Pet Tips
Tip 63 – Worms in kittens – worms in cats
When your cat or kitten has worms, it is the result of coming into contact with a parasite (usually a flea) that has entered your cat’s body. Most kittens are born with worms and will need to be dewormed (take a medication that kills the worms) several times during the months that make up kittenhood. It is therefore necessary that EVERY new kitten be checked by a vet to see if it has worms and for a general health exam.
Roundworms are the most common source of worms in kittens and tapeworms are the most common source of worms in adult cats. Roundworms get into the kittens through mother’s milk and into mother usually by way of contaminated soil. A kitten with roundworms will have a pot bellied appearance. Roundworms themselves look like spaghetti noodles and can be present in stool or vomit. They are easily treatable with oral medication.
Tapeworms in adult cats are usually the result of the cat ingesting a flea (with the tapeworm inside it) during a normal self grooming session. Outdoor cats can also get tapeworms by eating prey such as raw meat and raw fish. Tapeworms are about 1 cm or 1/4 inch long. You may see them moving around the fur around your cat’s anus. Tapeworms that have left the cat’s anus and have dried up, look like grains of rice and can be spotted in places where your cat sleeps. Due to the fact that the worms usually came from fleas if your cat has tapeworms it also probably has fleas. Therefore it needs BOTH deworming and flea medication to stop the cycle. Make sure your vet checks for both scenarios.
Extra info:
* Never try to deal with a worm or flea problem by yourself by buying an over the counter medicine. Many of these medications have caused fatalities in cats. Always get worm/flea medications from your veterinarian.
* Occasionally cats can have a reaction to deworming medication (or any medication for that matter) even if it has been administered by your veterinarian. Vomiting, diarrhea, shaking or poor co-ordination can all indicate a bad reaction to the medication. In this case the vet should be contacted immediately.
63 Responses to this Article, So Far
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We found a stray cat & took her to our vet for a check up this a.m.. She was given all required shots & de-worming medication. She seemed fine today but this evening, she refuses her food. Is this normal? She usually has a good appetite & is always looking for more food.
Sometimes cats won’t eat for a short time when they have experienced stress.
If this continues beyond 24 hours, I’d call my vet….but if waiting that 24 hours is getting you nervous, then call sooner.
Do cats get a reaction to first time vaccinations & deworming treatments?
Some do, some don’t.
My cat is 14 and i think i have seen dead tape worms that look like grains where she sleeps. I am afraid to give her a dewormer because of her age. I am affraid of a bad reaction to it. Anyone knows a safe dewormer or a natural one?
What does the vet subminsters to them in case of a bad reaction, what kind of medication?
Blindly giving veterinary advice on the Net for something you think you’ve seen would make us irresponsible…as would providing the names of drugs and dosages for something you think you’ve seen.
Please take your cat to a real live veterinarian for examination and treatment.
Good luck!
iN RESPONSE TO ELLENA:
There are indeed natural wormers that are effective for parasites in cats. A site that offers several good ones in http://www.onlynaturalpet.com.
I own a small cattery and treat all my cats with natural products with great success.
I have a little older than 6 weeks old kitten. Half minx and half siamese. Whenever she goes to make a movement in her litter box her butthole becomes swollen and red. I thought she had just a little infection so i started to use hypoallergetic baby wipes to clean what was left of the stool on her butt. Whe i check the baby wipe there was blood on it. Im very concerned. What does this mean?
It means that you need to take this poor kitten to see a live vet. Infections require antibiotics not baby wipes.
Please see a vet.
I have a kitten who is about 3months old. Somehow she contracted roundworms and is now on medication after I’ve taken her to the vet. I have made sure to keep her litter clean every time she uses the litter box. I still afraid to let her sleep with me though. Can I get worms from her just being around me? Is it alright for her to let her sleep on my bed?
As far as i know…you’d have to actually eat the roundworms eggs to get roundworm so i think the chance is pretty low. The said, wash hands thoroughly and use gloves/protection whenever you are on litterbox duty.
Babies on the other hand are more at risk if the baby is outside and plays w/cat poop and then puts hand to mouth….or plays with infected poop in the litterbox.
My kitten has a tape worm I have treated him with the vets medication. I’m just wondering if since the worms are coming out.. The kitten is licking his bum area, will he just repeat the cycle by consuming them again? I’m not always there or awake to pluck them off of his fur.
