Dear Simba,
How can an indoor, 10-month-old kitten suddenly get roundworms and tape worms. I know that most kittens are born with worms but wouldn't they show up right away? - Confused

Dear Confused,
Quite a puzzle indeed. Your kitten acquired worms through contact with a infected animal or an infected animal's fecal matter during one of the following:

While visitng your home

While he was visiting another home

While at a kennel

While outside if he has ever escaped

From a human carrying fleas or flea eggs.

From an infected rodent that entered your home.

Other than these, I am at a loss. Think of what outside contact he has had and you will find your answer. Simba

Help Simba,
I just moved to flea-ridden California from the flea-free state of Colorado and my cat is having a terrible time with these fleas. I was slow to catch on and I can't seem to get rid of the things. I did get Advantage and put it on him…however, do you know of a safe way to get the fleas out of the carpet? I am vacuuming like crazy, but it does not seem to be doing any good. I read about these chemical free light traps, such as the traps by Fleacor and HappyJack, do those work well? Sofia

Dear Sofia,
What a mess! As you may know, fleas are little wingless, bloodsucking insects. They are a common source of frustration for people and their cats.

I believe that your best bet to kill those pesky fleas is to use a fogger. My reasoning is their high reproduction rate. For every adult flea found on the pet, there are 100-200 immature fleas in the environment. These will only grow & prosper if not killed and killed quickly. To give you an example, once grown, an adult flea can live on your cat for several weeks, taking a little bit of blood every one or two days. This means that a massive flea infestation can cause a small kitten to become anemic. Some products that work well are the Zodiac FleaTrol(TM) Foggers or Zodiac Carpet & Upholstery Flea & Tick Spray.

Of course you can use these only if you and kitty are out of the area being fumigated. The spray time is perfect for a vet visit or a walk around the neighborhood. Just be sure to use the Cat-safe versions of a Flea & Tick Shampoo & Flea & Tick Drops. Also, be sure to have kitty checked for tapeworm since fleas are a common host. Best of luck & keep me posted. Simba

Dear Simba,
My 13 month old cat is 7 week pregnant, and has fleas. Any recommendations for safe flea control? Last time, I used a cheaper over the counter treatment, but its directions said that it is not to be used on pregnant cats. Cheers! Jane

Dear Jane,
I believe that the best flea treatment for pregnant and nursing momma cats involves a flea comb, daily vacuuming and the frequent washing of your their bedding at a high temperatures. I am wary of applying chemicals or even 'natural' shampoos to treat fleas on cats at this delicate stage, as these could have adverse effects on the kittens. Using the flea comb might take a little longer, but your cat will love the extra attention of being combed. Be sure to keep her indoors so as to prevent re-infestation. Keep me posted. Simba

Dear Simba,
Our 7-week old kitten has fleas. Can I use a powder? When will I be able to use something like Frontline Thanks for helping, - Flea Bitten

Dear Flea Bitten,
I did some searching and I found several products that are advertised to rid young kittens of fleas. The following products claim to kill 95-99% of-* all fleas within 12 hours:

Program Liquid Cat 1-10 Lbs can be used on kittens 6+ weeks.

Advantage Cat 1-9 Lbs can be used on kittens 8+ weeks.

NATURA flea & tick mousse claims it can be used on kittens as young as 2 weeks.

Marcie writes in and reports that TopSpot works well on young kittens. Its advantage is that it does not wash off like other solutions Zodiac Flea & Tick Powder can also be used on kittens.

Frontline 6pk Cat/kittens is advertised as being safe for use on kittens who are 12+ weeks of age. However, the most important thing is that you carefully follow the directions on how and when to apply the treatment. This goes for all flea products. Keep me posted. Be sure to also watch for tapeworms since these go hand in hand with fleas. -Your Pal, Simba

Dear Simba,
I had a four-month old kitten She had been outside all day. I then let her in my kitchen. When I sprayed it with Frontline she died very suddenly. What could the kitten have possibly died from? M.Y.

