Last Updated: 16/12/2025
Tapeworms in Cats: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
Tapeworms in cats can be silent, but they pose a risk. Learn how your cat gets them, what to look for (those 'rice grain' segments!), the Praziquantel treatment, and why flea control is key to prevention.
Author: Dr Brittany Ward BVSc
Reading Time: 11 minutes - short read
Many cat parents unknowingly share their home with a crafty, unwelcome houseguest: the tapeworm. These long, flat, segmented worms can live quietly in your cat's intestines, often causing minimal symptoms but still posing a sneaky health risk - and yes, even a small risk to us humans.
While spotting those tell-tale 'rice grain' segments wiggling near your cat's tail can be alarming, a lack of visible symptoms doesn't always mean your cat is clear. Contrary to common belief, weight loss isn't always the first sign!
Fortunately, tapeworms are completely manageable with the right know-how and treatment. Let's delve into the world of tapeworms, so you can easily spot the signs, understand their surprising lifecycle, and ensure your feline friend stays happy and worm-free.
In this article
- What are tapeworms in cats?
- What types of tapeworms affect cats?
- How do cats get tapeworms? Understanding the lifecycle
- Signs of tapeworms in cats
- Diagnosing a tapeworm infection
- Treatment options for tapeworms (praziquantel explained)
- How to prevent tapeworms in cats
- Can humans get tapeworms from cats?
- FAQs
What are tapeworms in cats?
Chances are, you are already familiar with Tapeworms. These are an intestinal worm that usually appears as a long, flat, white worm. You may have seen them hanging from a cat's bottom before and maybe even thought it was a piece of string! However, many tapeworm infections can be silent. So how do you know if your cat has tapeworms?
First of all, it's important to know how to differentiate a tapeworm from other intestinal worms. Roundworms and hookworms typically have smooth, rounded bodies. They are usually smaller, with Roundworms being up to 15 centimetres and Hookworms or Whipworms being a couple of centimetres long. If worms are passed in faeces, typically the whole worm is passed. Now, let's look at Tapeworms specifically.
What types of tapeworms affect cats?
Tapeworm is an umbrella term for a few different species of flatworms with segmented bodies. They are typically white, often looking like a tape when they are intact, but can also pass small white segments in the faeces, which may look like grains of rice under the tail or in the faeces. There are 3 different species of tapeworms that can affect cats in Australia.
Flea Tapeworm
Dipylidium Canis, the Flea Tapeworm, is the most common tapeworm of cats. This worm is typically identified by white, moving segments (called proglottids), in the faeces or around the bottom that are the size of a rice grain. These mature proglottids are larger than those closest to the head and are typically longer than they are wide.The adult worms can be up to 50 centimetres long.
The Cat Tapeworm
Taenia taeniaeformis is the only species of worm in the Taenia species that can infect cats, so it is commonly known as the Cat Tapeworm. Like the Flea Tapeworm, its smallest segments are near its head and the largest proglottids are shed in faeces or may crawl out of the bottom. The moving white segments have been described as being like 'maggots'. Compared to the Flea Tapeworm though, the segments are wider than they are long. Worms of the Taenia species can be several metres long.
Zipper Worm
Spirometra erinacei is predominantly a tapeworm of cats. This worm has a central reproductive system in each segment, surrounded by flat tissue. This gives the appearance of a zipper running down the worm. It can reach up to 1.5 metres long.
This worm also sheds proglottids in cat faeces. These segments appear 'zipper-like' with a raised central oval and a thin tape appearance on either side. This may be seen in the faeces or under the tail of an infected cat.
How do cats get tapeworms? Understanding the lifecycle
Tapeworms are a bit unique compared to other intestinal worms because they require an intermediate host (sometimes called a paratenic host) to complete part of their life cycle. This means for your cat to become infected, they must first consume this host.
The general tapeworm lifecycle
Here’s the basic cycle, regardless of the specific type of tapeworm:
- Shedding: A cat infected with adult tapeworms sheds tiny segments, called proglottids, in their faeces. These segments contain thousands of eggs.
- Release: The proglottids break open, releasing eggs into the environment.
- Ingestion: The eggs are then eaten by the intermediate host (e.g., a flea or a mouse).
