The most common worms found in cats are feline roundworm and feline tapeworm, but unfortunately your cat can be infected with other types of worms as well.
It is important to be mindful of the various types of parasites as they can cause mild to severe health problems in cats.
In some cases they can even cause death so it is important to take them seriously.
Roundworms & Tapeworms Roundworm and tapeworm are the most common because they are contracted in few different ways and they can be passed from one cat to another.
Roundworms can actually be passed from the mother to her newborn kittens.
They can also be contracted from eating prey or getting the larvae stuck on their paws and fur when they are outside.
They then lick their fur and ingest the larvae causing the infestation.
Tapeworm are usually caused by fleas, more specifically flea bites.
Any time you have a flea infestation you need to check for tapeworms as well because they will often be part of the unhealthy flea cycle.
Heartworm In Cats While heartworm is a bigger problem in dogs than cats it is important to understand that cats can get heartworm as well.
And sadly if a cat contracts feline heartworm it can be fatal.
That's enough to make you want to closely watch for symptoms, but unfortunately this cat health problem can be hard to detect in cats as many cats will not show symptoms.
By the time severe symptoms are seen diagnosis can be difficult.
Even though the heartworms may die the infection they cause can be fatal, especially in elder cats.
Symptoms Potential symptoms of feline heartworm can include: lack of appetite or weight loss, respiratory problems like coughing or difficulty breathing, vomiting, lethargy and a potential heart murmur.
Since some of these symptoms like weight loss, vomiting and lethargy are seen in other feline illnesses as well it can be difficult to distinguish what the problem may be.
This is why it is important to take your cat to the veterinarian any time you notice something may be wrong.
Your vet will need to preform specific tests to determine if your cat has heartworms.
While there isn't a cure, the symptoms can be managed.
Only use treatment your vet has prescribed as treatments made for dogs can be toxic and even fatal to cats.
Prevention It is best to do what you can to prevent an infestation of this parasite.
Since heartworm is passed through mosquitoes part of the prevention will include mosquito control.
Make sure there isn't standing water near your home and keep your cat inside as much as possible during mosquito season.
You may also consider giving your cat a heartworm prevention medicine, but check with your vet before starting any new medications.