There are a couple of options for de-worming. A “spot on” solution and a worming tablet. You need to check which type of worms they kill as some only kill one type of worm (which may not even be the worm your cat has!). For example, some only kill tapeworms and some roundworms etc. Most worming treatment should be given as a preventative every 3 months, but check with the product and your vet.

Tablets

In my opinion, tablets are better for worms than spot on. Although, they can be harder to give, especially to adult cats or feisty kittens! Tablets can be crushed up and mixed with food, but many cats can smell them still! There are also treats called “easy pills” which are shaped so you can pop the tablet inside and the cat eats it with the treat.

Spot on

Spot on solution is given on the back of the neck, like the flea spot on. This could be easier to give, but depends on your cat – mine freak out when they see the tube of flea liquid!

There are many different types of flea treatment on the market and it can be confusing to know which one is best! There are many options you can use – tablets, spot on liquid, sprays and flea collars. Which is best? Well really it depends on you and your cat.

*Please make sure you read the instructions carefully to make sure that it is suitable for your cat/kitten as some products need a certain age/weight* NEVER use dog products on cats as they often contain permethrin which is toxic to cats

Flea Tablets

Flea tablets can be bought from the vet. They typically last four weeks and work pretty well. Most cats will eat them without problems as they are supposed to taste a bit meaty. You can buy flea tablets online, but be careful as some of these only kill the adult fleas and not the eggs and some only work for 24 hours, for example, Capster. Capster is available quite easily online but this only kills the adult fleas and only lasts for 24 hours. It’s great to get started on getting rid of fleas, but it won’t stop the infestation fully.

Spot on liquid

There are many different brands of spot on liquids. Some of the most well known are Frontline and Advantage. These both have different ingredients that work to kill fleas and stop the eggs hatching. To use a spot on liquid you should part the fur on the cat’s shoulders and drop the liquid on to the skin in a few places. Spot on liquids can be bought online, from the vet or in pet stores. Be careful of the ones you can buy from supermarkets as these normally contain herbal products and don’t necessarily work.

Sprays

Again, there are many brands of flea spray. I like using the spray on kittens as it is easier to administer. To use the spray, look at the instructions for how many sprays per kilogram of body weight. Spray over the cat’s body (don’t spray the face) and then gently rub in. This is also easier to use, in my opinion, on feral cats as you don’t need to hold them long to part the fur etc.

Collars

Flea collars vary in their reliability in my opinion. The problem is, many supermarkets sell them and they are made with herbal ingredients. There are collars out there such as Seresto, which work well. Collars are easy to apply, if you cat tolerates wearing them.

Many feral cats and kittens come to me with eye infections, normally caused by Feline Herpesvirus or Feline Calicivirus. The vet often prescribes some antibiotic eye drops for them.

Here is a video I made with Mickey, a feral kitten, cleaning his eyes and administering the eye drops Eye Drops

In the video, I also cleaned his eyes as he had a lot of gunk around them. To do this I got a damp cotton pad and gently wiped his eyes. I then administered the drops by gently opening his eye and squeezing one drop to each eye.