What are the signs my cat has worms?

You will not have any signs for quite a long time. Cats are good at hiding when they have a problem, so they may become quite ill before they ever give you a real indication of a problem. Some subtle signs could be that cats are less interactive. They may have a hunched appearance when they're sitting like they're not 100% comfortable. Vomiting or diarrhea can be an issue. But really, the best way to do this is to figure it out before it becomes a problem. We're huge on preventative care here at Freeport Vet, so we want to find this before it causes your cat problems. And that's why we recommend regular stool sample checks as well as regular deworming.

There can be many different signs. Normally, there will be loose stool, potential vomiting or not eating very well. You will also see the worms in your cat's stool or around the back end. Weight loss or their hair coat not looking as great as it once did are also signs.

The most common one we see with kittens is a round pop belly. So if we see these little pop belly kittens or puppies coming in, they're almost going to have roundworms, but they may not necessarily have the pop belly. Although, that's a classic situation. They've got a really heavy burden with the tapeworms. That's probably the most visible sign you would see. Otherwise, we have a term in veterinary medicine that's called ADR: they ain't doing right. Some of those cats are kittens. They're just unthrifty. We'll always be suspicious if they're not doing well that they could have intestinal worms or intestinal parasites.

Some of the most common symptoms of worms in cats include a bloated belly, vomiting, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. These symptoms are usually gastrointestinal. In severe cases, especially in young cats, they can even die from intestinal parasites.