Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Dog Worms Parasite Worms

Clear Worms with Black Insides are Flea Larvae

“What are these clear worm things with black insides?” asks Robyn in her submission regarding the organism pictured below. “They were in the bathtub after giving my dog a bath. HELP!” Although the photo is quite blurry, we think that — given what we can see, Robyn’s description of the creature, and the context in which it was found — Robyn found flea larvae. Now, we realize that saying this could be cause for panic, given that fleas do infest dogs, and it is not the nicest thing to hear that this could be a possibility. What we will say is that flea larvae do not have the same diet as their adult counterparts, meaning that while the adult flea attaches itself to the outside of animals like dogs to suck their blood, the larvae do not do this.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Grub Worms Worms Found in the House

Pink Worm with Forked Rear is a Beetle Larva

“My cat dropped this on my chest”, writes Taylor in his submission regarding the pink, worm-like creature with a white head and pronged rear. “What is it? A worm? A centipede? I included a picture of how it looks and a video to show how it moves. I appreciate your help!” Now, while being shaped like a worm and having clear-cut segmentation like a centipede, we do not believe this creature is either a worm or a centipede. We actually think it is a larva, specifically a beetle larva. We are not certain exactly which species of beetle this belongs to. The pink coloration reminds us of the scarlet malachite beetle, but the white head throws us off that course. In fact, the inchworm-like movements of the creature (as seen in the video linked below) has us doubting if it is a beetle larva at all.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Parasite Worms Worms Generally

Clear Worm with Black Head on Bathroom Towel is a Flea Larva

“I found this little worm on the corner of my bathroom floor towel (only used for standing/drying feet)”, writes Nic in his submission regarding the translucent worm with a black head and dark entrails pictured below. “Have never noticed any other critters before nor have any health complaints, but it doesn’t look like a carpet beetle nor a clothes moth worm. I recently adopted an older cat from a shelter, but that was only two days ago and I don’t think he’s been in this room yet. So hmmmm, not sure what this little guy is? Obviously it is time to toss the towel in the washer!”

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Worms Found in the House Worms Generally

Woman Saves Cat Riddled with Worms and Finds Stringy Worms All Over Home and Car

“I had taken in a stray cat who was deathly I’ll”, starts Darlene in her submission regarding the white worm-like critter pictured below. “Actually the vet advised me not to but I thought I could save her. The cat threw up a pile of worms. Some looked smooth, like wet spaghetti with no lines in them, but some looked segmented so I assumed tapeworm and treated her with over the counter medication. The good part of this story is the cat is fully recovered and is magnificent. Loving and adorable. The bad part is, my home and my car are filled with these stringy looking things everywhere, and my family has some strange symptoms we didn’t have before this cat. So my question is, can flatworms and tapeworms be free living? Like hitching a ride in my car? These are in my car. These photos are from my cell and magnified two or three times.”

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Flatworm Worms Facts

Brown Worm on Cat Could be Flatworm

“I pulled this off my cat”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the brown, slimy-looking, worm-like creature pictured below. “Can you identify it?” For starters, we will say that, while we will provide an identification, it should not be taken as 100% accurate or certain. The primary reason for this is because our reader pulled it off our cat. Any worms that are found on or inside people or pets pose a potential medical situation. Since we are not medical professionals, we are neither qualified or legally able to identify organisms that directly affect the health of people or pets. In this case, it is not clear whether or not the worm is affecting the cat’s health: people and pets accidentally get worms on them all the time, just from going outdoors. For that reason, we err on the side of caution. If our reader suspects that this worm may have come from her cat, or that it is in any way negatively affecting her cat’s health, she should consult a vet about it and disregard our identification below.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Garden Worms Worms Generally

Black Worms Found Under Cat’s Scratching Pads Might be Fungus Gnat Larvae

“After sweeping my floors, I noticed a lot of black dirt under my cat’s scratching pads. As I stared at it, I noticed it was moving (wiggling)”, writes Rebecca in her submission. “They are very tiny, black in color, and have no legs. You would think it’s just dirt. It’s not just one, there are many. I feel that they are larvae of some type. What are they? Unfortunately I did not take a picture.” In response to that last sentence, it will be very difficult to identify these organisms based purely on this context; tiny, black worms are not very rare, and this description matches a lot of species of worms and worm-like creatures. Additionally, although Rebecca does not tell us if her cat is an outdoor cat, seeing as she first thought the worms were dirt, we assume it is. That broadens the possibilities of these creatures’ identity further, as we would assume these are worms that the cat accidentally brought in from outside.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Centipedes and Millipedes Flatworm

