Worms in Cats -- Intestinal Parasites Your Kitty Should Avoid

Worms in cats are quite the common intestinal parasite, especially in kittens. Worms are so common, in fact, that your vet will typically test your cat annually via a stool sample.

Worms are intestinal parasites and may or may not cause visible signs of illness. Worms use your cat as a host in order to get nourishment, reproduce, and complete their lifecycle. There are a number of cat parasites, including a few major classes of worms.

Roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms are the main types of worms found in cats. Fecal exam is the method of diagnosis and should be done during an annual check up.

Cats in the same household as (or those that share litter boxes with) an infected cat will likely also be infected. Normally, if a fecal sample from one of the cats in the house tests positive, your vet will want to treat all the cats.

Below is a description on each of the major types of worms in cats.

Roundworms (Toxocara Cati) look like spaghetti, and are usually only visible when vomited up. Kittens can become infected with roundworm via their mothers. This is the case even if the mother cat shows no signs of infection.

The encysted form of the roundworm lies dormant in the mother cat, and is passed to the kitten. Usually, even if test results are negative, veterinarians will worm kittens 2-3 times just to be sure.

As a cat matures, a natural immunity develops against this worm. As a result, adult cats rarely experience roundworm infestations severe enough to cause visible illness.

Hookworms literally "hook" themselves to the inside wall of your cat's intestines. Since hookworms are tissue feeders, they can cause blood loss, which results in anemia. Other symptoms may include intestinal illness, poor hair coat, and weight loss.

The good news concerning hookworms is that most of the roundworm treatments will also kill hookworms. You should note that at least two treatments are needed to rid your cat of this worm.

Tapeworms consist of segments containing eggs. The segments drop off the worm, and along with the eggs are passed in the stool. They then dry out and begin to look like grains of rice and are fairly easy to spot.

You'll sometimes see tapeworms in heavily traveled areas or around the cat's anus. Cats with these worms have been known to experience anal irritation and exhibit excessive licking.

It's important to control fleas. The flea ingests the tapeworm eggs and then your cat eats the flea. The tapeworm then lives in the intestinal tract of your cat and then produces, you guessed it, more tapeworms.

More often than not, these worms do not cause any visible symptoms of illness in your cat. Understand that you cannot completely get rid of the tapeworm without also addressing the flea problem. As long as there are fleas, your cat is at risk.

Worms in cats are widespread problem, but your cat may have an intestinal worm infestation and show no visible signs of illness. As with any disease, however, cat parasites put undue stress on your cat. Annual testing of stool samples are important, with subsequent treatment if needed.

In the meantime, keep your cat's immune system in top shape. That includes not only regular vet visits, but also exercise, high quality cat food, a clean cat box, and the room to play.