Fleas and tapeworms go together – so treat for both or reinfection is likely! (See http://www.CatWormsSymptoms.com for more.) Also, if your cat keeps getting reinfected with fleas despite treatment, this may be because they are nesting in your carpet, so you may need to treat that too…
I have learn that my 1 year old cat has worms tonight, I am going to call the Vet in the morning. I think she has tapeworms. Should I let her sleep in my bed with me? Can I get worms from her sleeping with me?
You can only get them the same way your cat got them…by swallowing an infected flea.
here’s a decent link with pictures http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_tapeworm.html#Can-people-get-them
Good luck!
my names alyssa my kitten i think has round worms and i dont know what to do my mom says to isolate him but i think hes dieing and i dont wanna isolate him but i dont want the other cats to get it what should i do?
get your mom to take the cat to a vet. Good luck.
My beautiful kitten (about 2months) died yesterday. It was only the day
Before I had picked him up from the vet who said he had a bad case of
Worms so he had given him a strong tablet. He said he would be better
In 3-4 days and not to worry. The next day( yesterday) he died. In devastated
And want to know if it possible that the tablet killed him
Or was it the worms? Is it possible for a kitten to die
From worm medication? I know they can die from worms buy
The vet seemed to think he was getting better? Missing him terribly.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Please accept my deepest condolences. the only true way to find out what the cat died from would be by autopsy. Unfortunately those aren’t cheap.
In terms of how the kitten died, although it is possible that it was from the meds, in my experience it’s more likely the worms….but I am not a vet.
My condolences again.
i just got a cat he is probly 4-5months old i noticed a few lil white things around his anus today when i picked him up, it also seemd wet . right away i thought it was worms they are lil white specks as big as a grain of rice but they dont move or wiggle around is this worms or something else???
Sounds like tapeworms to me. VET TIME.
Good luck.
Hi I have a 6 month old kitten had him 4 months he has always eaten alot and been fine then 2 days ago he wouldn’t eat his food then this morning he was sick and a see a small white worm in his vomit so I have give him medication for worms this morning but he still wont eat and is really skinny any help?
vet time please. Good luck.
Is there any one medicine that kills round AND hook worms?
Hello, Marco, I notice you comment a lot on this site. Do you own it? Are you a vet? The reason I ask is almost every response you make is to go to a vet. In the past month I have spent over 3000 dollars in vet bills. When I am looking for a simple answer, the last thing I wish to hear right now is “vet time!” or “time to take it to a vet”. What I would like to know is, what safe de-wormer can I give a 3 week pregnant female?
Hi Colleen,
I co-own this site and i am NOT a vet. I answer many questions that I know the answer to every day for free.
On our site the vast majority of answers are answered by pet loving people like myself.
If you ever find a site where vets answer loads of questions for free, please let me know. I highly doubt you’ll find one though because both human medical questions as well as veterinary questions require a back and forth (dog’s history, allergies, age, current medication etc.)
You are not asking what varnish is best for cherrywood….
With respect – at the bottom of every single article – this is written.
But you asked this question here, not in the pet forum.
There you’ll get a variety of answers from different people who are also not vets. and they may give you the same answer because we are responsible pet owners who don’t give out medical answers when we don’t know the answer. I hear your frustration but often free advice is worth what you paid for it.
Good luck.
I just got a kitten 2 days ago i took it to the vet and got its shot and a dewormer but i still see little white worms when it uses the bathroom. idk if its just the dewormer hasnt completely worked yet or if its something else?
I’m not a vet but i do believe it takes a few days to a week or so to work.
Given that you already took your pet to the vet, asking this question to your vet or his/her vet tech by phone should not cost you extra.
Good luck!
I just recently got a kitten for Christmas, now its about 5 months old. Last week it got sick and I found a round worm in its throw up. I called the vet to ask what medecine to give? if there is anything I could go buy to treat for round worms. The vet said no. Today, I made a vet visit. The vet checked all vitals and took a stole sample. The vet gave a one month supply of REVOLUTION for Cats 0 – 5 lbs. Its a topical ointment applied between cats shoulders on SKIN. It treats many common problems found in cats. I found it online on many different websites, but many websites you need to have a veterinarian prescription. Revolution for CATS will treat for:
Prevents heartworm disease
Kills adult fleas and prevents their eggs from hatching
Treats and controls ear mites
Treats and controls sarcoptic mange (in dogs only)
Controls roundworms and hookworms (in cats only)
One tube applied monthly
Each tube contains Selemectin
The cheapest price I found was around 35.00 shipped for a 3 month supply. I am not a VET, I do care about my pets, and my wallet. After a 120.00 vet bill and the price of the medicine on top, it is very costly just to treat one problem. I know the importance of vet visits but the cost seems overwhelming sometimes. I hope this information will help someone looking to keep there pets healthy.
