Tapeworms in cats: symptoms, treatment and prevention

Tapeworms in cats are flat, segmented worms that live in the small intestine. Cats get them by swallowing an infected flea while grooming or by eating infected rodents. They rarely make a cat ill, a vet can usually clear them with a deworming medicine, and they come back unless the fleas or the hunting are dealt with.

Most owners find out by spotting small white pieces, like grains of rice, under the cat's tail or where it sleeps.

What cat tapeworm segments look like

The adult worm stays inside, attached to the wall of the intestine by its head. It can be many inches long, but you will almost never see it whole. What you see are the segments at its tail end, which break off and pass out of the cat. Each one is a packet of eggs.

• Fresh segments are white or cream, flat and about the size of a grain of rice. They can stretch and shrink as they move.
• Dried segments are smaller, hard and yellowish, like sesame seeds.

Look in the fur under the tail and around the anus, on bedding and favorite sleeping spots, and on the surface of fresh stool. Segments are passed on and off, so a few clear days do not mean the worm has gone.

Symptoms of tapeworm in cats

Most cats with tapeworms act completely normal. When there are signs, they are usually mild:

• Segments on the fur, bedding or stool.
• Extra licking or biting under the tail.
• Dragging the rear along the floor, though this is less common in cats than in dogs.
• Occasionally, vomiting up a length of worm.
• Fleas, flea dirt or scratching, since fleas are the usual source.

A heavy infection can be linked with a dull coat or some weight loss, mostly in kittens or cats that are already unwell. In an adult cat, real weight loss should not be put down to tapeworms without looking for other causes.

How cats get tapeworms

A cat cannot catch tapeworms directly from another cat or from eating a segment. The worm has to pass through another animal first.

• Fleas. This is the most common route. Flea larvae in the environment eat tapeworm eggs. The cat then swallows the grown flea while grooming, and the worm develops in the intestine. A cat can have very few visible fleas and still be infected, because cats groom them away.
• Hunting. A second kind of tapeworm comes from eating mice, rats and other small prey that carry the immature worm.

Indoor cats get tapeworms too. Fleas arrive on dogs, on other cats and on people's clothing, and indoor cats catch mice.

How vets diagnose tapeworms

Diagnosis is usually made by seeing the segments. Stool tests often miss tapeworms, because the eggs stay inside the segments and are not spread evenly through the stool. A negative stool test does not rule them out.

Take a segment to the clinic in a sealed bag, or take a clear photo. Dried segments can be confused with other things, including fly larvae and bits of litter or food, so letting the vet see it is worthwhile. Other worms look different and need different medicine, as explained in worms in cats.

Tapeworm treatment for cats

The standard treatment is a dewormer made for tapeworms. The most widely used is praziquantel, which comes as a tablet, an injection or a spot-on applied to the skin. It damages the worm's outer surface so that it lets go of the intestine and is digested. That is why you usually do not see a dead worm afterward.

General dewormers aimed at roundworms often do nothing to tapeworms, so the product matters. The choice and the amount depend on your cat's weight, age, health and other medicines, and only your vet can set them. Side effects are uncommon, but tell your vet if your cat drools, vomits, has diarrhea or seems flat after treatment.

The dewormer deals with the worms that are there on the day. It gives no lasting protection, which is where flea control comes in.

How to get rid of tapeworms in cats without going to the vet

There is no reliable way to clear tapeworms without a proper deworming medicine, and the safest way to get the right one is through your vet. That does not always mean a full appointment. If your cat has been examined fairly recently, some clinics will weigh the cat and dispense a dewormer, or advise you by phone. It is worth calling to ask.

Some tapeworm dewormers are sold without a prescription. Only give one if your vet has confirmed the exact product and amount for your cat. Products vary in which worms they cover, the amount is set by weight, and what you found may not be tapeworm at all. Never use a dog product on a cat. Some dog flea and worm treatments contain ingredients that are toxic to cats.

Home remedies for tapeworms in cats

Home remedies do not work. Pumpkin seeds, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, turmeric, carrots and diatomaceous earth are the ones most often suggested, and there is no good evidence that any of them removes tapeworms from a cat.

Some are harmful. Garlic is toxic to cats and damages their red blood cells. Diatomaceous earth is a dust that irritates the lungs when breathed in. And while a remedy is being tried, the fleas that caused the problem are still breeding in the house.

Can people catch tapeworms from cats?

It is rare. To catch the common flea tapeworm, a person has to swallow an infected flea. That happens occasionally, mostly to young children, and it is treatable. You do not get it from stroking your cat or from touching a segment, though you should still wash your hands.

In some parts of the world, cats that hunt can carry a different, uncommon tapeworm whose eggs are a more serious risk to people. Your vet will know whether it occurs where you live. If you are worried about someone in your household, speak to a doctor.

Prevention: why tapeworms keep coming back

If a cat swallows another infected flea the day after treatment, it is infected again, and new segments can appear within a few weeks. Repeated tapeworms almost always mean an ongoing flea problem or an active hunter, not a failed dewormer.

• Keep every cat and dog in the home on a flea preventive. Ask your vet which product is suitable and how long to keep it going.
• Treat the house. Most of a flea population lives in carpets, bedding and furniture as eggs and larvae, not on the pet. Wash bedding on a hot cycle and vacuum often.
• Expect it to take time. Clearing fleas from a home takes weeks to months of steady treatment.
• For cats that hunt, ask your vet about a regular deworming schedule.

Tapeworms in older cats

Older cats get tapeworms the same way as younger ones, and stiff seniors may show more of the evidence. A cat with arthritis often cannot reach its back end to clean it, so segments and flea dirt collect in the fur. A dirty rear in an old cat is worth mentioning to the vet in its own right. See why an old cat stops grooming.

The more important point is about weight. Tapeworms rarely make a cat ill. So an old cat that has segments and is also losing weight needs the weight loss investigated on its own. A thin cat that is always hungry is the classic picture people blame on worms, but in a senior it can point to hyperthyroidism, diabetes, bowel disease or other conditions. Kidney disease and cancer cause weight loss too.

If your cat is still thin a few weeks after deworming, or was losing weight before you saw any segments, ask for blood and urine tests. The article on why an old cat is losing weight goes through the causes. Tell the vet about any kidney or liver disease and every medicine your cat takes before a dewormer or flea product is chosen.

Call the vet today if

• Your cat vomits repeatedly or cannot keep water down.
• It has not eaten for a day.
• It is weak, very quiet or hiding.
• Its gums are pale. Heavy flea infestations can cause anemia, especially in kittens and frail cats.
• There is blood in the stool or ongoing diarrhea.
• It is losing weight, or is thin and ravenous.
• Its belly is swollen or painful.
• It drools, trembles or seems unwell after any flea or worm treatment.
• A dog product has been put on your cat.

If your own clinic is closed, call an emergency veterinary clinic or an animal poison control line.

This article is general educational information, not veterinary advice. Rice-like segments can point to tapeworms but do not confirm them, and tapeworms rarely explain weight loss or illness in an older cat. Your veterinarian should choose the dewormer, the flea control and the amounts for your cat.