We took our eight week old kitten (who we’ve had since four weeks) to the vet this weekend for his first check-up and vaccinations. They gave him some de-wormer and told us to keep the litter pans very clean and watch out for worms in his stool. I did see one, a round worm, which it seems is very common in kittens. Now I’m wondering how concerned we should be about being infected with the worms ourselves. (We have already resolved to bring our other cat to the vet to be de-wormed also, just in case.)
From researching online, it seems that you can only get them by ingesting the eggs, but I can’t find any info on how easy they are to transmit. I mean, I don’t stick my hands in the litter pan and then go cook dinner, but can the eggs become airborne and get stuck on other things? Do they attach themselves to the kitten’s fur, so they could possibly end up on furniture, etc.? Do we need to be concerned because he sleeps in our bed?
Any answers would be appreciated, I’m just so grossed out by the idea of worms. . . . I never realized it was so common for kittens to have them, or I would have taken him to the vet as soon as we got him. (As it was, I called the vet when we got him and they said they didn’t need to see him until eight weeks.)
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Almost all animals (including us humans) have intestinal parasites, and feral/wild animals are never dewormed. So the risk is all around you and always has been, even without your (very cute!) kitten.
I really wouldn’t worry about it.
And do not google eyelash mites, and choose to view images, if you are grossed out by the idea of intestinal parasites. Just, don’t.
I’ve never heard of a person getting round worms, and a very large percentage of puppies and kittens have rounds. I wouldn’t worry at all. Ringworm (fungal), yes. Roundworms, no.
I work in a feline rescue where the cats have the run of the place. Every room has cats and every room has litter boxes, including the offices. Granted, we throw out the litter and wash the boxes daily, but I’ve been here for 11 years and no one has ever gotten parasites from the cats. They’re all dewormed while in quarantine and get fecals checked regularly and there are outbreaks in a colony here and there. We do a deworming sweep as needed, and even with those, no human cases at all.
Just wash your hands after scooping/replacing litter or washing boxes. Have all the pets in the house treated, and you’re set.
Thanks for the responses everyone, this does make me feel better about it.
Well, the vet originally told us to watch out for parasites in his stool, and to call if we saw any. When I called about it, they just told me that it was normal and to bring him back in three weeks for another round of de-wormer. I asked if we needed to bring the other cat in, but it didn’t occur to me to ask about transmission to humans until later when I was reading about the roundworms online.
We do wash our hands. I was just concerned that there might be less obvious ways the eggs could be transmitted, such as on the cat’s fur or paws. I would definitely wash hands after cleaning the litter pan, or even after petting the cat if I was about to eat, but maybe not after touching the couch cushions, etc.