So we have been finding these pinkish rice-looking things in our bed since we got our cat (January 1st), and we have just discovered that it might be tapeworms… and have set up an appointment with our vet.
1. We have a dog, who happens to lick everything including the floor. When we first started finding this rice stuff on the bed, we just wiped it off the bed and moved on with life… therefore it went on the floor… where the dog licks. Can the dog catch it that way? Should he also be treated?
2. Can we catch it from sleeping in the bed with these rice things before we noticed it?
Hi. I have a one month plus old kitten. This morning i took her out to the vet to be dewormed. However later on today my cat started pooping roundworms. Should I be concerned and take her out to the vet again? Please help I really don’t know what to do.
Given that it’s the same day – I would call my vet to see what’s up for some advice and it should not cost you anymore money for the phone advice.
Good luck!
hi i have got a kitten , well i took the kitten from outside the houses because she was terribly looking. i took her to the vet yesterday and she told me that my kitten has a kitten flu because her eyes was red and crusty and she was sneezing a lot. the vet told me that she was going to survive because the flu isn’t worse yet, and i see some improvement after the kittens treatment her eyes got better and the flu infection from her eyes had nearly dissapear but still she sneezing. another thing the vet told me that she has worms because her coat wasn’t looking good and her belly was fat round and she eats and drink alot. she gave her antibiotics and worm half tablet and she told me that worms should dissapear but i will need to come back after 4 weeks for re worm tablet and her first vaccination. i wonder, how long does it take for the worm tablet to take the effect on worms? how long her belly will return to normal? what side effects are of the tablet.
In response to Monica:
The de-wormer takes about 1week to work. It needs a repeat to kill all the eggs. As per the vaccination, given the fact you r keeping the cat at home now, i would wait for the kitty to get really well, strong and put some weight on before giving a vaccine which many times have bad results on cats. You can also google vaccination on pets and the side effects, for more info. You can spend less on vaccines by taking your kitty to a vaccinatiin clinic but be careful on the type of vaccine you give, meaning there r three type:live virus, dead virus with adjuvants and recombinant vaccone. The last one being best, the dead virus with adjuvant being worst because adjuvants have been proven to cause cancer calked sarcoma, and live virus is tricky because sometimes it turns into the real desease. The best is to not give poly-valent vaccines especially to kittens. So, better one vaccine at a time 6weeks apart than one vaccine that has three different type of vaccines inside (like FVRCP). also, the flu vaccine seems to b the only one really needed if cat stays at home, everything else they get in contact with other sick cats like rabies or leukemia. This is from talking to a homeopathic vet as well as from my own research. Do your due diligence before any decision on vaccines. These are my two cents:)
For Monica and Holly:
Holly once told me about a website with natural products http://www.onlynaturalpets.com, where you can find natural dewormers though I would personally consult with a holistic vet before using anything. Maybe Holly can tell you what she uses with great success. I fibd holistic vets much more prepared than a normal vet because not only they have gone to a vet school but also holistic training and know best of both worlds versus a normal vet relying only on antibiotics or pills generally and not knowing about supplements. E.g. In flu cases my vet recommends lysine to support the immune system. I get treats from amazon containing 250mg for two pieces.
Today I noticed a white substance ( kinda looked like a small piece of paper ) by my cats anus. I wiped it off and watched it for a minute, it shrunk to a blob and then started stretching out to over an inch long, then retracted again.I’ve never seen anything like this before. She was a stray and was adopted from a shelter where she had her shots and was dewormed. On the first vet visit, I was told her health was good and that she was in good shape. Any ideas ? I can’t find a picture on the net that matches what I saw.
Sounds to me like this is a worm and you’ll want to take the cat to a vet to confirm this and get the proper treatment.
Good luck!
