Can my indoor cat get roundworms or tapeworms if he never goes out?

Mosquitoes transmit heartworm, so if there's any chance that a mosquito can get inside and you are in a heartworm endemic area it would be a good idea. Heartworm disease is not as common in cats as it is in dogs, but there is no treatment for adult heartworms in cats and infection can be fatal.

Yes, it is recommended to treat her but not as often as a cat that has access to the outside. i would probably recommend treating her once a year for fleas (before summer time) and once a year for worms as well, just to be on the safe side as fleas can brought from the outside by anyone that goes in and out of the house (and tapeworms are transmitted via fleas to your cat).

Yes, Bleu could have worms even though she doesn't go outside. Worms are passed from mother to kitten via milk during nursing, so if she was not treated for worms before, it is possible she has them and you will need to get a deworming treatment from your vet.

An indoor cat with no exposure should be dewormed at least every 6 months. He may not go outdoors, but you do and it is possible small mammals, namely rodents, may find their way inside the house. A topical flea and tick preventative should be used monthly all year round. Alternatively, you could use it during the Spring, Summer and Fall months.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she does not have any worms or clinical symptoms associated with it such as diarrhea, then you do not necessarily need to deworm her. If you ever notice she has diarrhea or actually see worms, have her evaluated by your veterinarian but you are good for now. Good luck and have a good day!

Roundworms have a fecal oral transmission, meaning that you have to consume the eggs from the feces. What you describe makes it impossible for your cat to have problems. It would be unlikely for you as well, but not completely impossible. I would encourage you to find out what type of Round worm the cat has and then consult with your physician about a plan. In my experience this is only concerning if you happen to be highly immunocomprimised. Best of luck and I hope this helps answer your question. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

What you're seeing is most likely tapeworms. Tapeworms are intestinal parasites of the cat and dog. They belong to a different family than hookworms and roundworms, which are the other common intestinal parasites of dogs and cats. Fleas are the intermediate host for tapeworms. In other words, the tapeworm is unable to complete its life cycle without the presence of fleas in the environment. Regardless of whether the owner may have seen fleas, the cat must have ingested a flea in order to have tapeworms. Consequently, tapeworms are more common in environments that are heavily infested with fleas. Most commonly, owners recognize that the cat has tapeworms and bring this to the attention of the veterinarian. When segments of the tapeworm break off and pass into the cat's stool, they can be seen crawling on the surface of the feces. These proglottid segments look like grains of cooked white rice or cucumber seeds. Less commonly, segments are seen moving around the cat's anus. A variety of products are available to treat tapeworms in cats but they are not all equally effective. For the best advice on the type of de-worming preparation most suitable for your cat, you should seek the help of your veterinarian. The most effective worming products are only available by prescription from a licensed veterinarian. Flea control, both environmental and on the cat is necessary to help prevent this from recurring.