How Does
How Do Cats Get Worms?
By Sarah Rigg
eHow Contributing Writer
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Ingesting Worm Eggs
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According to the Cornell Feline Health Center, up to 45 percent of all cats may be infected with gastrointestinal parasites. Kittens are especially prone to getting worms because, like human toddlers, they tend to explore the world by putting things in their mouths. A kitten or cat may ingest worm ova by coming in contact with feces from an infected cat, eating dirt or grass that has worm eggs on it, or eating birds, mice or fleas that are infected. An infected mother can also pass worms on to nursing kittens through her milk.
Gestation in the Intestines
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The life cycle of worms in cats differs slightly depending on the species. For instance, tapeworm adults live in the small intestines of cats and produce eggs. Hookworms also gestate in the small intestines, but their life cycle and means of infection can be slightly different than that of tapeworms. Some worms will infest hosts like mice and other rodents. Others, such as roundworms, need cats to complete the life cycle. If a mice or rabbit is infected with a roundworm egg, it will remain in larva form, possibly for a couple of years, without passing to the adult stage. Roundworms only grow into the adult form in cats.
Burrowing Into Skin
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Some types of parasitic worms, such as hookworms, don't have to be eaten. If a cat comes into contact with hookworm larvae, the parasites can burrow into the skin. From there, they may cause cysts in the skin, or they may migrate to the intestine to gestate.
The Cycle Continues
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An infected cat will eventually excrete worm eggs. These eggs may contaminate the food of insects and rodents. When the fleas or mice eat the eggs, the eggs will either remain in the larva stage or go on to become adults in the host, depending on the species of worm. When a cat eats the fleas or mice, the infection cycle starts over.
eHow Article: How Do Cats Get Worms?
