What Do Cat Worms Look Like?

This hub is in response to a question that I've heard more than once in different formats:

"I've noticed a little white worm on my cats butt and I was wondering what kind you might think it is?"

If you see something whitish and potentially worm-like near your cat's anus, in your pet's bedding, or in the litter box, a good guess would be that it's either roundworm or tapeworm.

The smart money's on roundworm. Roundworm is the most common parasite of the digestive tract of the domestic cat.

So statistics would say that if it's a worm, it's probably roundworm. They are tubular in nature, and typically are described as looking like spaghetti. They can sometimes be seen in your cat's vomit, crawling near the anus, or in the litter box.

Tapeworm's are more flattish, and their bodies are segmented. These small segments of the worm break off and are moved through the cat's bowels and out of the body. They can also sometimes be seen around the anus or in the litter box. They are typically described as looking like grains of rice.

If you see any of these signs, it's time to get your pet treated. Traditional treatments for cat worms involve the use of dewormers (anthelmintics). Some drugs may treat more than one kind of worm (e.g. roundworm, hookworm, and tapeworm).

Start with a visit to your veterinarian to get a proper diagnosis and discuss future prevention steps. Where there is one parasite, there may be others, so your kitty needs a thorough exam.

If it's tapeworm, you likely have a flea problem (or other insect), as that is a common source of infection. If your cat goes outdoors and has the opportunity to hunt rodents, this is also a possible source of infection for various parasites.

Killing fleas is a method of prevention with respect to the secondary parasites that fleas carry. Restricting your cat from roaming and hunting is a method of prevention with respect to reducing exposure to intermediate hosts (such as mice), or direct contact with parasites in the environment.