Our cat displayed many of the symptoms listed above. The round patches of hair missing was terrible. Thanks to this site we were able to identify and get her the help she needed and back to health!
My 2 yo female cat was treated for roundworm yesterday. Is it normal for her to still still have live worms crawling in and out of her anus? I understand that its normal for her to pass dead ones but these seem alive and well. When will my baby princess have relief ?
Just came across this site and just wanted to add, if you have questions regarding flea and wormer treatment but don’t wish to fork out to visit a vet each time. Some pet shops and even pharmacy s like boots have staff qualified and licensed to advise on and sell prescription flea and wormer.
Hi, I have a 20 week old kitten who eats alot and is always playful but never seems to have any problems. But when I went to play with him, I noticed he had what looked like to be a noodle in his anus. He has never been sick and he doesn’t have anything in his feces or even been outside, so what could it be? Did he just eat an actual noodle and just not digest it fully?
We just got a 2 year old cat from the humane society. He puked some bile that containes little white chunks. they are like paper one was about a square inch in diameter. it doesn’t look like rice. its like a chunky white substance. is this worms?
worms normally don’t come out of the mouth….call your vet to be sure what this is.
Good luck.
I just got a 6 month old cat from someone about a month ago. A few weeks ago i noticed a fur ball in her food bowl. And in the fur ball i seen what looked like a tiny worm. I just got her shots and gor her fixed. Will that take away the worms now that she just got her shots?
Hi… I just noticed that my 9 month old cat who I recused from a tire garage when she was 2 months had something spaghetti looking moving on the outer part of her butt… I looked it up and found that she has roundworms… Now my question is I have 8 other cats 3 of which are kittens is this contagious to them? And can I give my cat an over the counter medicine being that I’m a little low on funds?
Hi Shay,
No over the counter recommendations please (bad dosing and bad products regularly kill cats )- you’ll need to see a vet but this shouldn’t be too expensive. Roundworms are contagious.
Hi Marko, I got a 4.5 week old kitten this Wednesday and took him to the vet on Thursday for a dewormer. On Thursday and Friday I gave him wet food so it would be easier to eat. Ever since then he has had the runs, I understand that the food could just be to rich for his system so I’ve put him back on dry food and that a dewormer can take up to a week to fully kick in, but is it to soon to start worrying? It sounds like he is in pain when he needs to do his business but then he is fine and runs around like nothings wrong? He is just so tiny and I feel so sorry for him
Hi Marko,
My 13 week old kitten was diagnosed with tapeworms when I took him to get neutured last week. They also gave him a capstar and I purchased a comfortis tablet for him. The vet did a fecal not to long ago and it came back negative so I was a little shocked that he had worms. Needless to say the vet perscribed him Droncit. My question is after I give him the pill will worms just be falling out of his bottom until this is cured or will he know it and go to the litter box? Do I need to kennel him? Thank You!
Hi Heather – I’m not a vet and I don’t know the answer to this one so I encourage you to post this on our forum. Someone there should surely be able to offer advice.
Good luck.
Hi we got a farm kitten about 2 weeks ago, Her belly has got so big she waddles, Three days ago we got a dose of revolution from the vet, we applied the back of her neck. The vet said it will kill all except tape worms. Her belly is still very large after three days of deworming. I see white specks on her annus. I think it is tape worms. She does not play much, but very content just to sit with me. How soon after Revolution can I treat her for tapeworms, she is small about 2 pounds.
If you got your medication from your vet, please discuss this with your vet. If there is an additional problem, then the vet needs to be seen again.
Sounds to me like there might be a problem if the kitten isn’t playing. Good luck
My kitten has had all his shots including dewarming and flea. He still has fleas and we don’t know how to get rid of them. When we took him to the vet they told us that he had no fleas. They are probably not doing a good job. I have bathed him several times but it seems useless. I’ve cleaned everything in my house and I still can’t get rid of them. What else should I try if the vet is no help? I’ve noticed some worms but not a lot. What can I do for that? I feel like I can’t help him .
Either the cat has fleas or not. And if the cat has worms now there’s 2 problems.
If the first vet was incompetent, get a referral to a good vet from someone you trust.
- but make no mistake, your cat needs a vet. Maybe it’s not fleas maybe it’s mites….but it’s something and it will continue to make your kitten uncomfortable until treatment is offered.
