Outdoor Cats & Worms

Cats who venture outdoors can become infected with worms. This is because cats who go outside come in contact with contaminated soil and infected animals, according to the ASPCA. Keep your outdoor cat healthy and safe by monitoring its bowel movements and watching for signs of a worm infection. If you're unable to check its stool, take the cat to a veterinarian for a checkup.

  1. Types

    • Outdoor cats are susceptible to lungworm, hookworm, tapeworm and roundworm infections. An outdoor cat who eats an infected rodent or bird can acquire lungworms or roundworms. Roundworms, the most common type of worms that outdoor cats get, according to the ASPCA, can be passed to a cat through the contaminated feces of other animals. Tapeworms mostly come from the ingestion of fleas, which act as an intermediate host for tapeworms. Cats get hookworms when they eat or come into skin contact with hookworms' larvae.

    Effects

    • You may never spot the signs of infection in an outdoor cat, depending on how much contact you have with it. If you are able, watch the cat for symptoms such as vomiting, coughing, constipation, blood in the stool, a potbellied appearance, diarrhea, visible worms in stool or hanging on the cat's fur beneath his tail. Outdoor cats may vomit or pass spaghettilike worms if they have roundworms.

      Worms can be deadly to outdoor cats if they go untreated. They can cause blockages in the cat's intestines or severe anemia.

    Prevention/Solution

    • The ASPCA recommends keeping your cat inside to prevent worms. If your cat won't stay indoors, try to make your yard as clean and free of fleas as possible to prevent tapeworms. Take the cat to a veterinarian on a regular basis for deworming.

    Considerations

    • As long as the cat keeps going outside, it will be vulnerable to fleas and parasites. You can treat it regularly for worms and fleas, but as long as it is exposed to the parasites, it will keep getting reinfected.

    Warning

    • After handling an outdoor cat, thoroughly wash your hands and any part of your body with which the cat came into contact. Outdoor cats that have worms can spread their infection to you. Children are more likely to get worms from animals with infections, according to Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, but anyone who practices poor hygiene is at risk.