parasites in cats

Question
I recently found 2 stringlike worms outside my backdoor. They were black thru the body and yellow on both ends. I first thought they were just pieces of string until I saw one move. Now my cat is ill-not eating. Could there be any connection and have you ever seen these?

Answer
Hi Judy!  No, I have never seen that type of worm as an intestinal parasite.  They are always white in color.  I am not sure where you are located, but I know that in certain areas there is a parasite called a Wolf Worm.  I am not familiar at all with this type of intestinal parasite, as they are not in my area at all.  I don't know what a wolf worm looks like, so I can't completely rule that out.  I would however recommend a vet visit for your cat.  There may be an intestinal parasite, or your cat could have eaten one of these worms, or anything else that has been toxic to him.  I wish I could be of more help and please keep me posted!
Hilary