I highly recommend a heartworm test even if your cat is on prevention. There have been a few reported cases of resistance to heartworm prevention, so it's best to ensure your cat is safe.

Heartworm prevention is 100% effective in cats.

I recommend starting heartworm prevention as soon as you bring your cat in as a kitten. We have some medication that can be started when they're about 8-12 weeks of age. If you adopt a cat from a shelter, we need to start them on prevention immediately once you bring them in.

There are a couple of different methods for preventing heartworm in cats. We have an oral chewable, and there's also a topical medication.

Yes, in cats, heartworms can actually cause sudden death because they cause a lot of inflammation in the heart which can make the heart stop.

No, heartworms are not visible in cats. They stay strictly in the heart or the lungs.

No, it's not that heartworm disease is painful per se. It just causes inflammation in the heart and lungs, making it more irritating than anything else.

It takes about six months for a heartworm to fully develop from the larva to an adult stage. After that, the cat can start showing signs at any moment.

Cats with heartworms may show signs such as coughing, lethargy, lack of appetite, and even potentially sudden death.

Unfortunately, here in Florida, we still get mosquitoes inside, so yes, it is very likely that your cat could potentially come in contact with them.