Reviewed & Fact-Checked By
Dr. Paola Cuevas
Veterinarian, MVZ
Reviewed & Fact-Checked By
Dr. Paola Cuevas
Veterinarian, MVZ
The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
If you are a cat owner, you know that heartworms and hookworms are serious issues your pet can face. They can cause several health problems, including sudden death, so administering a deworming medication is essential for any doting cat owner.
If you need a little help choosing the best brand for your pet, you’ve come to the right place. We are about to review several different brands so that you can see the difference between them. We’ll tell you the pros and cons of each one, and we’ve also included a short buyer’s guide where we talk about what you should look for if you continue to shop. Keep reading while we discuss ingredients, administration, and more to help you make an informed purchase.
Our Favorites Products in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Over-The-Counter Cat Dewormer
Heartgard Chew for Cats
Chewable
Ivermectin
Long-lasting supply
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Best Value
Hartz Rid Worm for Cats
Effective
Can apply directly to the mouth
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Premium Choice
Revolution Topical Solution for Cats
Many dose sizes
Removes fleas and ticks
Removes heartworms, hookworms, and tapeworms
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Best Dewormer for Kittens
Profender Topical Solution for Cats
Easy to use
Single dose
Treats hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms
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Best Tapeworm Medicine for Cats
Bayer Dewormer for Cat Tapeworms
Effective
Works quickly
Multiple doses
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The 7 Best Cat Dewormers
Heartgard Chew for Cats is our pick as the best over-the-counter cat dewormer. You administer this medication via chewable tablets that you can provide as a treat or mixed with other food. The primary medication is ivermectin which is effective against heartworm and tapeworm, and you get a long-lasting 6-month supply.
Cat Size: 5–15 pounds
Supply: 6 months
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We like using Heartgard and found it effective at protecting our cats. The only downside is that some cats don’t like it, and it can be difficult to get them to eat it when it’s time.
Pros
Chewable
Ivermectin
Long-lasting supply
Cons
Some cats don’t like the taste
Hartz UltraGuard Rid Worm Dewormer for Roundworms for Cats is our pick as the best cat dewormer for the money. It comes in a large 4-ounce bottle and is easy to administer to the cats because you can drop it directly into their mouth or add it into their food. It’s extremely effective at removing roundworms found in the intestines, and a single bottle should be enough to treat several cats.
Chewable
Ivermectin
Long-lasting supply
- Chewable
- Ivermectin
- Long-lasting supply
Some cats don’t like the taste
- Some cats don’t like the taste
Cat Size:
3 pounds
Supply: 4 ounces
The downside to Hartz UltraGuard is that it’s not effective against heartworms, hookworms, or tapeworms, so you will need to purchase a different medication for those parasites. The dos can also be quite large, and it might be difficult to get some cats to eat enough.
Pros
Can apply directly to the mouth
Effective
Cons
Not effective against roundworms or tapeworms
Large dose
Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats is our premium choice cat dewormer. It’s a powerful medication that can help eliminate many worms, including heartworm, hookworm, roundworm, and tapeworm but it also gets rid of other parasites like fleas and ticks, which can be the cause of other problems like Lyme disease. While the version we’re talking about here is suitable for larger cats, you can also get doses for smaller cats.
Can apply directly to the mouth
Effective
- Can apply directly to the mouth
- Effective
Not effective against roundworms or tapeworms
Large dose
- Not effective against roundworms or tapeworms
- Large dose
Cat Size: 11.1–22 pounds
Supply: 6 months
The only real downside to Revolution Plus is that it’s quite expensive, especially if you have more than one cat.
Pros
Removes heartworms, hookworms, and tapeworms
Removes fleas and ticks
Many dose sizes
Cons
Expensive
4. Profender Topical Solution for Cats – Best Dewormer for Kittens
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Cat Size: 2.2–5.5 pounds of body weight; 8 weeks of age and older
Supply: Single-use
Profender Topical Solution for Cats is our pick as the best dewormer for kittens. It’s incredibly easy to use, and you only need to apply the medication to the skin to be effective against hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms. It’s quite effective, and you can purchase it in a single dose or with two doses in a package.
Removes heartworms, hookworms, and tapeworms
Removes fleas and ticks
Many dose sizes
- Removes heartworms, hookworms, and tapeworms
- Removes fleas and ticks
- Many dose sizes
Expensive
- Expensive
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Cat Size: 2.2–5.5 pounds of body weight; 8 weeks of age and older
Supply: Single-use
Profender Topical is well suited for kittens, but it doesn’t protect them from heartworm, and it’s quite expensive when you are purchasing it by the dose, especially if you have more than one kitten.
