How Do Cats Get Worms

Cats can become infected by ingesting fleas carrying worms or if worm larvae bite the cat.

How do cats get worms. How old do cats have to be to get roundworms. While this means heartworm disease often goes undiagnosed in cats its important to understand that even immature worms cause real damage in the form of a condition. Mother cats can spread intestinal worms to their kittens in the womb if they are infected.

Cats are especially at risk for tapeworms because they are such good groomers. Of course cats do not eat those but they do not need to eat those to get worms. What do cat worms look like.

Cats can also catch these worms directly through the ingestion of eggs but also indirectly through the ingestion of infected rodent tissue. Visit Insiders Health Reference library for more advice. Cats can pick up worms from a variety of sources from their mothers milk as kittens from eating prey such as birds or mice from having fleas which carry worm larvae and in the case of lungworm from contact with slugs or snails.

Similar to hookworms roundworms can not only pose a threat to your cat but to you as well. This highlights the importance of a regular worming schedule starting from two weeks of age. Generally cats can get worms by coming in contact with eggs or infected pieces of feces.

Whilst indoor cats are less likely to get worms its not impossible. White or cream spaghetti-like and long round bodies. As discussed above many parasites are not species-specific.

If a flea jumps onto your cat they could accidentally ingest the flea by grooming or scratching. Even indoor cats can be infected with worms as you will see below roundworms are transmitted to kittens even before they are born indoor cats can get fleas which come inside on peoples clothing open doors or windows fleas transmit tapeworm. Can indoor cats get worms.