Roundworms in cats: Symptoms and treatments

Updated 23/04/2024

Common and curable, roundworms in cats are something regularly seen by vets. Roundworm in cats, though nasty, is very treatable, especially if caught early. Here’s how to spot roundworms in cats, prevent it from happening, and how it can be treated.

What are roundworms in cats?

Cat roundworm (AKA toxocara cati) is a very common parasite found in kitties. When ingested, these worms take up residence in your in your cat’s intestines. They’re about 3 to 4 inches long (8cm to 10cm) and swim freely around the intestines producing roundworm eggs to develop into more adult roundworms. However, these horrible little worms can be easily treated a most cats will end up with at least one roundworm infection once in their lives.

Unfortunately, if your cat has a roundworm infection and nursing a litter of kittens, these parasites can migrate to the mammary gland as roundworm larvae. This means kittens can accidentally take in roundworm young when taking in milk from mom.

Roundworm in cats is often not life-threatening, especially for adult cats. However, kittens and senior cats are more susceptible to suffering from and show more alarming symptoms. As kittens have underdeveloped baby bodies, and senior cats’ bodies aren’t as viral as they used to be, they can struggle to cope with cat roundworm.

How do cats get roundworms?

Few kitties can pick up cat roundworms. Firstly, if you have a miniature tiger for an outdoor cat who likes to catch mice or rodents, this can be an easy way for them to pick up a roundworm infestation. Rodents can carry the parasite too, and if Mr. Kitty has made a meal out of a locally infected mouse, well, Mr. Kitty will also receive a dose of cat roundworm.

As roundworm eggs are passed through cat poop, felines can pick up a roundworm infection if they come into contact with infected poop or soil. Try to do a daily spot check for poop and rodents before letting your cat out.

As mentioned above, kittens can take in roundworm larvae through their mom’s mammary glands. If your cat is pregnant, make sure they’re dewormed regularly before they give birth to prevent this from happening.

Symptoms of roundworms in cats

There are a few clear symptoms of roundworms in cats, particularly adult cats:

• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Dull hair coat
• Vomiting
• Coughing
• Pot-bellied appearance
• Overvocalization throughout the day and night

Kittens will also display these symptoms, but ringworm infections can also stop them from growing.

How to treat roundworms in cats

Treating roundworms in cats is relatively straightforward, once their vet has confirmed they have cat roundworm. Different topical treatments can be given to your cat including either liquids or pills:

• Pyrantel
• Fenbendazole
• Emodepside
• Ivermectin
• Moxidectin

These will need to be given to them every day for at least two to six weeks. Make sure you’ve got the right product at the right dose and frequency – your vet can help with this. This will make sure the infection is completely stamped out. Once they’re all better, your cat will go on as if nothing happened!

If you think your cat has cat roundworms, immediately make an appointment with your vet and explain why. They’ll most likely ask you to bring in a sample of their poop (we know, ew) for them to examine.

Can humans be infected by cat roundworms?

The short, sad answer is yes, humans can become infected with cat roundworm. For adult humans, this may cause some unpleasant side effects like abdominal pain and digestive problems. For kids, it can be a bit more serious and an uncomfortable experience for them. If you think you or someone in your family has caught cat roundworm, contact your doctor immediately.

Cat roundworm can be prevented

Most vets will prescribe deworming medication as part of your cat’s annual checkup. Often the vet will offer to feed this medicine (usually in the form of a pill) for you as this can be tricky with a wriggly kitty. While this doesn’t stop you’re cat from catching a roundworm infection, it will kill any existing roundworm eggs, roundworm larvae, or adult roundworms inside your feline. Speak to your vet about regular deworming treatments and how best to approach them.

If you have an outdoor kitty who likes to hunt, try to put rodent deterrents around your garden to stop your cat from hunting infected mice or rats. Similarly, if you notice any unfortunate victim of your cat lying outside, be sure to properly dispose of it in the garbage can.

Be sure to clean your kitty’s litter box daily and keep an eye out for anything worm or string-like in their poop. When you’ve picked up their poop, make sure it’s tightly wrapped in a litter box garbage bag and taken to the outside bin straight away.

Cats also regularly suffer from tapeworms and all of this advice is just as applicable to tapeworms too.

Meet our veterinary expert, Greg

This article has been checked by veterinarian Dr Greg Steele MA VETMB MRCVS. A mixed vet working in the UK since qualifying from Cambridge University in 2015. Greg enjoys working with all species of animals in all settings, but equally takes pride in communication and education of clients too. He lives with his wife and their cat, and enjoys a variety of sports, gardening, and the great outdoors.

When in doubt about your pet’s health, always contact their vet. TrustedHousesitters Standard and Premium members have free access to our 24/7 vet advice line if they fear their feline friend might have a case of cat roundworm. Not a member yet? Why not look at our membership options to see which would best suit your pet person lifestyle?