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

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“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.

When an organism could potentially be negatively affecting a human or pet, we are neither qualified or legally able to identify it. Doing so would be tantamount to providing a diagnosis, which only a medical professional can do, in this case a vet. Since we are not vets, or medical professionals of any kind, all we can do is provide suggestions in the case that this is not a harmful organism (eg: a parasite), and urge Th?o to take their cat to the vet should they be concerned for his health. With all of that said, we do think this looks like a leech. Here is where we sort of get into a gray area of what constitutes a parasite.

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Some consider leeches ectoparasites, like fleas, meaning they feed off their hosts from their skin, rather than going inside the host to feed like an endoparasite (eg: tapeworms). That said, Maine.gov’s “webpage on leeches” describes leeches as predators, meaning that the relationship between them and their ‘victims’ (for lack of a better word) is not parasitic, but predatory. On top of that, not all leeches are bound to negatively affect an organism’s health just because they have latched on to them, especially if they are discovered and removed in good time.

In any case, given the fact that leeches could be considered ectoparasites, and that, in any case, they could be negatively affecting the cat’s health, we want to stress that this is not an identification, but merely an observation of what the worm reminds us of, physically. Likewise, it would make sense for these to be leeches since they were found on the cat’s body. And leeches do thrive in tropical, moist climates, which is why they would have dried up indoors. Ultimately, we thought it might be helpful to make these observations known to Th?o, so that they might be better-equipped to go to a consultation with a vet, and suggest to them what it looks like. We also think it could be a good idea to bring samples of the creatures to the vet, so they can examine them physically, though we suggest avoiding physical contact with the critters; they can scoop them into a box with a brush, for example.

To conclude, we are not qualified to give Th?o a definite identification of the worms they found on their cat. We hope nonetheless that the information we did provide might be of help, and we wish Th?o, as well as his cat, the very best!

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Summary
Worms Near Cat's Butt Look like Leeches, but a Vet's Eye is Required
Article Name
Worms Near Cat's Butt Look like Leeches, but a Vet's Eye is Required
Description
"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.
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