Assessment of Cat Owners’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Feline Heartworm Disease in Selangor, Malaysia

Feline heartworm disease (FHWD) remains an underdiagnosed parasitic infection in cats despite its potentially serious clinical consequences. Information regarding cat owners’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward FHWD in Malaysia remains limited. This study assessed KAP levels among cat owners attending University Veterinary Hospital (UVH), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, and examined associated socio-demographic and pet ownership factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 402 cat owners using a structured questionnaire comprising socio-demographic characteristics, pet ownership information, and FHWD-related KAP components. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U tests, Kruskal–Wallis H tests, and Spearman’s rank correlation. Overall, 66.2% of respondents demonstrated poor knowledge regarding FHWD, particularly concerning disease transmission, risk factors, and clinical signs. More than half (55.5%; n = 223) demonstrated positive attitudes towards FHWD prevention, whereas only 14.9% (n = 60) demonstrated good preventive practices. Knowledge scores showed a strong positive correlation with practice scores (ρ = 0.733, p < 0.001) and moderate positive correlations with attitude scores (ρ = 0.474, p < 0.001). Attitude and practice scores were also moderately correlated (ρ = 0.462, p < 0.001). Significant associations were observed between KAP scores and age, education level, occupation or field of study, household income, type of pets owned, and number of cats owned (p < 0.05). These findings highlight important gaps between awareness and implementation of preventive measures among cat owners attending UVH. Targeted educational initiatives are needed to improve disease awareness and promote consistent heartworm prevention practices in Malaysia.