Cat Roundworm Infestation: 7 Things You Should Know

Although cat roundworm is typically less severe than other worms, it should not be ignored. Infections are quite common, and your vet should be testing your kitten at the initial check ups and vaccination visits. Typically, kittens are treated even when they test negative. A fecal flotation exam should be done once per year at your cat's annual check up.

Here are 7 important points concerning cat roundworm.

1. How your cat contracts it - Roundworms initially get into the intestinal tract of your cat through the mouth. This can be from eating infected rodents or insects, or by coming in contact with eggs in the environment. This makes roundworm potentially more common in outdoor cats or cats that are let out to hunt. Kittens can get it from their mothers, who may not show signs of the disease.

2. Roundworm gets around - Almost all kittens have roundworm, and even if they test negative, are usually treated for it. Although most cases are not severe, roundworm is dangerous in kittens if left untreated and can cause death.

3. What is roundworm - Cat roundworm (Toxascaris leonina and Toxocara cati) according to Cornell Feline Health Center, are the most common of the intestinal parasites that affect cats. T. leonina may also infect dogs, so your cat may not be the only one with a problem. Infection rates are an estimated 25 to 75% (higher in kittens than adults).

4. When you see them - Adult roundworms are 3 to 5 inches long, and are described as either cream or white in color. They have thin, tubelike bodies that resemble strands of spaghetti, but you'll usually only see them if your cat vomits them up.

5. What they do inside your cat - The lifecycle is somewhat different for T. cati and T. leonina. T. leonina take 2 to 3 months to mature and remain in the intestines the whole time. T. cati, on the other hand, migrate through tissue wall making their way to the throat via the lungs. They are then coughed up and swallowed. Unlike hookworms, roundworms are not tissue feeders. Instead of attaching themselves to the inside of the intestines, they swim freely in the intestines of the cat.

6. The next step - Eggs are produced by the female worm and passed in the feces. Fresh feces is not infective, and it may take up to several weeks or a month for the eggs to move into the infective larva stage. Once there, however, they can remain infective for years.

7. Preventing infection - Deworming females prior to pregnancy would make sense, except that medications do not affect dormant worms that reactivate during pregnancy, just in time to infect the kittens. Containing the worm population requires containing your cat and keeping him or her indoors, and control of the pest population. Cats at highest risk are those that roam and hunt.

Roundworm infections are relatively benign as compared to other intestinal parasites that your cat might encounter. In fact, a cat can appear perfectly healthy and still have a mild case of roundworm.

Cat roundworm infections can, however, become life-threatening. If the number of worms becomes large enough they can cause intestinal blockage. Also, since kittens are small and still developing, infected kittens may be in serious danger if left untreated. Adult cats with compromised immune systems, or other debilitating diseases, especially very old cats, can be at similar risk as well.

You should have a talk about roundworm with your veterinarian if you have an at risk kitten or older cat at home.