TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Cat Health › Anyone know what kind of worm this is? (graphic)
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Anyone know what kind of worm this is? (graphic)

post #1 of 14
9/15/10 at 7:36pm
Thread Starter 
Found this in the litter box tonight. Freaked me out. But it has been pointed out to me that (most? all?) internal parasites don't have legs.

That said - it was NOT in poop - or seemingly even near it. We do live in a really rural area, up against large woods, so we get all kinds of creepy crawlies around. It is not unusual to find a spider walking across the litter in the box so.... ???? I

I bagged the worm (in several layers of baggies LOL) and put it in the fridge. Got up the nerve to go take a closer look. I'm wondering if maybe it's just some kind of centipede? Maybe we walked it in on our shoes or pants (it's been cool so we've been wearing long pants again) and it found a way onto a kitty and into the box?????????

Obviously it's going to the vet tomorrow to confirm what it is (or isn't). But thought I'd ask in the meantime.
LL
Reply
post #2 of 14
9/15/10 at 7:40pm
If those really are legs, then that's one creepy little crawler; I'd be freaked out too!

How long is it?

AC
Reply
post #3 of 14
9/15/10 at 7:44pm
Thread Starter 
It's about two inches long.

Someone suggested it's a millipede. I looked it up, and I'm pretty sure that's what it is. We have wet leafy vegatation we have to walk through, so we probably brought it in the house, it got on a cat and into the litterbox. It's not an internal parasite if it really is a millipede.
Reply
post #4 of 14
9/15/10 at 7:45pm
Millipede maybe? If you have a local bug person, they will help you. Either centipede or millipede, it hitched a ride inside
Reply
post #5 of 14
9/15/10 at 7:48pm
millipede... unfortunately I too have been up close and personal
Reply
post #6 of 14
9/15/10 at 7:54pm
^But millipedes are harmless. (at least the North American ones all are) The worst some of them can do is make a "defensive scent" and curl up.
Reply
post #7 of 14
9/15/10 at 8:14pm
LOL, I can see why you freaked.

But yeah, if it has legs, it's not a worm.

It'll be ok.
Reply
post #8 of 14
9/15/10 at 8:16pm
Thread Starter 
I think I'll go release it back outside. Don't know if it'll survive - we have some rather vigorous diggers, and as you can see it's back end is kind of smooshed.

Is it more merciful to end its life quickly?

Now I don't know what to do for the harmless little thing!
Reply
post #9 of 14
9/16/10 at 7:38am
You could probably put it back outside. Maybe they can grow some parts back. If he's still alive, I'd give him a chance.
Reply
post #10 of 14
9/16/10 at 7:50am
I really did not want to look at this thread but I looked anyway
Every time I see movement in the litter box I freak out. This far it has every time been a spider or beetle. I don't know what those buggers do in the litter box but there they are. At least they are a clearer case than millipedes to figure out!
Reply
post #11 of 14
9/16/10 at 3:38pm
It looks like a centipede.

It is NOT a millipede. Millipedes look like they are inside shells and look more like caterpillars and are most of the time (if not 100% of the time) black.

Centipedes are obviously segmented and brown/red/orange and certain species grow up to a few feet long and are poisonous.

:}
Reply
post #12 of 14
9/16/10 at 3:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desirai View Post
It looks like a centipede.

It is NOT a millipede. Millipedes look like they are inside shells and look more like caterpillars and are most of the time (if not 100% of the time) black.

Centipedes are obviously segmented and brown/red/orange and certain species grow up to a few feet long and are poisonous.

:}
http://www.picsearch.com/pictures/an...millipede.html

they do come in colors.. Yes I too was taught they were only black but alas that is not the case

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/no...millipedes.htm
Reply
post #13 of 14
9/16/10 at 3:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desirai View Post
It looks like a centipede.

It is NOT a millipede. Millipedes look like they are inside shells and look more like caterpillars and are most of the time (if not 100% of the time) black.

Centipedes are obviously segmented and brown/red/orange and certain species grow up to a few feet long and are poisonous.

:}
Venomous, not poisonous. And all of them are venomous because they eat other insects and small mammals. Some millipedes can actually be poisonous, though (no venom glands, they just secrete it - which is the difference). Millipedes come in many colors (go look up "dragon millipede", everyone should, they're rather pretty). They are obviously segmented - with two pair of legs per segment. Centipedes only have one pair per segment. Because there are so many species of millipedes (~10k or so), they can vary greatly in how they look.

ETA: After a bit more looking, the picture could be of a type of blaniulus. Were there any tiny barely visible red dots on it? If so it could have been b. guttulatus, an introduced species over here. They do have defensive glands so whichever kitty found it probably didn't find it too tasty.
Reply
post #14 of 14
9/16/10 at 9:29pm
I have about a zillion millipedes living in my basement....ugh. I don't know if it is 100% a millipede---the pic is fuzzy and he is kind of squished---but it does look like one. I guess they're harmless. My cats have come to ignore them so I gather they don't taste so good. Any cricket that gets in the house, on the other hand....dinner! Moths, too.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cat Health
TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Cat Health › Anyone know what kind of worm this is? (graphic)