Feral & worms

I care for about 10 feral cats in the adjoining yard to mine. The gentlemen that cared for them died and I bought the property to keep animal control from trapping them.  The town I live in they kill the cats instantly by shooting them and I can't bare that.  Out of the 10 cats probably 7 of them are kittens Appx 4 months old.  They eat like little pigs daily but look malnourished by their sides sinking in, nothing but skin & bones. I think they may have tape worms but they won't let me catch them, plus I can't take all these cats to the vet.  Does anyone have any suggestions on how to treat these cats for worms?    thx glenda

You can grind down a wormer pill and mix it in their wet food.  If they share bowls of food, you may have to dose them more than once to make sure everyone gets some.

You can also use food grade Diatomaceous Earth.  It is a powdery substance, available on Amazon, that kills tape worms.  It will also lessen any flea problems.  You can also buy products like Capstar, which effectively do the same thing.

Do you have a regular vet?  Even though you can't catch them to take them for a visit, your vet may be able to suggest something.

If the cats are not fixed, you have a bigger problem than worms!   Buy in a trap NOW and start getting them to a clinic or vet for spaying and neutering.  Best investment you'll ever make.

If you are intimidated, as most of us were when we started trapping, find a TNR (trap, neuter, return) group for help and support.

Thank you for helping them.

I have wormed my ferals by first using a homeopathic dewormer I found at my local pet store.  It took 2x daily doses (liquid drops) mixed into the wet food.  But it worked.  The next time around I bought Dontral online.  It was a bit trickier as it was a tablet you had to crush and mix into the food.  It was hard to disguise the taste, but it was only one dose needed.

Please make sure the little kittens get spayed/neutered.  You will have a huge problem on your hand as they will soon begin to multiply.  Trapping is not difficult and there are wonderful videos on how to trap on youtube as well as at Alley Cat Allies.

Thank you for taking care of the kitties.  You are an angel to them!