- Infection: Your cat becomes infected when they consume this intermediate host, releasing the larval worm inside the cat, where it grows into an adult.
The type of tapeworm determines which intermediate host is involved:
1. Flea Tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum)
This is the most common tapeworm we see in cats!
- Intermediate Host: Fleas.
- How Cats Get Infected: The flea larvae eat the tapeworm eggs in the environment. As the flea grows into an adult, the tapeworm develops inside it. Cats typically become infected by swallowing an infected adult flea while grooming themselves.
- Lifecycle Time: This cycle is quick, taking only 2–3 weeks to complete.
2. Cat Tapeworm (Taenia taeniaeformis)
This tapeworm targets our little hunters.
- Intermediate Host: Rodents and small mammals (like rabbits, rats, and mice).
- How Cats Get Infected: Outdoor cats and those that hunt are most at risk, as they become infected by consuming an infected rodent or small prey.
- Longevity: The adult worm can survive inside your cat for up to 3 years.
3. Zipper Worm (Spirometra erinacei)
This species has the most complex cycle, requiring at least two hosts.
- First Intermediate Host: Small water-based crustaceans called Copepods.
- Second Intermediate Host: Frogs, snakes, lizards, birds, and other small animals that eat the Copepods.
- How Cats Get Infected: Cats can become infected in two ways:
- By drinking water containing the first host (Copepods). The larvae then travel and form cysts in the cat’s muscles and tissues.
- By consuming the second intermediate host (e.g., a frog), resulting in the adult worm living in the cat's intestines.
- Lifecycle Time: The full lifecycle takes about 6–10 weeks to complete.
Understanding these lifecycles shows why preventing tapeworms means both regular worming and good flea control!
Signs of tapeworms in cats
Tapeworms are often considered a 'smart worm' because they inflict minimal damage on their host and often cats will show no symptoms of infection. The worms do not feed off the host themselves, they feed on the intestinal content of your cat. Some of these worms do not even have suckers or hooks which can damage the intestinal lining. They mainly cause discomfort or reduce nutrient absorption.
Most cases of tapeworm are identified when owners visualise the segments around the cat's bottom or in faeces when cleaning out the litter tray.
However, some animals may show signs of disease, particularly those with high worm burdens, larger species of tapeworms or kittens and senior cats.
Signs of Tapeworm Infection:
- White segments like rice grains or maggots in the faeces/under the tail
- Scooting or dragging the bottom on the ground
- Biting or chewing at the area around the bottom
- Diarrhoea
- Weight loss
- Vomiting (Sometimes with worms in heavy burdens)
- Illthrift
- General malaise
- Irritability
- Ravenous appetite
- Abdominal pain or discomfort
Diagnosing a tapeworm infection
It's important that owners are aware of the signs of tapeworms in their cats. This way they can take their cat to the vet if they suspect a tapeworm infection. A diagnosis will then be made by the examining veterinarian.
It's important to not only take your cat to the vet, but also to collect a sample of the faeces (use gloves and wash your hands), as well as any proglottids, or worms you may have seen on your cat or in their faeces. The vet will examine the proglottids microscopically to identify the tapeworm infection present. Your vet may also perform a microscopic faecal examination to determine if there are eggs present in the faeces.
Treatment options for tapeworms
When it comes to tackling tapeworms, the "magic word" is Praziquantel. This active ingredient is the gold standard for both treating and preventing all common tapeworm species in cats.
If your cat is diagnosed with tapeworms, your vet will prescribe a specific treatment plan:
- Praziquantel is key: Treatment always involves Praziquantel, administered either as an oral medication or an injection.
- Dose matters: The dose required to treat an active infection is often higher than the dose found in routine preventative products.
- Species-specific dosing: Identifying the specific tapeworm (especially the tricky Zipper Worm, Spirometra) is important, as some require a much higher dose - up to four times the standard amount - to be fully eliminated.
- The treatment course: Your vet will typically prescribe a course of treatment to ensure all stages of the worm's lifecycle are eliminated and to prevent immediate re-infection.
- No visible worms: Praziquantel works by dissolving the tapeworms right inside your cat's digestive tract. This means you usually won't see your cat pass the worms in their faeces after treatment, which is completely normal!
