Types of worms

Tapeworms

Tapeworms also live in your cat’s gut. They resemble long, flat ribbons divided up into segments. The commonest of them is the flea tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum), which affects both cats and dogs.

It grows to a length of around 500mm, and is acquired by swallowing fleas which are infected with the tapeworm larva.

The other tapeworm often found in UK cats (especially cats that go hunting) is the mouse tapeworm (Taenia taeniaeformis), which uses mice, rats and other small rodents as its intermediate hosts. Like all tapeworms, the adult worm attaches itself to the wall of the intestine, whereas roundworms move freely in the gut.

Symptoms to look for in your cat

Treatment of tapeworms