Okay, so, I gotta tell you about this whole thing with using goat dewormer for my cats. Yeah, you heard that right—goat dewormer. Sounds crazy, I know, but stick with me here. It all started when I noticed my indoor kitty, Mittens, was losing weight, and her coat looked kinda dull. Now, I thought indoor cats were safe from worms, but turns out, those little buggers can still get in, mostly because of fleas. Who knew?
So, I started looking into deworming options. The vet’s good and all, but those bills add up, you know? Plus, I’m all about taking care of things myself if I can. That’s when I stumbled upon some folks talking about using goat dewormer for cats online. At first, I was like, “No way,” but the more I read, the more it made sense. Apparently, it’s not officially approved for cats, but some people swear by it. The stuff they use is called fenbendazole, often sold as Safeguard.
Figuring Out the Dose
Now, here’s where it gets a bit tricky. You can’t just give them the same amount you’d give a goat. I found out the dose for cats is 50mg/kg, once a day, for five days. That’s a lot different than what’s on the goat label, so I had to do some math. I got myself a kitchen scale, weighed Mittens (which was a whole adventure on its own), and figured out her weight in kilograms. Then, I multiplied that by 50 to get the daily dose in milligrams. It took a bit of trial and error, and let me tell you, measuring that stuff out was a pain.
Getting Mittens to Take It
Next challenge: actually getting Mittens to take the medicine. Cats are smart, and they can smell anything that’s not their usual food. I tried mixing the dewormer with her wet food, but she just turned her nose up at it. Sneaky, right? Then I tried wrapping it in a treat, but she ate the treat and spat out the medicine. Classic cat move. Finally, I decided to mix the dose with a bit of tuna juice—the good stuff, not the watered-down kind. I used a syringe (without the needle, of course) and squirted it into the back of her mouth. She wasn’t thrilled, but she swallowed it.
- Day 1: Mittens gave me the stink eye but took the medicine.
- Day 2: She saw the syringe and ran, but I caught her.
- Day 3: We had a standoff, but tuna juice won again.
- Day 4: She seemed to realize it was helping, less fight today.
- Day 5: Finally, the last dose! We both celebrated.
The Results
After the five days, I kept an eye on Mittens. It took a couple of weeks, but I started noticing a difference. Her coat got shinier, she gained some weight back, and she seemed more playful. I even took a fecal sample to the vet just to be sure, and guess what? No worms! I couldn’t believe it; that goat dewormer actually worked. It saved me time, money, and the hassle of dragging Mittens to the vet every few months.
So, there you have it. Using goat dewormer for cats might sound a bit out there, but it worked for me. Just make sure you do your homework, get the dosage right, and find a way to get your cat to take it. It’s a bit of work, but seeing Mittens healthy and happy made it all worth it. Plus, I feel pretty good about handling it myself. Who’s the crazy cat lady now?