Pros
Easy to use
Treats hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms
Single dose
Cons
Only one dose
Expensive
Bayer Dewormer for Tapeworms for Cats is an extremely effective medication and is our choice as the best tapeworm medicine for cats. It will eliminate most tapeworms with a single dose, and you get three tablets per package, so depending on your cat’s size there might be enough even if you have multiple cats, and it works quickly with most tapeworms expelled in a few days.
Easy to use
Treats hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms
Single dose
- Easy to use
- Treats hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms
- Single dose
Only one dose
Expensive
- Only one dose
- Expensive
Cat Size:
6 weeks old
Supply: 3 tablets
.The primary downside to Bayer Dewormer is that it can be difficult to get your cats to eat it even if you mix it with their favorite food.
Pros
Multiple doses
Effective
Works quickly
Cons
Difficult to get the cats to eat it
- Centragard Topical Solution for Cats
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Cat Size: 1.8–5 pounds of body weight; 7 weeks of age and older
Supply: 3 doses
Centragard Topical Solution for Cats is another brand you can use on small kittens weighing as little as 1.8 pounds to protect them from heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms. It’s easy to use as you only need to apply it to the skin to be effective, and there is also a larger size for full-grown cats.
Multiple doses
Effective
Works quickly
- Multiple doses
- Effective
- Works quickly
Difficult to get the cats to eat it
- Difficult to get the cats to eat it
Cat Size: 1.8–5 pounds of body weight; 7 weeks of age and older
Supply: 3 doses
The downside to Centragard Topical Solution is that you only get three doses per package, so you will need to resupply frequently to keep your cat safe.
Pros
Clears heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms
Suitable for small kittens
Multiple sizes
Cons
Only 3 doses
7. HomeoPet WRM Clear Dewormer for for Cats
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Cat Size: 5–15 pounds
Supply: 450 drops
HomeoPet WRM Clear Dewormer for Hookworms, Roundworms, Tapeworms & Whipworms for Cats is the only natural dewormer on this list, and it has no known side effects. Instead, it eliminates multiple different kinds of worms without chemicals in a non-sedating, easy-to-use formula.
Clears heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms
Suitable for small kittens
Multiple sizes
- Clears heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms
- Suitable for small kittens
- Multiple sizes
Only 3 doses
- Only 3 doses
The primary downside to using HomeoPet WRM Clear Dewormer is that it’s hard to keep up with the doses since they want you to apply it to your cat three times a day, and we didn’t feel it worked as well as prescription brands. Plus, it might take a while before you notice any improvement.
Pros
Treats hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms
Non-sedating
Easy to use
Cons
Hard to keep up with the doses
Works slowly
Treats hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms
Non-sedating
Easy to use
- Treats hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms
- Non-sedating
- Easy to use
Hard to keep up with the doses
Works slowly
- Hard to keep up with the doses
- Works slowly
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Cat Dewormer
Are you still confused about which product to choose? Take a look at these variables that will help you narrow in on the best medicine for your sick kitty.
Type of Worm
As you may have noticed reading over these reviews, many types of worms can affect your pet, so you will need to know which type you are trying to eliminate before purchasing a certain brand. Like our premium choice, some brands can eliminate several types. Your veterinarian will advise you on what is the best product, and the correct dose and frequency for your cat depending on the specifics of the case.
Supply
The amount of dewormer you require depends on the type of worm you are trying to eliminate and the size of your cat. If your cat has a tapeworm or roundworm, you may only need a few doses to eradicate them, and it’s unlikely your cat will catch them again. However, mosquitoes transmit heartworm, and they can even get into your home to infect your house cats, so we recommend a monthly medication to keep your pet healthy. Fortunately, many of these medications also kill and prevent fleas and ticks, which transmit Lyme disease, so these medications provide your pet with significant protection against multiple diseases.
Food vs Drops
To administer your deworming medication, you will squeeze it out of a tube onto their head, or you will feed it to them in a pill, powder, or treat. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and the type you use will depend mostly on your cat. Liquids that you squeeze on their head can be easier, but many cats can smell it and quickly head for the hills, so you will need to have a good hold of your pet. Pills, powders, and treats are easy if your pet likes the taste but almost impossible if it doesn’t. Cats will eat around medication in their food, and sometimes you need to place the pill directly in their mouth.
Conclusion
When choosing your next cat dewormer, we highly recommend our pick for the best overall. Heartgard Chew for Cats is an easy to administer dewormer that most of our cats seemed to enjoy. It will protect your pet from heartworm, tapeworm, and more, and there is a six-month supply in each package. Another smart choice is our premium pick. The Revolution Plus Topical Solution for Cats is extremely effective at removing worms and other parasites like fleas and ticks. You reapply it every month, and each box contains a 6-month supply.
Featured Image Credit: Iryna Imago, Shutterstock
