Worms found in cats

There are many types of worms that can infect cats, and some are more common and more dangerous for the cat, or for humans, than others. Most species are found in the gut or intestine, but others are found in the lungs and two species are found in the main blood vessel close to the cat’s heart.

Not all species are found everywhere in Europe, and not all species are important, so to simplify matters ESCCAP has chosen the most important worms to include on this website: roundworm and heartworm. These are worms that need controlling because of the risk they pose to feline or human health and are shown in Infected Area Map

• Roundworms
• Heartworms
• Tapeworms
• Hookworms
• Lungworms
• Under the skin worms

Prevention

The risk of worm infection can be minimised by:

• feeding cooked food
• preventing access to carcases
• regularly worming the cat
• ensuring there is no build up of infection in the cat’s environment by cleaning up faeces where possible.

Treatment should always be discussed with your vet.