Can You Get Worms from Your Cat?
Yes, you can get intestinal parasites (worms) from your cat, primarily through accidental ingestion of contaminated material rather than direct contact with the cat itself.
Primary Transmission Routes
The main ways humans acquire worms from cats involve:
Flea ingestion: Cats can transmit tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum) when a person accidentally swallows an infected flea that has fed on the cat 1. This is particularly concerning for young children who may inadvertently ingest fleas during close contact with pets 1.
Fecal-oral contamination: Animal parasites can infect humans who ingest soil or other materials contaminated with cat feces 1. This occurs when touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your mouth without proper handwashing 1.
Toxoplasma gondii: Cats shed oocysts in their feces that can contaminate soil, food, and water 1. Contact with soil contaminated with cat feces—through gardening, cleaning litter boxes, or eating unwashed produce—poses infection risk 1.
Specific Parasites of Concern
Tapeworms: The most common tapeworm transmission occurs when children unintentionally swallow fleas carrying tapeworm larvae 1. Less commonly, children may pass adult Toxocara cati worms after ingesting immature worms from infected cat feces 2.
Toxoplasmosis: While cats are the definitive host, direct contact with pet cats is actually a less common risk factor than ingestion of oocysts from fecally contaminated hands via soil 3. Cleaning litter boxes, gardening, and eating unwashed vegetables pose greater risks than simply petting your cat 1, 3.
High-Risk Groups
Certain populations face greater danger from cat-transmitted parasites:
- Young children (infants and toddlers) are at highest risk due to hand-to-mouth behavior and playing in contaminated soil 4, 2
- Pregnant women face special risk for toxoplasmosis, which can cause severe fetal complications 4, 3
- Immunocompromised persons are susceptible to more severe parasitic infections 4
Prevention Strategy
The single most effective prevention measure is thorough handwashing after handling cats or potentially contaminated materials 1:
- Wash hands after touching cats, cleaning litter boxes, or gardening 1
- Pregnant women should avoid emptying cat litter boxes entirely 4
- Supervise toddler-pet interactions closely 4
- Maintain regular deworming schedules for cats through veterinary care 1
- Control fleas on pets to prevent tapeworm transmission 1
Important Caveats
The actual risk of acquiring worms from cats is relatively low with proper hygiene 4. Most infections occur through indirect contact with contaminated soil or feces rather than from petting or living with cats 3. The psychological benefits of pet ownership generally outweigh the reducible risks when basic precautions are followed 4. However, the consequences can be serious in high-risk populations, making prevention essential rather than optional 4, 2.
Human infestation from cat parasites, when it occurs, may cause skin irritation, gastrointestinal symptoms, or in rare cases more serious complications depending on the parasite involved 1. Children who pass adult worms may not show clinical signs of visceral or ocular larva migrans, but the exposure itself indicates environmental contamination that could lead to more serious infections 2.