Do indoor cats really need heartworm/tick medicine every month?

It depends on the area you live in. If you have heartworm in yoru area and it is showing up in cats, it's a good idea to keep up the treatment.

If you live in an area where it is rare, or live in an area where fleas, ticks and mosquitoes are not common, then many people choose to forgo treatment.

I live in a very low heartworm area. Also I live in a low flea area. I use advatage on my cats as needed- which is once or twice a year when the flea population rises.

My cats are strictly indoors as well.

So it is an informed choice. Be informed for your area.,

Do Cats Need Heartworm Prevention

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RE:

Do indoor cats really need heartworm/tick medicine every month?

I have 3 strickly indoor -never-step-outside-the-door cats. Do they need monthly heartworm/tick medicine? I have had them on 'Revolution' parasite control, but it is very pricy for the all 3 of them, I have to buy a 6 dose box, approx.$70 every 2 months. My vet says I should keep them on it...

I would go with Dr. Max's suggestion. You have to weigh risk factors. I think the risk for your cats is minimal unless the incidence of heartworm is high in your area for cats. It is my understanding that heartworm is more prevalent in the East and South.

My cats can only be in my back garden because of cat fence-in and we definitely have mosquitoes and I have thought about giving them the preventative. I would certainly give it to a dog. We do not have fleas in the yard or house.

I have not given any vaccinations for seven years either. Bats are vectors for rabies in the county I live in. The chance of a rabid bat falling into the garden and my cats getting at it is very small. I have lived in "earthquake country" for 35 years now. That can happen too. So it's a personal judgment call. My philosopy is that 99% of the things you worry about will not come true.

I'm not a vet, but my best advise is no, if they are strictly indoor as you say, you don't need any of that stuff. I had cats that were indoors and never stepped out and I never put that stuff on them although, just to make sure from time to time, I would run a flea comb through them to make sure they didn't have any fleas. They were fine until the day they died.

I STOPPED ALL THE TOXIC MEDS ON MY NINE DOGS. AND NO MORE KILLER VACCINATIONS. I spray my yard every week, spray grass with natural fles killer, spray the building and fence with a spray that keeps Mosquitos s and all flying insects away, I sprinkle a natural safe for dogs into my grass for fleas. I am in Texas and most the summer my dogs do not want to be outside because it is too hot. I spray the dogs with cedar and water mix., Fleas and ticks hate cedar They are fine and healthy. Negative on heartworm tests. All the Hype is for the Vets to make money off pet owners including vaccination. Your animals do not need to be re-vaccinated. Their immune system is mature by the age of 4 to 5 months. Just as you do not need to be re-vaccinated every year, neither do our pets! Just get a titer test to show immunity..

YES= I Have A Indoor Cat. But I Still Make Sure She HAS All Her Shots.

there are differnt schools of thought on this - my cat is 6 and only ever had her 1st year shots - no heartworm meds or anything as she is indoors always. Now that she is older and we have a dog I will start getting vaccinated and heart worm though... just for peace of mind.

The main reason is to keep from getting worms in the intestine. I've never heard of the injections for every 3 months, and if the cat doesn't have fleas, then it shouldn't be a problem. Does the cat have an ongoing problem with parasites (worms in intestines)? If so, you might want to keep getting the shots until the situation is under control.

It would probably but a good idea, My cat got sick when we had stopped the treatment for the winter time, since most of those heartworm and ticks are suppose to be dormate. To be safe I would continue the treatments