How Do Cats Get Worms

As a cat owner, keeping your feline friend healthy is a top priority. One common health issue that can affect cats is the presence of worms. Understanding how cats get worms is crucial for prevention and treatment. In this article, we’ll explore the types of worms that can infest cats, how they become infected, symptoms to look out for, and prevention strategies.

How Do Cats Get Worms?

Cats can be infected with worms in a variety of ways, including the following:

• Dietary infection

Cats may become infected with worms by eating prey or raw meat infected with worms. For example, tapeworm infections usually occur because cats eat tapeworm-infected fleas or other intermediate hosts such as mice and birds. When cats prey on these tapeworm-infected animals, tapeworm larvae enter the cat's body and develop into adult worms.

• Environmental infection

Eggs or larvae of the worms may be present in the cat's living environment, such as soil, water sources, cat litter boxes, etc. If the cat comes into contact with these contaminated environments, it may ingest the eggs or larvae of worms and become infected with worms. For example, the eggs of roundworms can survive in soil for a long time, and cats may accidentally ingest these eggs when they are outdoors.

• Maternal Transmission

Certain worms, such as roundworms, can be maternally transmitted to kittens. If a pregnant mother cat is infected with roundworms, the larvae of roundworms can be passed to her kittens through the placenta or milk, resulting in the kittens being born already infected with roundworms.

• Flea transmission

Fleas are intermediate hosts of tapeworms. When a cat licks a flea on its body, it may ingest tapeworm larvae from the flea and become infected with tapeworms. Therefore, controlling the flea population is essential to prevent tapeworm infection.

Related: What to Do When Your Cat Has Fleas

• Contact infection

Direct contact between cats may also lead to transmission of worms. For example, a cat infected with worms may transmit worms to other cats through behaviors such as sharing litter boxes, toys or licking each other's fur28.

• Poor hygiene

Unclean litter boxes, drinking bowls and food bowls, as well as failure to change litter and wash the litter on a regular basis may increase a cat's risk of contracting worms. Good hygiene practices are essential to prevent worm infection.

• Outdoor activities

Cats that are often outdoors are more likely to come into contact with a variety of potential sources of infection, such as feces of other animals, worm eggs in the soil, etc., thus increasing the chance of worm infection.

• Weak immune system

Kittens, older cats or cats with weaker immune systems are more likely to be infected with worms because their body resistance is lower and it is difficult for them to resist the invasion of worms.

• Inadequate preventive measures

Failure to deworm regularly, use preventive medications, and regular veterinary checkups may lead to an increased risk of worm infection in cats.

• human and pet co-infections

Certain worms, such as Toxoplasma gondii, not only infect cats, but may also be transmitted to humans through their feces, especially pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. Therefore, preventing cats from being infected with worms is not only about the health of cats, but also about the health of humans.

How to Know if Your Cat Has Been Infected with Worms?

To determine whether the cat has been infected with parasites can be observed and examined from the following aspects:

1. Observe the cat's behavior and physical condition

Frequent scratching and gnawing: If the cat often scratches or gnaws on its body, especially in the same area, this may be due to itching caused by parasites. For example, flea and mite infestations can cause itchy skin and cats will scratch frequently to relieve the discomfort.

Butt rubbing and anal licking: Frequent butt rubbing or anal licking in cats may be due to the presence of parasites, such as tapeworms, around the anus. Tapeworm infections can cause rice-like eggs to appear around the anus and cats will try to relieve the discomfort by licking or rubbing their bottoms.

Weight change: if a cat is eating normally but losing weight, it may be because internal parasites are depleting the cat's nutrition. For example, roundworm and hookworm infections can cause weight loss in cats because these parasites draw nutrients from the intestines.

Coat condition: rough, matted hair or heavy hair loss may be a sign of a parasitic infection. For example, a flea infestation can cause a cat's coat to become rough because the fleas feed on the cat's blood, affecting the health of the coat.

Vomiting and diarrhea: Vomiting and diarrhea can be symptoms of parasitic infections. For example, roundworm and hookworm infections can cause vomiting and diarrhea in cats because these parasites can irritate the intestines and cause inflammation.

2. Examine the cat's feces

Look for worms in the feces: If worms, such as roundworms, hookworms, or tapeworms, are found in your cat's feces, this is a clear sign of a parasitic infection. These worms may look like white rice grains or thread-like objects.

Fecal color and texture: If a cat's feces are abnormal in color, such as dark red or tarry, or abnormal in texture, such as thin and soft or bloody, this may be a sign of a parasitic infection. For example, a hookworm infection can cause blood in your cat's feces because hookworms suck blood from the intestines.

3. Check the cat's mouth and gums

Gum color: Healthy cat gums should be pink. If the cat's gums are pale, it may be due to anemia caused by parasitic infections. For example, roundworm and hookworm infections can cause anemia in cats because these parasites will suck the cat's blood.

