That's a tough question. Yes and no. For the most part, if we are cautious about our deworming protocols and exposure, then I would say we can prevent it in almost all cases. That being said, cats are cats. They get into things. They don't always follow the rules. And so there are going to be situations where they catch a mouse that we're not aware of or drink out of something outside that we're not aware of, and they could come up with intestinal parasites.

I don't know that I could tell you how long one worm on its own would last. I'm sure there is a parasitologist that's shaking their head at me because I don't remember that anymore. But really, they continue to reproduce over time. You're probably not going to have one worm that dies off and never becomes an issue. You're going to have this worm that, generation after generation, is reproducing and continuing to cause problems, not only for your cat but also in the environment your cat is in. They're going to be spreading eggs and potential intestinal parasites to everybody around, including us and other pets.

They're quite common. It's more common in cats that go outside because they have a higher exposure risk, but we see indoor-only cats with worms because of some of the reasons we talked about before—the potential exposure to dirt on your shoes. Up here in Maine, we have many old houses, and little mice can find their way in. Thankfully, cats are usually pretty good at catching those mice before they cause a problem, but with that also comes potential exposure to parasites.

You will not have any signs for quite a long time. Cats are good at hiding when they have a problem, so they may become quite ill before they ever give you a real indication of a problem. Some subtle signs could be that cats are less interactive. They may have a hunched appearance when they're sitting like they're not 100% comfortable. Vomiting or diarrhea can be an issue. But really, the best way to do this is to figure it out before it becomes a problem. We're huge on preventative care here at Freeport Vet, so we want to find this before it causes your cat problems. And that's why we recommend regular stool sample checks as well as regular deworming.

They can be sometimes. It typically takes a while for worms to become visible because you'd have to have enough that they're starting to kind of run out of room and need to pass through. Roundworms tend to look more like spaghetti. Hookworms look like short little rice noodles, so they're very thin. Both of them are white. In the case of tapeworms, we primarily only see the egg sacs come out, which are these little segments that look like small pieces of rice. You may find dried worms on your cats around their anus or their fur or even in the litter box. But you may not ever see an issue, and that's why regular stool sample checks are essential.