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Cats are susceptible to parasites, including nematodes, cestodes, and trematodes.
These parasites are often referred to as worms.
The worms that affect cats can be divided, depending on their location, in the host into two major groups – intestinal worms and non-intestinal worms.
The different types of cat worms
Intestinal Worms
• Roundworms or Ascarids (Toxocara cati & Toxocara leonina) – Long, thin, and pointed roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite in cats, regardless of age.
Roundworms look a lot like the worms found in our yards and gardens.
• Tapeworms (Taenia spp. & Dipylidium caninum) – These flatworms are particularly long and built of several different segments.
Each segment contains worm eggs. Tapeworms are more commonly seen in older cats.
• Hookworms (Ancylostoma spp. & Uncinaria spp.) – As the name suggests itself, hookworms have powerful hooks which they use to hook on the lining of the cat’s intestines
They are small and look like half-inch-long threads.
• Whipworms (Trichuris spp.) have a thin, whip-like front end and a thicker back end. Whipworms are rarely seen in cats.
Non-intestinal Worms
• Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) – The Heartworm is a filarial worm that resides in the cat’s pulmonary artery. Heartworms are much more common in dogs. However, cats can also be affected.
• Subcutaneous worms (Dirofilaria repens) – This parasite resides under the skin, forming small nodules. Although rare, these subcutaneous worms are worth mentioning.
• Lungworms (Aelurostrongylus abstrusus) – They reside in the cat’s airways and, unfortunately, are pretty common.
• Eye worms (Thelazia californiensis) – Eye worms can be found in the cat’s tear ducts and between the eye and its protective eyelids. Eye worms are not very common in cats.
The Different Routes Of Worm Transmission
The means of worm transmission varies from one type to another.
Feces
Generally speaking, most worms are shed in the environment through feces.
Therefore, it can safely be assumed that the most common way of worm infestation in cats is by ingesting the feces of infected felines.
Alternatively, the way of an infestation can be coming into contact with objects contaminated with feces from infected cats.
Vertical Transmission
Kittens usually get worms from their mothers.
It is interesting that certain types of worms can pass through the placenta and infect unborn kittens.
This way of infestation is known as prenatal infection.
Young kittens can also become infected by suckling milk from infected mothers. Some worms can be secreted via milk.
Vectors And Intermediate Hosts
Certain types of worms need a vector or intermediate host.
A vector or an intermediate host is an animal necessary for certain phases of the worm’s cycle.
The most common intermediate hosts are organisms such as rodents, birds, mosquitoes, and fleas.
A cat can get worms if she swallows infected fleas during grooming, if she gets bitten by an infected mosquito or if she hunts and preys on infected birds and rodents.
Diet
Last, food plays a significant role in worm transmission and worm infestation.
Undercooked meat and irregularly processed meat products, if previously contaminated with worms, can serve as a means of transmission.
Generally speaking, commercially available wet cat foods in pet stores and supermarkets are worms-free and safe for consumption.
This factor is because those wet foods undergo strict preparation regulations and are carefully tested before being released for sale.
On the other hand, when preparing your cat’s wet food at home, the chances of transiting worms are much higher.
Cat owners must fully cook cat food because undercooked ingredients can serve as infestation sources.
Is Wet Cat Food Beneficial To My Cat?
Feeding wet food to cats is a good way to provide water in addition to drinking water.
Cats evolved from arid locations without adequate water, and their bodies adapted to survive with little water and moisture content in their prey.
Cat dehydration can be a deadly risk factor for diseases like kidney disease and constipation. Wet food aids in the proper digestion of cat food since it is high in moisture content.
Benefits of feeding your wet cat food include:
- Urinary health – Wet foods promote urine that is more diluted and less concentrated. Dilute cat urine is crucial in preventing urinary tract problems since it lowers the concentration of inflammatory components in the bladder.
- Weight management – Wet food is characterized by having lower energy calories than dry food causing wet food to be bulkier. This bulky nature of wet food helps with weight loss and cat weight prevention plans.
- Stomach Disorders – Constipation is caused by dehydration and is common in cats that feed on large amounts of dry cat food. Feeding wet food to your cat can be beneficial in reducing the chances of dehydration.
Conclusion
As upsetting as it sounds, it is essential to know that at some point in your cat’s life, it will undoubtedly be affected by worms.
It is an inevitable part of feline life.
It should be well emphasized that some worms are capable of crossing the species barrier.
This aspect means they can be transmitted to or from other household pets (ex., dogs) and even humans.
To protect your cat, yourself, and the rest of your pet babies, you must deworm your cat regularly.
Commercially available wet cat foods cannot serve as a source of worms; therefore, cats cannot get worms from them.
However, home-prepared wet cat foods, if inadequately prepared and previously contaminated with worms, can serve as a source.
Therefore, when preparing your cat’s meals at home and on your own, you must ensure all ingredients are adequately prepared and well-cooked.
Purrfect n’ Pawesome is the brainchild of Amanda, who has been into researching and writing about pets to help other pet parents in nurturing their adorable pets. Currently, she runs Purrfect n’ Pawesome along with her team of experienced and dedicated pet experts. Along with being an awesome writer and entrepreneur, Amanda is a cat mom to two innocently spoiled cats, Balanca and Scruffy.
She has been writing about pet care and nurturing and wants to share her readers’ experiences, learnings, and knowledge.
Over the years, she had the opportunity to work with various pet owners having multiple breeds, and that exposure gave her experience and the lessons of a lifetime.
Her family, her entire universe revolves around her two cats, who give her endless support and inspiration to move ahead with her objectives in life. Amanda is a live example of a balanced approach to all parenthood questions we all face in life.
