A common old wives' tale is that humans can get pinworms from cats, but an even taller tale is that cats are carriers of pinworms. Pinworms are a very common human parasitic infection, and children in particular are prone to getting this type of worm. However, the type of pinworms humans acquire cannot live in the feline intestinal tract. So what you identify in your cat as pinworms is another parasite entirely--usually tapeworms.
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How Did My Cat Get Worms?
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If your kitty has tapeworms, he most likely ingested a flea larvae infected with tapeworm eggs. This can easily happen when a flea bites your cat; the cat licks at the bite and in the process eats the flea. Inside the cat's intestine, the tapeworm eggs hatch and attach themselves to the walls of the intestines. Tapeworms and other internal parasites are common to outdoor cats; It's rare for indoor cats to get worms.
Signs of Worms
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Tapeworms are not deadly, and in fact, you may not even know that your cat has them unless you examine your cat's stool. You may see a segment of the tapeworm captured inside the feces that looks like a grain of white rice. Because the worms irritate your kitty's anal area, he may scoot his butt across the floor or carpet in an attempt to "itch." Sometimes your cat may regurgitate an adult tapeworm that's migrated into the stomach. Only when tapeworms are numerous do they cause signs such as diarrhea, weight loss, dull coat and lethargy.
Treatment
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You can treat tapeworms with deworming medications available from your vet. These medications, called anthelmintics, are either given to your cat orally or through an injection. Rarely will your cat experience side effects such as vomiting or diarrhea.
Prevention
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When you get a new kitten, your veterinarian may recommend a deworming medication as a precautionary measure. However, if tapeworm medication appears to fail, this is usually because the cat has once again been exposed to a flea-infested area. Making sure that your cat is not exposed to fleas is really the only safeguard against tapeworms.
Pinworms and Humans
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Rarely will a human contract tapeworms or another internal parasite from the family pet. However, pinworms are highly contagious and problematic in children ages 5 through 14. A child can contract pinworms by coming into contact with a contaminated food or drink or even by biting his own nails. And just like tapeworms irritate your cat's anus, pinworms also cause anal itching in humans. Doctors usually prescribe anti-parasite medications such as albendazole or pyrantel as a first line of treatment.
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