- Persistent cases: For severe or persistent infections, your vet may recommend a longer course of treatment to fully resolve the issue.
Remember, once the treatment is done, you must focus on prevention to keep those pesky parasites away for good!
How to prevent tapeworms in cats
Prevention is better than a cure! This is true for tapeworms as much as any worm. Without prevention, your cat could potentially be harbouring a number of large adult tapeworms making them chronically unwell, and contaminating the environment putting your family at risk. There are several steps that can be taken to reduce your cat's risk of getting tapeworms.
- Clean up faeces regularly and bury it or dispose of it in a bag in the trash
- Prevent cats from hunting and eating rodents
- Control rodent populations
- Provide clean fresh water that is kept away from faeces
- Avoid feeding raw meat or offal
- Control the flea population
- Use regular tapeworm prevention. The use of a praziquantel containing preventative is essential to avoiding a tapeworm infection and should be used in cats Australia wide. Be sure to check the ingredients when choosing wormers, as not all 'All-In-One' products or 'Allwormers' cover tapeworms.
The Importance of Flea Prevention
The most common cause of tapeworm in cats is the Flea Tapeworm. This means that flea prevention plays an important role in controlling tapeworm. Even if a tapeworm treatment course is completed, a cat with fleas could easily become reinfected. All fur-family members should be on a flea preventative as the flea tapeworm could be spread between dogs and cats in the household. Infected fleas can also be introduced to the household from visiting pets, wild animals and even on your clothing. A flea preventative can kill these fleas to reduce your cat's risk of exposure to Flea Tapeworm.
Flea Prevention is also essential in preventing human members of the family from contracting tapeworm by controlling the flea numbers in the house.
Fleas can persist in the environment which may make complete control of a flea infestation seem impossible. It's important to combine regular flea preventatives with environmental management to get on top of the problem. Our article, How To Treat A Cat With Fleas, goes through this process in more detail.
Not sure what parasite preventatives are the best for your cat? Check out our Cat Guide to Worming, Flea and Tick Prevention or feel free to contact us.
Can humans get tapeworms from cats?
Yes, there is a risk, and protecting human health is a key reason why vets stress the importance of parasite prevention in our pets! The tapeworms that live in your cat can sometimes be spread to humans, either as adult worms or their larval (cyst) stages.
How humans can become infected
The way a person gets a tapeworm depends on the specific type of worm:
- Flea Tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum): This is the most common risk. Infection happens if a contaminated flea is accidentally swallowed. Children are most at risk of harbouring the adult Flea Tapeworm, often after handling a pet and unintentionally ingesting a flea.
- Other Species (Taenia and Zipper Worms): Infection is usually linked to:
- Drinking contaminated water.
- Eating undercooked or raw meat.
- Accidentally ingesting eggs found in the environment, usually from your cat's faeces.
Once infected, the larval stages can sometimes form cysts in different body tissues, including the skin, eyes, or internal organs, which can cause various health problems.
Simple steps to keep your family safe
The good news is that preventing transmission is very straightforward. You can significantly lower the risk by:
- Controlling tapeworms in your cat: Using regular, Praziquantel-containing wormers.
- Controlling fleas: Treating all pets in the household for fleas consistently.
- Excellent hygiene: Always washing your hands thoroughly after handling cat faeces, cleaning the litter tray, or gardening.
By keeping your cat protected, you're helping to keep your whole family safe!
FAQs
Tapeworms are a common, yet easily managed, issue for Australian cats. The key takeaway? Prevention is always better than cure! By keeping a keen eye out for those 'rice grain' segments, having your vet confirm a diagnosis, and consistently using a reliable, Praziquantel-containing preventative, you can significantly reduce your cat’s risk of infection.
References
Chapter 8 - Preventative Health Care for Cats by Ilona Rodan and Andrew H. Sparkes
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Tue 16 Dec 2025
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Brittany Ward BVSc
Veterinarian
Dr. Brittany graduated from James Cook University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and started working in her home town in the Wide Bay-Burnett Region. She has always been excited about working in the veterinary industry, but over the last few years has grown especially fond of dog behaviour and training, surgery and orthopaedic disease.
