What is THIS?

jb68711

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2006
Messages
119
Purraise
15
Hi,

I've had my cat, Huckleberry, for 3 years. When I sleep he always sleeps on me. He sleeps on his side, his head by my armpit and his bottom by my hip. The other day when I woke up, he was gone (usually happens when I wake up), and I noticed something strange on my shirt. There was a bunch (like a dozen) of really small white things... I don't know what they were, but they were dry and the size of sesame seeds.

Then earlier today, I went to take a nap, and after laying there with my cat for 20 minutes I picked him up and looked and found a few of the same things except they were rubbery and mucus-like... the size of sesame seeds but not flat, more full. I think this stuff is coming out of his rear, I'm not sure and I'm really freaked out by it.

Does anyone know what this is??? Thanks.
 

snake_lady

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
7,218
Purraise
13
Location
ON./Canada
Sounds like tapeworms...the seeds are tapeworm segments.

Definately go see the vet with a fresh fecal sample. The dewormers you can buy in the store are very DANGEROUS to give to your pet..... your vet can give you the right dewormer for tapeworms.
 

lyrajean

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 23, 2008
Messages
1,259
Purraise
120
Location
VT
Defintely sounds like tapes. Bring a fresh stool sample to your vet for a fecal test. Then get the meds they prescribe.

Just feel good you didn't see them move! Been there done that... -Gross!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

jb68711

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2006
Messages
119
Purraise
15
So these little "specks" are tapeworms??? Are they alive? And why are they coming out while he's sleeping? I have two cats... and when do their little box, I don't really pay attention to their droppings so I haven't noticed it in there. I've had him since a kitten and he's never had this problem. How do cats get tapeworms?
 

carolina

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 17, 2008
Messages
14,759
Purraise
215
Location
Corinth, TX
Yep, and they do come out mostly while they are sleeping, not too sure why. Very easy to treat - you need to take him to the vet as the medicine depends on his weight...
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

jb68711

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2006
Messages
119
Purraise
15
OMG my cat was laying on the floor just a while ago, and I picked him up and there was one of those things and it was MOVING! It kept alternating between being long and skinny to short and fat and that's how it moves! Ew I seriously think I'm going to throw up, it was so gross. I sprayed it with glade and it died. I have to take both my cats in to the vet, that is the only way to get the proper treatment, right? I hate waking up at 6 in the morning and dropping them off... but I love them to death, so I have to do it.
 

jellybella

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
2,314
Purraise
3
Location
UPNY
Originally Posted by carolinalima

Yep, and they do come out mostly while they are sleeping, not too sure why. Very easy to treat - you need to take him to the vet as the medicine depends on his weight...
Probably because the cat will lick them off when it's awake


Yes, please take both to the vet. You will need to treat both cats for worms. I think they can also get some of these things from eating bugs in addition to having fleas.

The vet has safe treaments that can resolve this pretty quickly.
 

threecatowner

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Oct 15, 2008
Messages
794
Purraise
59
Location
West Virginia
Originally Posted by JB68711

OMG my cat was laying on the floor just a while ago, and I picked him up and there was one of those things and it was MOVING! It kept alternating between being long and skinny to short and fat and that's how it moves! Ew I seriously think I'm going to throw up, it was so gross. I sprayed it with glade and it died.
Oh, JB, I know you weren't trying to be funny, but spraying with Glade...


We had a cat many years ago that got tapeworm a few times a year, and it was just a matter of getting medication. Actually one of the easier things to treat in a cat, from my perspective.

I well remember seeing those "pieces of rice" on my lap when I was cuddling with the kitty. You are correct - it is gross! But they won't bite, and can't really hurt you.
 

momofmany

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
16,249
Purraise
70
Location
There's no place like home
Be glad that tapeworms are one of the easiest internal parasites to treat. Usually a single tablet of Drontal will kill them.

But tapeworms are caused by fleas, which means that you also need to treat your cats for fleas or they'll get them again. While you are at the vet, get some Frontline or Advantage for them. If you haven't heard the lecture here before, don't use over the counter flea remedies on them.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11

jb68711

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2006
Messages
119
Purraise
15
Hey everyone, thanks for your replies! Threecatowner, I've sprayed countless bugs with air fresheners and it works! LOL

Anyway, I was able to take both cats to the vet today, which was great because they were also due for vaccinations and I ran out of flea medication 2 months ago (frontline). I pretty much got ripped off (the vet charged 38 per vaccine. The place I usually go to charges 20, but because I was making a same day appt. they weren't available).
But whatever, I got the drontal and flea medication so that's all that really matters. I've never heard of this one before, it's called Vectra. It was pretty expensive compared to the other stuff, 67.79 for 3 tubes. Anyone ever use it before?

Well I've learned my lesson... don't go a month without the flea medication. Especially around this time of the year.
 

cazlee

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
171
Purraise
13
Location
Florida
Ewwww I hate tapes. No one believes me but my dad's cat, Loki, puked up a foot long tape worm once when I was in my early teens. Even though my dad saw it and said yep, that sure looks like a tape worm, the vet didn't believe us, but gave us drontal anyway. He said "that's impossible for a cat to puke up a tape worm", I call bollocks! I remember telling the vet "well I learned about them in biology last year and it was a tape worm! It had the funky little sucker head and segments just like a tape worm!"

I sprayed the tapeworm he puked up with oven cleaner, lol. It was the only thing I could find that I thought might work on it. I was so freaked out by it. Lice and worms send me screaming for the hills.
 
Top