Is my cat sick? There were white things in her poop?

Question

Okay, I have to cats in my house. They're very good at using their litterboxs. Usually. Today I found poop in my room, and I don't know which one did it. But that's not the whole problem. There was white things in the poop. Like little with bugs, but I'm petty sure they weren't moving. Is this normal? I know her pooping in my room isn't normal at all, but I'm wondering if she's just mad or actually sick?

worms? can this be passe to my dog, too?

Answer 1

Hi there...the rice-like segments are tapeworms. Tapeworms are caused by ingesting fleas so if you had a problem with fleas-- I'm assuming your dog goes outside, both will have tapeworms. Any vet can confirm this fact as well.

More on tapeworms: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_tapeworm.html

Answer 2

Little white things are probably tape worms, not roundworms as some have said. Roundworms look like spaghetti noodles, whereas tapeworms look like rice, although flatter.

Fortunately, tape worms is not typically passed from animal to animal. They get it by ingesting an infected flea, so it's possible only the one cat has it. You can get meds from your vet to get rid of the worms. If your cats are indoor only, keeping them free of fleas should be easy with Advantage or Revolution, etc. Don't buy the crap at the store (Hartz, etc)... it doesn't work. Flea collars also don't work. The good flea meds are pricey, but they're the only ones that do the job. If you keep the fleas away, the worms wont exist either. I'd take a stool sample from the second cat, just to have it checked. But yeah... treat kitty for worms and fleas, and keep up on flea treatments and it shouldn't be a problem in the future.

Answer 3

One or both of your cats probably has worms, but if you're unsure...

You should know that simply taking the feces to the vet is the best first step. The vet can tell you if it is in fact worms, and where to go from there. This helps you avoid the office fee just for your cat(s) being there, which can be anywhere from $40 and up PER CAT. Yikes! I would take the poop in first and get it examined, that's a LOT cheaper and tells you for sure what's going on. You can also ask the vet any questions you have while you're there, like the question you have about it being passed to your dog. Most vets are very helpful!

From there, you can figure out what to do next!


-Kimberly
*~* Mommy to furbabies Cameron (2.17.2001), Stella (8.11.2006), and Halo (4.5.2003, at the bridge since 5.4.2006-- we miss you so much!)*~*

Answer 4

If he's pooing out of your litter box and the litter is clean, then I reckon he's trying to tell you something is wrong.

I know this is gross, but try and remove 1 or 2 of the white things and bring them to your vet. (Preferably in some kind of sealed container or zip-lock bag)

I did the same thing a couple of years ago and my vet identified worms right away. They gave me a milky solution to administer to my cat orally, and after a few applications the worm passed through and that was that.

Is your cat a long hair or short hair?

You can sometimes see the little worms (actually egg sacks that wriggle like a worm) stuck to the fur on long hair cats.

Just a word to the wise, if they are worms than fleas are close at hand as well. (flea larvae eat the worm eggs, the worm eggs develop in the flea, then the flea gets eaten by the cat and the cycle continues)

I hope this helps

Answer 5

Then, there is the tapeworm. This worm is made up of a long series of
segments, which drop off the worm one by one and are visible in the stool,
or around the hair of the anus. When they dry out, they appear like grains of
rice. Nothing grosses out cat owners more than wiggley little white
creatures on the rear end of the cat. Although these parasites seldom cause
any illness, it is quite understandable that cat owners are anxious to
exterminate them.

These worms are acquired through flea infestation and so can affect indoor
cats that are exposed to fleas. Naturally, the flea problem also has to be
addressed. Hunting rodents can also lead to infestation.

Answer 6

Your cat has round worms. Round worms are caused by your cat having fleas and injesting the fleas when they clean themself. There are over the counter round worm treatments. Some not so effective. Check with your vet for a more effective treatment. It sounds like your cat has a very bad case of round worms. If you have other pets you may want to have them checked too and get rid of the fleas in you home. Once you get rid of the worms if your pet still has fleas then they will get worms again. Dogs can get worms too from the fleas and from engesting cat poo.

Good luck.

Answer 7

Oooh worms. =(

You can get all the pets dewormed together, because they catch it from infected feces and from carrier fleas. While they are being dewormed you can buy some flea treatments for them all.

Advantage, Revolution, or some knock off might do. I use a knock off, but the vet found a big fat flea on babykins yesterday. Not sure if it just happened to jump on him while hiding out in the vet's lobby, or if I need to shell out more cash for better product. =(

Answer 8

You should take both your cats to the vet for a worm treatment; even though probably only one of them has worms, the other runs a good chance of contracting them. Good luck! :o)

Answer 9

Definitely a type of worm. All your kitties will have to be treated as they have all been exposed to it by their litter box and worms are highly infectious from one cat to another. Take them to the Vet to determine what kind of worms and they will be dewormed immediately. the vet can even start them on an oral med right there in his/her office. Good luck with your kitties.

YES< THEY CAN INDEED BE PASSED TO YOUR DOGS.

Answer 10

Sounds like they got worms, take them to the vet and ask. If they have they are quite easy to treate medication in pill form or if they are young you can get a liquid form.