A *negative* worm test result does not mean the cat does not have worms. It
merely means that there are none in the test sample.

Tape worms and hook worms are treated differently, as are round worms.
There are topical application products that can be place on the nape of the
feline's neck to kill and protect against certain of these--but not for
tapeworms.  They have to be dealt with via internal medication.

Cats get tapeworms from eating fleas:   First, tapeworm eggs must be
ingested by flea larvae (an immature stage of the flea). Contact between
flea larvae and tapeworm eggs is facilitated by contaminated bedding or
carpet. Adult fleas do not participate in this part of the tapeworm
lifecycle.

Next, the cat chews or licks its skin as a flea bites; the flea is then
swallowed. As the flea is digested within the cat's intestine, the tapeworm
hatches and anchors itself to the intestinal lining.  They are usually
detected by spotting the dead worm carcasses attached to the cat's fur near
the anus.  They are white and look like dried rice.  Sometimes they can be
seen alive in the dropped stool.

The deworming medication (called an anthelmintic) may be given as a tablet
or an injection. And the internal worms then die and are usually digested in
the intestine and seldom passed through the stool process.

Tapeworms are not transferable from cat to cat unless fleas are present.
Other types of worms are, however.

Ask your vet what kind of worms she was referring to.  Prolly
roundworms--and we see that most often when the kittens' stomachs are
distended beyond norm.

--Gene Royer

Hallo Ronda,

Every kitten you have too worming them.
We started when kittens  are 4 weeks en for the second time  when they are 6
weeks en then when they are 8 weeks, 12 weeks en then when kitten is three
months en at least 2 times a year.

Kittens get worms from eating fleas and fleas eggs.

Good luck and I hope you started to worm yor kittens

Bas
http://www.geocities.com/turbo502002/

I'll have to ask her next time about the worming. We did give them one
dose at the vet's office, and they need another dose in two weeks.

They don't have fleas, neither does the mom, so it wouldn't be tape
worms. We have rescued kittens before that had roundworms, but they had
been born outside and were living outside. This kittens were born
inside. What she said was "most kittens are born with worms." I wondered
what kind they could be born with.

I will ask!  :)

Rhonda