Can my kids or I get worms from a cat with worms on the couch?

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.

There are certain worms that can be transmitted from dogs to people, but it's not easy. However, there is a particular concern with kids getting Toxocariasis. If the worms were diagnosed by a veterinarian, then she should be able to find out the species of worms that were discovered and let you know if they are a concern. Below is a link to some good information about the risk of transmission of the common worm for puppies to have. cdc.gov/parasites/toxocariasis/gen_info/faqs.html I hope that helps and all is well with everyone.

There are several parasites that are zoonotic (transmissible to people) that may be afflicting her right now. Therefore to be safe and preventative, I would recommend locking her out of your room until you can get her tested and get a clean bill of health status for your kitty. : ) The likelihood of you actually getting infested with worms is low if you practice good hygiene; however, if you want to be 100% certain, just don't allow her on the bed anymore until you are sure. And for the record, there were only a few cases of people getting infested with Roundworms, so the chances of transmission for that worm is very low. However, there can be other worms or parasites present in her stool that are microscopic so you would not be able to tell they are there until her stool is examined at the vet.

These look the most like roundworms since they have a tapered end but it is not typical to see roundworms on the fur around the anus. Tapeworms are possible as well but are usually flat and look like granules of rice. Roundworms are transmissible to people but infect organs instead of the gastrointestinal tract, and the eggs are transmitted through the stool. It would be unusual for a person without any medical conditions causing immunocompromize to be infected with a roundworm through casual contact with a cat but you should consult your physician just in case. Tapeworms are not transmissible directly from cats to people.

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.

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.

Your kitties probably have fleas and when they groom themselves they ingest the fleas which transfer tapeworm. The white sesame or rice like worms are tapeworm proglottids and can be killed by a wormer containing praziquantel. When they vomit worms they have a severe infestation and it is necessary to worm your kitties preferably under supervision of your veterinarian as the death of so many worms all at once can cause side effects which make your kitties ill. Your kitties' worms cannot infect you. Yes they can sleep on your bed, however it is very important for the health of your cats that you take a fecal sample to your veterinarian for a fecal exam and that you tell your vet that one of your cats actually vomited worms so he can give you the proper wormer for them.