Brown Worm in Cat’s Water Bowl Might be a Millipede

“Is the attached a flatworm of some kind?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the brown, worm-like critter pictured below. “It appeared randomly in our cat’s water bowl. We live on the Isles of Scilly. Many thanks.” In case our other readers are not aware, the Isles of Scilly are an archipelago off the coast of England. Now, with regard to the worm that our reader found, it is hard to say from the photo and context if this is a flatworm. The photo is, unfortunately, pretty blurry, and there are not any obvious reasons we can think of for a flatworm climbing into a cat bowl.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Marine Worms Worms Found in the House

Red-striped Worm in Loo is a Bloodworm

“We found this worm in the loo this morning”, writes this reader about the long, red worm pictured below. “We have a kitten, and sometimes flush his stool. I fear this may be yet another bloodworm/earth worm question, but we wanted to ask whether you thought it could’ve come from our kitten. We live in a top floor apartment on the 4th floor in the UK.” Just by looking at the worm, we think it is indeed a bloodworm. If we did not think it was a bloodworm, we would not be able to confirm or deny if we thought it came from the kitten, as only a vet would be qualified and legally able to do so. If our reader thinks that this worm is harming his kitten, or notices that worms are found in its stool, then we recommend taking the kitten to the vet.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Leeches Parasite Worms

Worms Near Cat’s Butt Look like Leeches, but a Vet’s Eye is Required

“I saw some of these worms in my cat’s fur, near his butt, but I’m not sure if it’s a parasite or just something from my garden”, writes Th?o in their submission regarding the black, worm-like organism pictured below. “It’s very small, like 5mm long, and very lithe. It’s a pinkish color (it looks darker in the picture). It also died (or dried out) soon after I found it, about 10-15 minutes later. We live in south east Asia, where there’s a tropical climate. Thank you for helping me.” To start with, we have to say that, whatever suggestions we make as to the worm’s identity, Th?o should take them with a grain of salt. The reason for this is that, since this worm was found on Th?o’s cat, it is possible that this is a medical situation.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Worms Facts Worms Generally

Plaster-like, White Worms in Christmas Tree Box Might Not be Worms At All

“I live in Northwest Indiana and found this when going through old Christmas tree boxes in a closet”, writes Georgette about the white creatures pictured below. “They were not moving and were very brittle and fragmented easily: plaster-like texture. I have cats but they are indoor only, tested negative for worms multiple times, and on revolution plus. They had not been in this closet. Any idea what this may be? I have seen something similar before, same brittle quality, but more spiral shaped, near some old blankets. Thanks.” Right off the bat, we have to disclose our first instinct, which is that we do not think these are worms at all. And, even if they were, there is no way we would be able to identify them: they clearly died so long ago, and have so much time to dry out, that they are unrecognizable as whatever living creature they once were.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Grub Worms Worms Facts

Pink Worm in Cat Bowl is Likely a Soft-winged Flower Beetle Larva

“Can you help me identify this worm or larvae?” asks Amanda in her submission regarding the little, pink, worm-like organism pictured below. “It was in my cat’s food bowl. It was the only worm we found.” Now, given the worm’s physical features, we would instinctively identify this as a beetle larva. The pronged rear, elongated body, and bulbous head point to this conclusion, though the lack of prolegs has us thinking it could be a different species of insect larva. That said, the location of its discovery has us weary about saying anything too certain. When worms are found in or near pet food, readers are often concerned about parasites. Amanda does not say anything of that nature, but given the chance that the creature did come from the cat, we have to exercise caution.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Worms Facts Worms Generally

Cat Loses Weight While Worms Roam the Home: Seek Veterinary Advice

“I found a worm a few times while changing sheets for someone I work for”, states this reader in her submission, though no picture is included. “He does have a cat who lately seems to be losing weight suddenly even though it seems to be eating ok. The litter box though has been unusually overloaded like never before. This has been going on now for the past 6 months. I was wondering if it has anything to do with the cat? The cat is approximately 12 years of age.” Without a photograph, it is nearly impossible to give a concrete identification of an organism. What complicates this situation further is the concern for the cat’s health.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Worms Found in the House Worms Generally

