What's this dark, rice-like thing on my cat's hip? Is it a tapeworm?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! If you are finding white rice sized segments around Katniss's tail then I suspect you are seeing tape worm segments. Cats get tape worm from fleas and from hunting. You can always post a picture to confirm. I would deworm her with a product that gets tapeworm. Below is a link of a good dewormer or contact your Vet in the morning. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3464 I wish Katniss the best!

No need to freak out.... Even though your kitty is an indoor cat she could have been infected with tape worm by a flea you brought in from the outside. This does look somewhat like dried up tapeworm segments. Check her bum once in a while and you may see one crawling around the behind or tail, or a dried up one. It is easy to get rid of them by giving your cat a wormer that contains praziquantel, available from your vet. These tapeworms are not contagious to humans.

Hello. These are definitely tape worm segments. When you deworm your cat again, make sure it says it takes care of tapeworms. Also, be sure you are using a good flea preventative regularly, as this is the most common way that cats pick up tapeworms. The other way is through hunting & eating small prey. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From your pictures the black squiggly thing looks like "flea dirt" or flea poop. When you wet it on a white paper towel it melts to blood. They usually don't move though unless you had a flea. I would start a good flea preventative like Comfortis, Bravecto or the Seresto collar. I hope this helps and I wish you and Livvy the best!

These are tape worm proglottids, ie the tape worm's egg containers. Tape worm is spread by fleas. These tape worms are not contagious to people. You will need to get a cat wormer that contains Praziquantel. This will kill the tape worm. You should also do some flea prevention to prevent further infection with tapeworm.

This looks a lot like a tapeworm proglottid. The tapeworms that infect dogs and cats do not cause infections in people, so you do not need to be concerned about cleaning the house. Most tapeworms are spread through fleas so you should check for fleas and start a flea preventative to prevent reinfection. While I think confirming the diagnosis with a veterinarian is best, and you could ask your local animal shelter about low cost options in your area, tapeworm dewormers are available over the counter. The medication used is called praziquantel. If Zoey has any medical conditions I would check with your veterinarian before giving any OTC medication.

I suspect your cat may have tapeworms. The body segments of the worm contain the eggs and are passed in the feces. Fresh, moist segments are about 1/4 in long and capable of moving. Once dried, they resemble grains of rice or sesame seeds. Tapeworm segments can sometimes be found crawling in the fur around the anus of an infected cat. Treatment for tapeworms is a drug called praziquantal, which is available through your veterinarian. I suggest that you take your cat and a fresh fecal sample to your veterinarian for confirmation that your cat does indeed have tapeworms and not fly strike (maggots) which would be a much more serious condition.