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Can my other pets or kids get tapeworms from my cat's infected poop?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year and 3 months old | 14 lbs

My cat has tapeworm and I have one other cat and a dog I was wondering if they can get tapeworm by going near his butt and and if he shares a litter box can my other cat can she get it. And what if the segment that come out of his butt are on the floor I can't see them will they get tapeworm or my kids and how should I clean my house for them as well.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Davis

Veterinarian

Published on September 16th, 2017

Tapeworms need to go into a secondary host to spread. That means that cats get them from eating rodents and fleas, and you, your family and the other cats and dogs can't get them from being exposed to the segments. Please get Mr. Kitty treated for tapeworms and use a flea prevention product on all the animals to prevent them getting tapeworms from eating fleas. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

6Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jenny, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 13th, 2017
The only treatment is a deworming tablet that include praziquantel as the ingredient. You can purchase this online or at a pet supply store. Tapeworms are transmitted by eating a flea. So people usually don't get it and other animals have to eat an infected flea to become infected so not all may be infected at the same time. You may have to look into flea medicines to prevent future occurrences.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on February 25th, 2017
Praziquantel is commonly used to treat tapeworms in cats. Contact your veterinarian for an appropriate dose. You will also need to treat Squirty Cat for fleas even if you haven't seen any. Fleas carry tapeworm and cats are infected when they ingest fleas while grooming.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

Health & Wellness

My cat has tapeworms. How do cats get them? Are my other cats at risk?

Hi there. Yes, this appears to be a tapeworm segment. Cats generally get them from fleas, or from catching and eating rodents - they can't catch it directly from each other. Many over-the-counter dewormers are not effective against tapeworms, so you'll need to check the label on the one you're using. If it doesn't contain praziquantel, it won't work. The best option would be to get a prescription dewormer from your veterinarian to make sure the meds will be effective. I would also recommend making sure that all of your cats are on a good quality flea control medication like Revolution or Bravecto, to help prevent reinfection once they've been dewormed. If they hunt outside regularly, they should be routinely dewormed every 2-3 months to prevent tapes from returning.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Is my dewormed kitten with tapeworms safe around family and pets?

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

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat has tapeworm. Can it spread to my family, clothes, or carpet?

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.

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Is my dog's tapeworm contagious to me, my cat, or other dogs?

The only way you (or your cat or other dog) could get tapeworms is if you ingested the fleas that transmitted the tapeworms to Dakota in the first place. Your vet may recommend deworming the other pets too, just to be safe, since if Dakota had fleas (and thus tapeworms) the other pets could too. But the chances of you getting tapeworms is almost 0.

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Health & Wellness

Found tapeworm in puppy poop. Can my cats, including kitten, get it?

Yes, Bubba can pass the tapeworm to your cats as well. I would recommend using a product such as Profender in your cats and Drontal Plus in your puppy for treatment of tapeworm if confirmed. I would recommend bringing a fecal sample to a veterinarian as there may be other worms in the stool as well that need a secondary medication for treatment. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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My pets have worms. How can I protect my family from getting them?

Make sure both Prissy and your cat are up to date on the flea treatments, as fleas transmit tapeworms. Use good hygiene, washing your hands after petting the cat and dog, and after scooping the litter box. Good hygiene will prevent you from getting the worms. I hope this helps!

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My puppy has tapeworms. How do I protect my family and home?

Oh no. This is a nuisance to deal with for sure. Tapeworms are contagious to people, but it would require ingesting (eating) a live worm to become infective. As long as you clean up the feces and use good hygiene (washing your hands and avoid putting hands in the mouth after touching your pet or any live worms), then you are less likely to infest yourself. Clean up the poop quickly and don’t let your pet around other dogs or cats to avoid transmission until you can get Coco treated. Best wishes and don’t forget to also get Coco on a good flea preventative (ie Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica, Vectra etc) at your vet to avoid further infection with tapeworms. Take care.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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