Dear M.Y.,
How terrible this happened. My heart goes out to you. One of the more important things to know when using products like Frontline for Cats & Kittens is to ensure that you are apply only the recomended dose and that you use the appropriate type of product. Frontline comes in several versions, some made just for Dogs (Small, Medium Large and X-large) as well as others made for just Cats and kittens.

My reading on the topic shows that Frontline for Cats & Kittens is advertised as being safe for kittens 12+ weeks of age. Many folks have had positive experiences with it. At the same time, regardless of the goodness of the product any medicine can be harmful to some creatures depending on their health, age or in the manner and frequency in which the product is applied. For example, Frontline should not be reapplied within 30 days of a cat's initial treatment. It is possible that your little one may have consumed something outside she should not have or might just have gotten the wrong type of Frontline.
Frontline Corporate has put together a web site with Q&A's and all sorts of information on their product. I wish you well. Keep me posted. Simba

Dear Simba,
I have a friend with two cats and a small child. I recently noticed the little boy has a rash. The doctors can't seem to figure out what it is. Could it be a flea bite? I know the kitties have not yet been treated for fleas? Adam

Dear Adam,
There are a couple of possibilities. If the kitties are outdoor/indoor cats it is possible that they may have brought in particles to which people are allergic. One suspect is Ringworm, a fungal disease that can be transferred from cats to people. It is the most common skin disease in humans transmitted by cats (many cats are carriers of this condition and show no outward signs). As you mentioned, flea bites are another possibility. While many cat flea bites leave no marks on people, they can produce a small, red spot that is surrounded by a reddened halo on folks with sensitive skin (like children).

It might be worthwhile to consult a dermatologist. He/she can let you know if it is a kitty thing or not. Should it be ringworm, your vet can treat kitty & help your friends avoid re-infection. And should it be a flea bite, there are plenty of products (see right hand bar) to help your friend's kid and the kitties. Keep me posted. Simba

PS
Indoor/Outdoor cats have been known to transmit poison ivy to people. The likelihood of this is dependent on time of year and geographic location.

Dear Simba,
I bought some Flea Dip for Taz, my 5 month old kitten. l didn't read the directions and used entirely too much. My wife and me had to rush Taz to an emergency hospital. They gave him a bath and a shot of ambathol (or something like that). They said he'd be fine, however he has changed dramatically. Today he has stayed under our bed and every effort of trying to love him has failed, he constantly has hissed, clawed, and deeply meowed at us every time we approach him. He has eaten and drank little. What has happened to our beloved kitten? - Wanting our kitten to love us again

Dear Wanting,
Poor little guy! The dips, the car ride, the hospital, the people poking at him, the shots, the noises have all given the little guy a scare. Give Taz time by himself. Be patient (don’t rush him) he should come around. Make sure the room is quiet and warm. Leave food and water near the bed (now might be a good time to feed him his favorite food…Tuna?)If Taz does not eat consider taking him to the vet, kittens cannot skip meals! Simba

Dear Simba, my 4-month old male kitty has just been diagnosed with Tapeworm. he is being treated by the vet. What is tapeworm? His 2 sisters and mom do not have it-is there anything we can do to avoid them getting it? thank you! Jane

Dear Jane,
Tapeworm is an intestinal parasite. You can identify it by looking for small rice like particles in stools. These particles are egg cases that protect and release tapeworm eggs. The worms themselves are flat and have many segments Tapeworms can be transmitted in several ways. One way is through flea larvae. Fleas eat the tapeworm and cats may ingest the flea while grooming. Because of this, fleas usually = tapeworms. The other way of getting worms is through infected rodents (this affects outdoor kitties). So what to do?

Segregate the infected kitty until he is worm-free.

Check your cats for fleas

Replace all the kitty litter and be thorough in cleaning it

Talk to your vet about preventive worming treatment

If your cats go outside, consider keeping them in

I hope this helps. - Your Pal, Simba

How contagious are Tapeworms? My kitten has what appears to be small rice particles on his stools. My vet will not be here for 5 days, I have other pets.

