Is this tapeworms? Cat not displaying any signs other than 1

Hey Guys

I was laying down with my cat, and I noticed some white, squishy stuff that looked like hardened snot or something on my cats butt. it was cold/cool to the touch. 

He has been eating normally, playing normally, drinking normally, I looked at his stool after he just went and saw nothing in there. (And i really looked ugh) 

Is this tapeworms or something else? He has had no weight loss either

Indoor cat, by himself. Doesn't go outside at all. I have had no mice at my apartment nad no fleas from what i can tell. 

Any ideas? 

ALSO, the white stuff was not moving at all. His gums look perfectly pink and ok. 

And it had no smell?  The only thing I can think of is that he sat on something.  Seriously, this doesn't sound like anything that actually come out of him. 

The anal glands are right there, but secretions from those are very stinky, from what I've read.

No smell that i can tell. Hes stinky when he goes #2, and has the occasional fart, but thats about it. 

I found a couple more on him today, this morning. One looked more like a seasme seed like I had read, but hes been very playful, now its nap time (normal for him this time of day) and he ate his full bit of food like normal, no over eating or under eating. 

Can it hurt to de worm him just in case? 

I think it probably is a tapeworm. Many moons ago, I had a cat that pooped what looked like grains of rice, and the vet said it was a tapeworm. Yes, it would be a good idea to deworm him.

Amy Ballard said:

 
No smell that i can tell. Hes stinky when he goes #2, and has the occasional fart, but thats about it. 

I found a couple more on him today, this morning. One looked more like a seasme seed like I had read, but hes been very playful, now its nap time (normal for him this time of day) and he ate his full bit of food like normal, no over eating or under eating. 

Can it hurt to de worm him just in case? 

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The segments that come out of their butt look like squirming rice (ugh..gross) but after 10 minutes or so dry out and become sesame seed looking things.

Yes it is safe to treat, droncit or drontal (praziquantel) is needed and a follow up dose 2 weeks later.

They were not squirming at all. No movement at all, just stuck on the fur like snot after a sneeze ( iknow gross but best description) but I did find something dried out this morning. I got him on a dewormer this afternoon, unfortunately I had to go unexpensive and its a 3 dose (1 a day) power because I do not get paid till later in the week, vet told me due ot that situation to try that first, safe guard and if not, then get the drontal stuff. 

He is still very active, playful, keeping to normal patterns etc. He doesnt have a pot belly, and hes going to the bathroom normally and is hydrated. If anything, he is growing again (yay growthspurt) and filling out into an adult male. 

There is one you can buy yourself, at Petco or other pet supply stores only, simply called Tape Worm Tabs.

They actually work. 

and okay, I have a petco near by and I can buy those. Thank you for the suggestion! 

Watch out the places You visit. Humans are good in spreading diseases and worms, fleas etc.

What type of food? Occasional treats? 

Fancy Feast wet food and Purenia dry food. Treats are from friskies. 

I typically go to my school (college) where I also work, and then walmart, and then go home. It would not surprise me if contact happened there, but I try my best to be careful 

Unless you are regularly using flea treatment, he will end up getting tapeworms again, which is caused by fleas.

What a huggable looking handsome boy he is!

When my cats had tapeworm, it looked like they had little grains of rice on their anuses.  The vet said that was the eggs.  They weren't the full size of rice, but they were white and longish like tiny rice.

Sigh time to invest in flea treatment hes strictly indoor so It was not a concern I had thought of due to that. 

Any recomendations on that?

And hes a huge cuddle bug. Always cuddles when I go to bed, and hes such a good cat too! 

 

Amy Ballard said:

 
Sigh time to invest in flea treatment hes strictly indoor so It was not a concern I had thought of due to that. 

Any recomendations on that?

And hes a huge cuddle bug. Always cuddles when I go to bed, and hes such a good cat too! 

 

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Well unfortunately advantage 11 which used to be my fave and what I have always used for my own cats as well as all of them in my rescue group, no longer is effective. At least not here in CA, the fleas have seemed to become resistant as they have for years to frontline.

I'm now using revolution, but it's not cheap, but like advantage, it can be dosed down based on weight. Dog and cat formulas are the same, but the medium through large/x-large dog size have double the amt of med, so if you do ask the vet for this, make sure you get the recommended dosage that is right for your cat.

There are others I have not used but heard they work well, comfortis, etc.

Rather than that, if you live where it snows every winter, go with advantage 11. 

Cool, I live in CO so it snows a lot haha

Also, how will I know when the tapeworm is gone from him? Will it be in the box, or...?

No, you won't see it. This is gross, but it gets digested in the colon. You will know it's gone when you don't see the grains of rice anymore.

Tape worms look like grains of rice or tiny white bits.  They are caused by ingesting fleas and are common.  Treat the fleas and treat the tape worms with Drontal which you can order from Amazon or get from a vet.  

Feral cats at college? Students or co-workers owning (outdoor) cats and showing not to much interest in their care?