Intestinal worms, says the University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine, may infect as may as 45 percent of all cats. While there are plenty of effective and economical worming medications to treat the problem, re-infection can strike older cats in a number of ways. Each species of worm has its own method of finding your cat. By understanding how these parasites spread, you'll be able to prevent your older cat from re-exposure.
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Hookworms
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Hookworms attach to a cat's intestinal wall and feed on his blood. Untreated hookworm infestations can cause anemia and even death. If your cat has a bad hookworm problem his stool will be tarry from blood.
Hookworms infect older cats through ingestion from exposure to contaminated feces or by penetrating their skin.
Roundworms
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The two varieties of roundworms, toxocara cati and toxascaris leonina, are estimated to infect between 25 and 75 percent of older cats. These worms can reach a length of 5 in. in your cat's intestines. Cats eliminate roundworm eggs in their stool.
Either form of roundworm will infect older cats that ingest eggs in contaminated cat feces or consume rodents with larvae in their intestines.
Tapeworms
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Tapeworms, says the Cornell University Feline Health Center, infect fleas that your older cat may ingest while grooming. She can also can get them from eating a rodent that has eaten tapeworm eggs.
Ollanulus Tricuspis
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Although they are rare in the U.S., these stomach worms sometimes infect multiple-cat households or cats allowed to roam. Your older cat can get these parasites, says Cornell, if he eats vomit from an infected cat.
Physaloptera
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Physaloptera are a second kind of stomach worm, also rare in the U.S. Cats pass physaloptera eggs in their feces. Insects, cockroaches and crickets in particular, feed on the eggs. Your older cat can get infected from either eating the insects themselves or eating a rodent that has consumed an affected insect.
Prevention/Solution
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Even with regular worming, your older cat has plenty of opportunities for parasitic re-infections. Sanitation is the first step to keeping kitty worm-free.
Clean all fecal material from each of your litter boxes every day. Empty and wash the litter boxes at least once a week with a disinfectant such as bleach.
If you have more than one cat, give each of them a private potty area. Don't allow your cats to roam freely outdoors, where they might tangle with infected cats or rodents.
Keep all your cats on regular flea treatment schedules and ask your vet about ridding your home of fleas. Take care of any rodent problem. Keeping kitty indoors won't help if the worms come to her through other animals.
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