Cat Health & Safety
Heard of heartworms? Cats can get them too!
Heartworms are nasty and devastating parasites that cats get from the bite of an infected mosquito. While a cat’s immune system is better able than a dog’s to kill off invading heartworms, it can take just one or two getting through to cause serious breathing problems and even death in a cat. There aren’t any safe and effective treatments for heartworms in cats, but fortunately there are safe and effective preventatives. Be sure to talk to your vet about heartworm prevention for your cat — even if your cat is indoor-only (torn window screens and open doors are an open invitation for mosquitoes!).
was a happy, playful indoor cat who lived on the third floor of an apartment building. She was on a monthly flea preventative and seemed healthy. Then she started coughing and vomiting, so her owners brought her to the vet. They never expected the news they got … Chloe had heartworms! With no safe and effective cure for heartworms in cats, Chloe’s vet prescribed rest and treated her symptoms with a short course of steroids. Her owners kept a close eye on her and brought her in every six months for a checkup. Even so, Chloe died suddenly at the age of 5. Sadly, the monthly flea medication they had been getting from the store didn’t protect against heartworms. They hadn’t known that cats could get them, too.
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