Pink Worm Found by Cat Food Bowls May Require a Medical Diagnosis

“I live in Madison County, Kentucky, USA, and today I found a small worm on the floor in my bedroom”, writes this reader in his submission about the thin, pink worm pictured below. “My room is on the second floor of my house, and the bathroom is almost directly outside it. I have three cats (strictly indoor, they almost always stay in my room due to my little brother not knowing how to pet them nicely) and since I found this worm near their food bowls, I am very worried it might be in some way parasitic or harmful to them. I included a diagram with a pencil for size reference since my phone quality isn’t very good, but the worm itself is also in the picture of the diagram as well as the other pictures. I think I’m going to flush this worm for now, but I’m hoping to identify it and see if this is a problem in case another one shows up in the future! Thank you for your time!”

Continue Reading
Posted in Black Soldier Fly Larvae - BSFL Cat Worms Composting Worms

Segmented, Black Worm Found Near Cat-caused Carnage is a Black Soldier Fly Larva

“I found this thing apparently crawling away from a scene of carnage in my dining room in Fayetteville, NY, not far from Syracuse”, writes this reader in his submission regarding the black, segmented worm-like creature pictured below. “One of my cats got a mouse, started eating it, but apparently was grossed out and threw up not far from the headless corpse of the mouse. In the process of cleaning that up, I noticed what I thought was a small cat turd about 3-4 ft away, but as I picked it up with a paper towel, it moved. And it appeared to have crawled away from the kill site.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Centipedes and Millipedes Worms Found in the House

Brittle, Spiral-shaped Worms Could Have Been Dried-up Millipedes

“I didn’t get a picture, but I can describe something I found under some dirty blankets my cat decided to sleep on”, writes this reader in her submission. “I live in northwest Indiana. Bandit is an indoor-only cat, he gets Revolution monthly, and has tested negative for parasites. When I picked up the blankets, there were three off-white, about two or three inches long, very brittle, long, spiral-shaped (like a spiral staircase) objects. Not moving, did not see any head, or other features. Picked up with gloves and they fragmented instantly. Very regular spiral shape, all exactly the same. Any ideas what that may have been? Not even sure if they were worms. Thanks.”

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Cat Claw Found Amidst Infestation of Various Organisms in This Woman’s Home

“What the hell is this?” asks this reader about the two objects pictured below: one a white, sharp-looking thing, and the other a lump of brown material. “They’re all over my house. They’re eating the wood deck. They’re on clothes, on furniture and they seem to bore through anything. They’re on the walls and the ceiling. They leave fuzzy, white, linty substances like fabric, hair and wood.” Based on the photo our sent us, the white object looks like a claw, specifically a cat claw. We do not know if our reader actually owns a cat, but given the fact that she has found holes in her clothing, furniture, and elsewhere, it would make sense that a cat is tearing holes in these objects and leaving the lint and fluff all over the home.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Parasite Worms Worms Found in the House

Swarm of Translucent Worms Found Around Bed are Flea Larvae

“I found a tiny worm swarm around our bed”, states this reader about the translucent worm-like creature below. “I hadn’t noticed this until I saw my floor covered with a bunch of worms/larvae.”

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Caterpillars Worms Generally

Brown and Reddish Worms Found Near Potted Plants are Some Type of Larvae

“This morning I found these on my floor”, states this reader regarding the black and reddish creatures pictured below. “Do you have any idea what they are?”

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Worms Facts Worms Generally

Clear Worms with Dark Entrails Found Under Bed are Flea Larvae

“I found these worms in my room (mostly under my bed)”, states this reader about the segmented, black creature in the photo below. She is wondering if they are “flea larvae”, as her “cat recently started treatment for them”, and she hopes we can help.

Continue Reading
Posted in Case Bearing Larva Cat Worms Worms Found in the House

Yellowish-Brown Worms Found On Bed Next to Cat

“A couple of worms” have been found on a bunk bed where this reader’s cat was laying, and she wonders if we can tell her what they are. Our reader’s son discovered the worms, which are approximately 4mm (1/5-inch) in length, “slightly yellowish/brown” but “a little darker at both ends”, have legs and appear to be segmented.