Cat had roundworms. Is it safe to pet him and clean his living areas?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear that Rashmika had tapeworms but it sounds like you are addressing that. This is a good question. Tapeworms require an intermediate host so a pet cannot transmit them directly to other pets or people. Other pets would have to eat the intermediate host (most often a flea carrying tapeworm eggs) to get a tapeworm infection. So your other pets and your family are extremely safe to be around her right now. Good luck with Rashmika

It's definitely a good idea to clean and sanitize everything after your cat has had worms just to prevent spreading it back to your cat (or yourself from contact with any affected material as roundworms are transmissible to people and other pets). I would make sure at the very least to completely change the litter, wipe down the litter box with a sanitizing wipe, and wash any bedding your cat regularly sleeps on including your own, their beds, the couch, etc. This can help get rid of any roundworm eggs that may still be in the environment as it can be spread through fecal matter.

There are intestinal parasites that are contagious to humans. These are hookworms and roundworms. They are contagious via fecal oral contact. Cleaning with regular cleaning products should take care of the problem. And also washing your hands before you eat. I have been in the veterinary profession for 16 years and have never gotten parasites myself. More than likely as long as you're cleaning regularly and washing your hands, you should be OK. Good luck!

Yes, this is certainly possible - certain types of worms, such as roundworms and hookworms, can be passed from cats to humans through contact with infected feces (poop). I would recommend taking a fecal sample to your veterinarian to confirm what type of worms are present, so that you can treat Buddy with an appropriate medication to get rid of them. In the meantime, make sure to wash your hands after cleaning his litter box, and ask your physician if you have any health concerns about yourself.

Oh no. Well he good news is that Tapeworms are only infective if they are alive and wiggling around. Once that are dead they are no longer infective. Good hygiene practices (washing hands) is generally enough to avoid being infected with them because they have to be digested for transmission.

Roundworms have a fecal oral transmission, meaning that you have to consume the eggs from the feces. What you describe makes it impossible for your cat to have problems. It would be unlikely for you as well, but not completely impossible. I would encourage you to find out what type of Round worm the cat has and then consult with your physician about a plan. In my experience this is only concerning if you happen to be highly immunocomprimised. Best of luck and I hope this helps answer your question. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

It is not necessary to confine Smokey unless it will give you peace of mind. Practice good hygiene (keep the litter box clean, wash hands, etc.) and you and your family should be fine. Cats get tapeworms from ingesting fleas. It is a good idea to treat him for fleas as well for a minimum of 3 consecutive months, preferably year round. Repeat the deworming in 2-3 weeks as well.