Good luck.
We have a 5 year old female cat. She is eating all the time. Don’t see any symtoms of worms. We have 2 of her baby cats that are 4 years old. They seem to be okay. When we take the mother cat to the vet do we need to also have the other 2 cats checked out ? They seem to be okay. We use the flea, worm, etc liquid medicine we put between their shoulder blades once a month. We had to take the mother to the vet about 2 months ago for a throat and ear infection. We also took her about 2 weeks ago and the vet thought she had a uninary tract infections, so she was given a shot for that infection.
I just adopted a 12 week old kitten. I noticed he had tapeworms about a week ago so I took him to the vet where he received a shot and they gave me two doses of oral medication. He took one on Thursday and I’m supposed to give him the other in two weeks. However it’s been 4 days and I still see wiggling tapeworms coming out. The vet told me I should stop seeing them with two to three days and if I do see them they should be dead. These aren’t dead though they’re very much alive. Did the medicine fail? I have two sons who are babies in my house so I’m freaking out.
Also can I give them a bath yet they are dirty??
I live in Puerto Rico and rescued a baby kitten last week. She was very active and playful and good appetite. Ive been feeding her wet kitten food (gruel ) and she drinks water. She went poop and it was a lot but was runny with worms so took her to vet for check up. The vet said she is about 4 weeks old now. She was given medicine to rid of roundworms (it says “Panacur”) and something pink ( bottle says Kaopek Sln.) to help rid her diariah. I have seen several dead roundworms come out in her poop and make sure to keep her clean and get rid of worms in litter box promptly. The vet said to give 1 dose of Panacur everyday for 5 days and the Kaopek up to 3x a day for up to 5 days.
She is still eatinng and drinking well, she has a big appetite which isn’t surprising because she feels so bony and small. The vet said she weighs .8lbs.
I’m just a little concerned because she is sleeping so much now and often just lays with her eyes half open staring at nothing. Is it normal for her to be so lathargic , is it because of the medicine?
I did some research on the meds the vet gave her and came across mixed reviews in the Kaopek but was confused because I’m not sure if it is the same thing some people are saying is toxic for cats, it seemed to be something similar to over the counter pepto bismal (which I would never feed to a cat) so I stopped giving it to her. I don’t see why a Vet would prescribe something toxic…but I just recently moved to Puerto Rico and hope they have all the same info on pet meds as in the continental US….
She still has runny poop but I’m nervous to give her more….
She will take her last dose of the Panacur tomorrow and vet says to bring her back in 2 weeks to keep treating the worms.
I just want to give the best care for little kitty and hope the meds arnt too strong for her.
Any advice? She still eats a lot and drinks water but she is not playful like she first was when I found her. Will she get her energy back when worms are treated?
I just recently got a new kitten, she is about 4-6 weeks old. I really have no idea because I got her from a neighbor that doesn’t exactly know when she was born. I took her to the vet this morning so I can get her De-Wormed and all, because she is so small the vet only gave her half a pill and said that it work. But since the morning she hasn’t pooped at all, is this normal? I would think that because she got the medication she would be pooping them out and all, shes eating fine, and drinking water regularly but so far she hasn’t pooped. I really hope this is normal.
What can I do so she gets rid of them faster, is this a long process?
PLEASE HELP! ):
Kittens are sensitive creatures – since you already went to the vet, why not call your vet (who has seen your cat) to ask this question? It should not cost anything.
In terms of pooping though, medication will often give cats diarrhea or constipation for a short while.
Good luck
I took my 12 week old kitten to vet today. He has worms. They gave him worm meds and hisshots. He has been sleeping most of the day but playing some. My concern is that he is not eating is this normal?
Give it 24 hours and the cat should be back to normal – if not give the vet a call
Hello I have a 7 month old cat, we just got her from the humana society about a week ago. We just took her to the vet on the 31st, no sign or trace of anything ( fleas, worms, etc.) I woke up today and saw a little white wiggly worm (possibly) in her butt. What kind of worm is that. And how is that possible because she is a indoor cart, my house is always super clean, I’m scared I don’t want anything to happen to my cat.
I’m cat has been treated for worms, topically, 2 days ago. I’ve been keeping her out of my room and away from my other cat.
My question is when would it be safe to have her back in the room? She’s my sleeping buddy and I miss her.