Help! Worms!

Today after Monty used the cat box he jumped up onto the couch. I noticed that there were a few white things stuck in the fur near his bum so I picked them off with an old receipt and looked at them. At first I thought they were just little bits of food but then one of them moved He has worms.

I called the vet and left a message for them to call me when they get in tomorrow. I just hope he will make a fresh stool sample by then. (oh, and I did put the little worm in a bag and stuck it in the spare fridge).

I have a lot of concerns. If anyone could give me some advice I would greatly appreciate it.

First, how long can the little worms/eggs live outside the body?

The reason I ask this is because Bootsie had worms about 6 months ago, this was before I got Monty. She was treated for it (2 doses of feline drontal) and the worm came out after the first dose. I even had to help her get it out. After this she was declared clean and I have had no other problems with her.

Could it be that the little worms (the progliddids I guess) or some eggs might have been left around the house and Monty picked them up when he got here about 2-3 weeks after Bootsie passed the worm? Or could it be, rather that he already had it when I got him? (he was a hurricane katrina cat who turned out to be a stray). Or must it be something he recently developed? How long does it take for an egg (or small worm) to grow into an adult and start shedding little worms? Just about 3 weeks ago I had brought him to a new vet with Bootsie and I'm still not feeling terribly good about that visit.

And, for about the past month or two he's been meowing sometimes before he uses the box. But, I thought nothing of it because he has always meowed a lot. But, lately it does seem that perhaps he is meowing more often and differently (longer..._).

Also, could he have already passed this to Bootsie, she does like to lick his butt. So should I get her treated as well? These are indoor only cats so I have no idea where else he could get it. And, could I get it? He is always licking my face and eating my food and sometimes I'm not very careful about washing my hands after I pet him.

And, what if he sheds those little worms around the house!! Someone please help. I want to have a worm-free house. How do I make sure I have gotten rid of them all so they won't come back?

I don't know much, but I can tell you they can spread to the other kittys. If the other cat steps on the wormy poo in the litter box and then injests it I think that can give them worms. We have a dog that likes to eat cat poo (yuk!) and she got worms. Our house was filled with wormy pets! They do kind of just fall out of there butts and land wherever. I didn't let the kittys on my bed till they were de-wormed, but you can if you want. The worms just really freak my out...I mean they are moving! Creepy to me....

They both probably have them!You definite;y need to get them vet treated asap, for worms and fleas, as they go together even if you haven't seen any.

Thanks for the replies. Monty's been grooming his butt a lot lately. I hope he's not reinjesting them Also, he was merrowling in the middle of the night and walking all over me (he started doing that in the beginning of last week. And, he's been extremely persistent about trying to get at my food. Now I understand why...

I fed him some wet kitty food because that usually makes him use the box. And, so far they have teased me with pee samples but haven't produced a poo sample yet. Do I have to wait for this before I take him to the vet. I was hoping to get a sample out of them both before I go but I do have that worm in the fridge, perhaps it is enough? I haven't heard back from the vet yet because they haven't opened but I have been considering showing up there really early because who's going to want the 8:30 appointment on a Saturday morning?

I hope it's not fleas. They've been on revolution so I'd be pretty upset if that weren't working because I pay a lot for it.

I haven't seen any more worms, either. I've decided not to confine him because I feel bad for him. He really doesn't like being confined. But I've been more careful about where I step and sit.

And, he's noticeably thinner. He's always been thin though. They chase each other around the house a lot. That's actually what they are doing right now. He sure doesn't act like a sick kitty.

Worms are definitely gross and disgusting! But I wouldn't be too awful worried about you catching them. I have had animals all my life, and lived closely with them. No one in my family ever got worms. I think they are spread more by fecal (poo) matter than by mouth, so them eating off your plate shouldn't be too big a problem.

But both cats definitely need to be treated if one cat has them. Best of luck with it!

My 3 are wormed (drontal) every 3 months whether i see any worms or not.

They can be passed from cat to cat. People can get worms but whether or not they can be transferred from a cat i dont know. Perhaps someone else knows?

I know its not a pleasant thing to see, but it is easy to cure

From what I know, kitties should be wormed twice, b/c the undeveloped ones are not always killed the first time. When my kittens had them, the vet gave me two doses for two weeks down the road, and the second time they did pass a few more.

I also thought that they should be wormed twice because when I was there 6 months ago they had me give a second pill in 2 weeks. When I asked them about it yesterday they said that they only give it once. It seems weird to me that the procedure with the same drug (feline drontal) should change in 6 months.

VampireCat and anyone else who used feline drontal, 2 doses or 1? Monty is 9 months old and Bootsie is 15 months. When Bootsie got the 2 doses she was 1 year old.

Another weird thing is that Monty's stool sample tested negative for worms. How could that happen? I had found the worm right next to his anus. I didn't have a stool sample for Bootsie checked because she didn't make one by the time of the visit. But, I know her behavior when she has worms and she has been normal. Monty has been acting weird so I definitely think he was the one who had it.

Anyways, now they both have been wormed, so hopefully this problem will go away? So far though, I have not seen the actual parasite leave his body.