I think my cat has worms, but I'm not sure
 

I have a cat, well he's really a kitten. He's about 6 months old. I adopted Kaden when he was roughly one month old, and due to the fact that there is no veterinarian in my town, sadly I haven't had him examined yet. - Yes, I know this is irresponsible, and now that I think he has worms, I feel horrible.

He's a very active kitten, and quite large. He's always eaten like a horse, and I've just assumed that's why his stomach is the size it is. However due to recent discusion about my friend's dog having worms, I realized that his stomach feels bloated, not at all soft or squishy like fat.

If I press my ear to his stomach after he's eaten, I can hear noises that bring to mind the [I]snap crackle and pop[/I] of rice crispies. I don't know if this is him digesting, or if it's another sign of worms.

I guess the real questions here are

1) do you think he has worms

2) if so, and he's had them this long, have they harmed him?

and 3) is it okay for me to purchase over the counter dewormers, or do I need to take him out of town to see a vet?

to anyone who actually reads this, thank you for the time and advice.

Hi, Ash A! Welcome to the board!

Worms are pretty common in pups and kittens, so it sure wouldn't be unheard of for your guy to have them. The only way to know for sure is to have a vet look at him. Over-the-counter wormers aren't very good at best, and at worst might harm your kitty, and you don't want to unnecessarily medicate him. So your best bet is to make a vet appt. :thumbs up Depending on the type of worm(s) he might have, better to get it done sooner than later--some might cause permanent damage, and some can be passed on to you and your family.

And, when you get time, we'd love to see some pics of your kitten! :D

[QUOTE=Ash_A;842480]
1) do you think he has worms

[COLOR="Red"]Yes, most definitely. Almost all kittens have worms. Especially if they were born to moms who were allowed outside.[/COLOR]

2) if so, and he's had them this long, have they harmed him?

[COLOR="Red"]As hazel said, depending on the type of worm they could be doing him lots of harm. Any worm will do some harm if in the system too long. [/COLOR]

and 3) is it okay for me to purchase over the counter dewormers, or do I need to take him out of town to see a vet?

[COLOR="red"]OTC meds don't work. No sense on wasting your money. Save it for the vets.[/COLOR]

to anyone who actually reads this, thank you for the time and advice.[/QUOTE]

And, seeing as he is six months old, you can schedule his neutering for the same time. That way since you have to go out of town to see a vet you can accomplish two important things in one trip. :thumbs up

Welcome to the board. Pics please. :D

thanks for the advice :). I'll be phoning to arrange a vet exam in the morning, although the neutering will sadly have to wait. I'll keep him indoors until it can happen though :)

[QUOTE=Ash_A;842524]thanks for the advice :). I'll be phoning to arrange a vet exam in the morning, although the neutering will sadly have to wait. I'll keep him indoors until it can happen though :)[/QUOTE]

Are you close to a bigger city that may have a low cost spay/neuter program? You can google low cost s/n for your area and see what comes up. Some cities have places where you can get it done for $50. That's pretty easy to come up with.
Is there some reason the kitten can't be a 100% indoor cat? It is a misnomer that cats are not happy indoors. There is no reason for them to be outdoors and it is much safer for them inside. They don't have to deal with all the issues of fighting with other cats, wildlife, cars, bad weather, getting lost, etc..... They really are quite content indoors. Especially once they are fixed.

Honestly, as I was growing up, my mother has never kept an indoor cat. I would definitely keep indoor cats in a city, but the area we live in is quite small, about 2000 people. I'm still at my mother's for my last 3 or so months before University - excited for that! - and my mother refuses to keep a strictly indoor cat in her home. Just the way she is I suppose. Kaden really only goes outside to relieve himself though, he prefers it to his litter box I think. He's generally back inside within 5 minutes.

By the time it's warm enough for him to want to go outside again, I'll most likely be living somewhere that I'll be able to have him indoors, or even need to keep him indoors. And after the winter he should be pretty used to it :).