Something Moving In The Litter Box? You've Likely Got Worms To Worry About

Cleaning the litter box isn't the most pleasant thing, but it can be extremely alarming and confusing to see something moving inside that litter box. If you've noticed that there are small, rice-like wriggling things in your cat's defecations, then you need help from a veterinarian. In the meantime, here's what's likely going on.

What They Are

The most likely answer for what you're seeing in your cat's feces are tapeworm larvae. Tapeworm larvae are the infant form of tapeworms that have just hatched out. They sometimes come out of the body when a cat or dog has a full-fledged tapeworm infestation.

Tapeworms live in the guts and survive off of the food and water that your cat eats and drinks on a daily basis. This can lead to a cat losing weight and becoming malnourished, which is not only dangerous for their overall health but could also potentially trigger fatty liver disease, a starvation disorder.

How They Got There

Tapeworm larvae don't naturally hatch in a cat's body, of course. They're instead ingested.

Tapeworms have a sort of symbiotic relationship with fleas, a common household pest for people who have pets. Unhatched tapeworm larvae are carried by a flea, harmlessly. When a flea lands on your cat to bite them, your cat might ingest this flea by cleaning themselves. If this happens, they ingest the tapeworm eggs and they then hatch out inside the body.

What to Do About It

Here's the good news: tapeworms are definitely treatable for cats. All you need to do is to head to a vet's office.

Although it's gross, if you can, bringing a stool sample with you containing some of the wrigglers is a good idea. Put it in a sealed container so that your vet can test it for larvae, as that is likely the first thing they'll want to do.

Your cat may also receive a physical examination to determine how bad the infestation is. Once a diagnosis has been made, they'll be given an oral medication that will kill the tapeworms and prevent the eggs from hatching. The eggs will then naturally pass through the digestive system and will be rejected by the body safely.

Tapeworms in the litter box isn't something that anyone wants to deal with, so take steps to prevent this from happening in the future. Talk to your vet about effective flea solutions that will prevent fleas from landing on your cat in the first place so this doesn't happen again.

For more information, contact a vet clinic like Clevengers Corner.