Hi,
Tapeworms are transmitted through the ingestion of infected fleas or feces. I recommend that you keep your kitten isolated consistent with the letters below, until he is treated. Simba

Dear Simba,
I have found some tiny, white, hard, rice-shaped things on the chair where the kitten sleeps. I've checked his poop and Have not found worms. What could these be? He is a high-energy kitty and has a good appetite. Any advice you could give would be appreciated. - Thanks! Amy

Dear Amy,
It looks like Kitty has tapeworm. This condition is fairly common in kittens and those little grains of rice-like matter are egg cases that hold and release tapeworm eggs. FYI, watch out for fleas. Because your kitten is too young to hunt it is possible that he acquired tapeworms by eating flea larvae (flea larvae often eat tapeworm eggs). Best thing to do is to go to your vet and treat your kitten. In the meantime check him for fleas. Again, this is a common condition so don't worry, he'll be fine. - Your Pal, Simba

Dear Simba
We discovered worms that look like small white rice that moves in our cat's stool. Please advise what we need to do to rid the cat of worms, protect our other cat from getting worms too and whether or not worms can be transmitted to humans. Thank you for your assistance concerning this matter. Scooter

Dear Scooter,
It appears as though your cat has tapeworm. Tapeworms are very common and easily treated. They transmitted through the ingestion of flea larvae or infected rodents. Most indoor cats get tapeworm from fleas. So there is a risk that your other cat may already be infected.

The risk to human adults is minimal so long as you wash your hands after interacting with your cat (be sure to keep any young children away until your cat completes treatment). Your best bet is to isolate the cat that has the worms and begin treatment with a wormer (worming capsules that treat tapeworms in cats are available at PETsMART.com and at your local pet store). You may also want to begin a preventive treatment for your other cat, in addition to taking them both for a check up and possible flea treatment. Tapeworms are an easy one to cure. Keep me posted. Simba

Dear Simba,
I have 3 kittens, their mother and a small dog. One of the kittens threw up several, 3 1/2-inch worms. They were long, round and thin. They seemed to curl up when they hit the air. Do I have to get rid of these cats to make sure my children and dog do not get sick? If not please tell me what I should do.

Hi
You do not have to get rid of the cats, but you do have to treat them soon. It appears as though your kitten may have Roundworm (and it is likely that his siblings and mother may be similarly infected). Roundworms are 3-5" long, cream-colored, and live in the intestines and are amongst the most common of intestinal parasites.

Roundworms can be transmitted to children if they have ingested larvae. The larvae can be found in dirt, kitty litter, feces or vomit. Transmission to humans is rare, but is possible.

As for your kittens, Roundworms can be life threatening to kitties if left untreated. Cats are usually infected by ingesting eggs or by eating rodents that carry the roundworm larvae (kittens can become infected through their mother's milk). Your vet can provide effective treatment, so please take the kitties there ASAP (you may also want to have your dog tested as well).

In the meantime, isolate the cats from your children and your pets. Clean out their litter box often, avoid feeding them raw meats, check them for fleas (see letters below) and begin worming them with similar to Erliworm. Be sure that any wormer you buy is marked as safe for nursing mothers, should momma cat be nursing. Also, clean your floors, carpets and furniture thoroughly since the eggs can survive for months in the environment. The risk of infection is lower now that you know. This is a treatable condition. Keep me posted. Simba

Dear Simba,
Our cat has a worm periodically that is flat, approx. 1/2 inch long with an end resembling that of the hammer head shark (shape that is). It does not resemble the tapeworm everyone talks about and it is white in color, not translucent. It is definitely not segmented. Any ideas? We give her parantol for it but they seem to return. Baby Kitty's Family

Dear Baby Kitty's Family,
I suspect that your kitty may be suffering from Hookworms. Adult hookworms are ½ to ¾ inches long live and very, very thin and hence hard to spot. They are called hookworms because their anterior end is curved dorsally, giving the worm a hook- like appearance. Hookworms attach themselves to the intestinal tract where they attach themselves to the walls and feed on the oxygen-carrying blood and can thus cause anemia (anemia symptoms: pale gums, weakness, sometimes black, tarry stools).

