Can my kittens get worms?

Question

I have a pregnant cat, she had some kind of parasites before, worms I guess. Call me irresponsible, but I really don't know which kind of parasites she had when I got her dewormed. She's been dewormed twice, and the vet confirmed me she's doing good. I'm happy my cat's doing well but I'm not so sure about the position of the new kittens. They aren't born yet, but I'd like to be ready for when they do. I'd need to wait two weeks after they are born to get them dewormed, but I'm thinking, since the mother is already dewormed does this mean there is a chance the kittens won't get these parasites? (if I keep their environment clean and all)

If not I'd love it if you can explain why they get them. I already asked the doctor about it and she said ''MAYBE''.

Answer 1

Kittens have worms until proven otherwise.

Some worms (such as roundworms) can be transmitted from mother to kitten through the milk.

Other worms come from ingesting fecal matter.

Other worms come from ingesting rodents or small prey.

Tapeworms commonly come from ingesting fleas – and fleas are very common in kittens.

Since you know the mother has had worms, make sure to find out from the vet what kind of worms. You can then make sure all the kittens are dewormed with an appropriate dewormer for this species of worms. Unfortunately it is impossible to say how likely it is your kittens will be infected without knowing the type of worms the mother had.

Intestinal worms are so common in kittens which is why deworming is a routine part of your kitten's initial vet visits. There is no one dewormer that will cover for all worms. There is still a fair chance your kitten will get worms even if the mother was dewormed and you keep the environment pristine – but this is why kittens are routinely dewormed multiple times.