of Health, Victoria, reports that a female adult worm can produce 200,000 eggs daily. These eggs are passed through feces from infected cats to healthy cats, and litter boxes are the hotspots through which the worms spread.
This is because when an infected cat uses the litter box, it leaves worm eggs or larvae. If left untreated, these eggs mature and become infectious. You should clean the litter box regularly using hot water and disinfectants to eliminate the worm eggs and larvae.
If possible, replace the litter box once a week, especially when deworming your cats. This will help stop the spread of worms that may have survived during the thorough cleaning.
Deworm Your Cat and Other Pets
WebMD recommends that cats, especially kittens, be dewormed every 2 to 8 weeks and monthly until they are 6 months old. This is because kittens are more vulnerable to worm infections than adult cats. It is good to keep your house clean but ensure the cats are dewormed.
Cats can become infected with multiple worms, such as heartworms, giardia, lungworms, and tapeworms. It is recommended that you conduct deworming with the help of a veterinarian, as they know the appropriate deworming medication for your pet.