4. Check the cat's living environment

Fleas and ticks: If fleas or ticks are found in the cat's living environment, this is a clear sign of a parasitic infection. Fleas and ticks can parasitize in the cat's fur and may transmit other parasites such as tapeworms.

Hygiene: If a cat's living environment is unsanitary, such as litter boxes that are not cleaned regularly and litters and toys that are not sterilized regularly, this can increase a cat's risk of contracting parasites. Parasites like to survive and reproduce in dark, damp and dirty environments.

5. Importance of regular deworming

Prevention is better than cure: regular deworming is necessary even if your cat shows no obvious signs of parasitic infection. Parasites have a short life cycle and regular deworming can prevent parasitic infections by eliminating them before they multiply.

Deworming frequency at different ages: kittens require simple intestinal deworming at 2-4 weeks of age and full deworming at 8 weeks of age. Adult cats usually need to be dewormed every 1-3 months, depending on the cat's living environment and eating habits.

Special circumstances: if the cat goes outside a lot, or lives in a household with multiple pets, or regularly consumes raw meat, deworming should be done more frequently. These situations will increase the risk of the cat being infected with parasites.

In summary, by observing the cat's behavior and physical condition, examining the feces, examining the mouth and gums, examining the living environment, and deworming regularly, it is possible to effectively determine whether a cat needs to be dewormed. Regular deworming is the key to preventing parasitic infections, and cats should be dewormed regularly as recommended by veterinarians even if they have no obvious symptoms.

How to Treat a Cat Infected with Worms?

When a cat is infected with worms, treatment consists mainly of medication, environmental cleaning and preventive measures. Below are the detailed treatment steps and suggestions:

1. Medication

According to the type of infected worms, choose the appropriate deworming drugs for treatment. Common deworming drugs include:

Big Pamper: It is suitable for treating roundworm, hookworm, mange mite, flea and louse infections, and can treat and prevent heartworm in cats.

Also Read: Do Cats Need Heartworm Prevention

Follain: used to get rid of fleas and ticks and indirectly prevent tapeworm infections, as fleas are intermediate hosts for tapeworms.

BayPetrol: Contains bis(hydroxynaphthyl)thiopyrimidine and praziquantel, which is fast-acting and effective against tapeworms, roundworms and hookworms.

Puainta Dewormer: less toxic and suitable for treating roundworm infections.

Fipronil Spot On

Fipronil is a new dewormer that belongs to the phenylpyrazole family, indicated for the elimination of fleas on cats and dogs and dog lice.

View Product

Amlex Deworming Tablets: contains mebendazole, which can be used for the treatment of roundworms, tapeworms and other parasitic infections.

The specific steps of drug treatment are as follows:

1. Determine the appropriate dosage of medication according to the cat's weight and age.
2. Feed the medication directly to the cat, or grind the medication and mix it into the food.
3. Pay attention to observe the cat's reaction after taking the medication, such as whether there are adverse reactions such as vomiting and diarrhea.

After deworming, worms may be discharged, which is normal. Some of the deworming drugs may cause some short-term discomfort symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea. Owners can supplement their cats with pet probiotics to help relieve gastrointestinal discomfort symptoms caused by deworming drugs.

2. Environmental cleanliness

Worm infections are usually associated with unclean environments, so it is necessary to keep the cat's living environment clean. Specific measures include:

• Regularly clean the cat litter box, at least once a day, and thoroughly clean it with disinfectant to avoid the cat litter becoming a medium for worms to spread.
• Disinfecting the cat's litter, toys and other items that the cat frequently touches, such as blankets and mats.
• Mop and vacuum regularly to keep the indoor environment tidy and reduce the living space for worms.

3. Preventive measures

In order to prevent cats from being re-infected with worms, a series of preventive measures need to be taken:

1. Regular deworming, young cats usually need more frequent deworming, while adult cats can be dewormed every 3-6 months.

1. Avoid exposing the cat to sources of infection, such as not feeding raw meat and keeping the cat away from wildlife or other animals that may carry worms.
2. Maintaining your cat's personal hygiene, such as regular grooming and bathing, will also help prevent worm infections.
3. Use flea prevention products and regularly deworm your cat externally to prevent fleas from spreading tapeworms and other worms.
4. Take your cat to the veterinarian regularly for physical examination and fecal examination so that worm infection can be detected and treated in time.

4. Treatment of special cases

For some special worm infections, such as heartworm infection, special heartworm preventive drugs need to be used and tested regularly. In addition, if the cat is infected with Toxoplasma gondii, special preventive and therapeutic measures need to be taken because Toxoplasma gondii is a worm that is common to both humans and pets and may pose a threat to human health.

FAQs