Heartworm preventative for cats

[Mogeysmom]

:confused: Can anyone tell me what the instance of heartworm disease is in cats? Has anyone's cat had this? Are your cats on heartworm preventative? I just recently found out from our vet that cats could get this. We adopted a cat, we took him to the vet for his shots, we had him neutered, we feed him a premium cat food, use premium cat litter, keep him indoors 100%, provide him with many multi-sensory activities so he doesn't get bored, he gets lots of love and attention, and now I find out he also needs this. It's an expense I don't think we can afford right now. The preventative medication is very expensive. The vet kind of made it sound like my cat would get sick and die without all these very expensive medications and procedures. We all love Mogey very much and want what's best for him, but does cat ownership have to be this expensive? I think there would be less homeless cats in shelters if more people could afford good medical care for them. What do you think?

[NiteRose]

Tough thing to answer Mogeys. I do not treat my cats for it, because they are in door only cats, and we don’t have much of a mosquito problem here. But I have to admit I freak when I see one in the house and make sure I kill it right away.

I will say that it kind of sounds like your vet is trying to take you for a ride. I just did a search on the internet and found that from a website like 1800petmeds, you can get the preventative meds for a decent price.

http://www.1800petmeds.com/ph_results.asp?searchtype=itemname&curpage=1&searchstring=HEARTGARD&species=cat $28 for a 6 month dose.

Also here is a site with some more information on heartworms: http://petplace.netscape.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=335

Seems like the best way to go about it, is to talk with a vet who does not have $$ in his eyes, and ask them if they feel that you are in a area that puts your cat at high risk.

[Cat&Dog mom]

I agree with niterose. I don't treat my cats either, they are both indoor cats. I've read that cats can get heart worm but rarely, almost never if they are kept indoors, unless you have an untreated dog. Try to make sure you don't have any holes in your screens on you windows or doors, so the skeeters can't get in.