Hookworms require treatment with a strong wormer like Pyrantel. Because the worms are ingested through contaminated food or water, moist surfaces, and feces it re-infection in cats is common. Therefore, you want to isolate kitty in a room while he is in treatment. Also, you will want to ensure that all areas of the home, including his isolation room are thoroughly clean. Be sure to wear shoes or other protective footgear when cleaning the litter box because the worms can be absorbed through the skin by people.

Do not panic. This is a common and an easily treated condition. Kitty will be much the better after he is attended to. Keep me posted. Simba

Dear Simba,
My friend's vet thinks her cat may have lungworm. I have never heard of lungworm in cats and was wondering if you had any information on it. - Laurie

Hi Laurie,
Lungworms are a little known but somewhat common parasite in cats with about 5% of cats having them in their lungs. Lungworms are small parasites about 7-10mm in length that burrow themselves in the lung or other nearby tissue. Cats get these usually by eating an infected rodents, birds and snails or other mollusks. It is important to treat lungworm since the more advanced infections can cause significant difficulty breathing & exercising and can at times lead to death.

Your vet can diagnose lungworm through the examination of a stool sample or a tracheal wash. Treatment lasts about 21 days and is done on an outpatient basis. It might be worthwhile to isolate your cat from any other cats you have that may be exposed to the cat's feces and may accidentally ingest it. I have not heard of cat lungworm being transmitted to humans (unlike roundworms & ringworm et al). However, common sense hygiene especially around the litter box is well advised. Keep me posted. Simba

Hi Simba,
What is heartworm and what are the risks to my kitty? Worried

Dear Worried,
Cats can get heartworms, although their rate of infection is usually much lower than it is in dogs. Heartworms are in the same class of worms as roundworms, they even look like roundworms.

Heartworms live their adult lives in the right side of the heart and in the large blood vessels that link the heart to the lungs. Adult heartworms lay small larvae that can live up to a month in cats (2-3 years in dogs!). Mosquitos obtain these larvae when they suck blood from an infected animal. When the mosquito bites an animal, the larvae enter the animal’s skin. Once inside they can live for up to 3 months and grow up to 3 inches in size. This is all before they enter the heart, where they grow into adults. Some heartworms have been known to reach a length of 14 inches! Infected cats usually have only 1-4 worms, these can live up to 1-2 years (hundreds of worms and 5 years in dogs). The timeline between getting bit by a mosquito until the larvae become adults is about 6 months.

Heartworms obstruct the heart's chambers and the large blood vessels leading to and from the heart and lungs. What happens is that the heart's right ventricle and the large pulmonary artery become enlarged as these worms grow. When the worms die, they may flow with the blood into smaller vessels in the lung, in turn obstructing those vessels. When these infections become severe, heartworms can block the large vein that brings blood to the heart. When this vein becomes backed up, the liver enlarges and can be damaged.

How to detect Heartworms?

Your vet can perform a variety of blood tests to detect heartworm infection. However, determining whether a cat has heartworm can be difficult so your vet may need to take x-rays and other tests to help confirm the diagnosis.

How to prevent Heartworms?

There is one heartworm preventative approved for use in cats, Heartgard for Cats. It should be given monthly to prevent heartworm disease and controls hookworms. Kittens older than 6 weeks can receive it. Apparently, pregnant cats can receive it without ill effects (talk with your vet if you are contemplating this).

What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms include decreased appetite, loss of weight, and depression as well as vomiting, blindness and seizures. Some infected cats show no signs at all.

How to treat Heartworms?

Be sure that kitty has heartworm before you begin any treatment. Why? Treatment can be quite risky and requires hospitalization in most cats. Pulmonary embolism, which is caused by dead worms clogging the arteries can often result from treatment (or lack of treatment). Usually some 33% of cats can be expected to experience complications. Thiacetarsamide sodium (Caparsolate®) is the only approved treatment for heartworm. Some cats become quite ill from this treatment, and therapy sometimes has to be stopped.

I hope this is of help to you. Simba