Despite the abundance of cases of ear mites, lice and fleas taking up residence on our cats; the most common parasite seen in adult cats is actually the tapeworm, which attaches itself to the wall of the intestine by hooks and suckers on its head! 

The body of a tapeworm is made up of quarter-inch long segments, each of which contains eggs.  Over the course of the tapeworm’s life, these segments break off and are passed out of the anus in the faeces for other organisms to pick up.  These organisms are normally lice and fleas which, having picked up the tapeworm segment, are commonly ingested by another animal – continuing the tapeworm’s life in a new intestine.  Hence, if your cat has a tapeworm, the chances are that it has lice or fleas as well!

Tapeworms are easily treated by either a deworming pill or injection.  Signs that your cat has tapeworms include dry segments found in the hair around the anus or in the bedding.  On rare occasions or when they are present in large numbers, tapeworms can cause weight loss and debilitation in cats, though a more reliable sign may be “scooting” – where the cat drags his behind across the ground to soothe anal irritation.  This sign is far more common in dogs that cats, however.   

Luckily tapeworms aren’t that bad for you cat’s health so don’t worry yourself too much about seeking out the signs.