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At some point, your cat will encounter a parasite of some sort. One such parasite is the cat hookworm. Actually, there are four types of hookworm that may infect your cat. Ancylostoma tubaeforme, or the feline hookworm, Ancylostoma braziliense, or the canine and feline hookworm, Uncinaria stenocephala, known as the northern canine hookworm, and Ancylostoma caninum, or the canine hookworm (some authoritative sources state that this form of the worm only infects dogs, foxes, and possibly humans, but not cats).

Risks of cat hookworm — Critical risk factors include limitation of exposure, and vary by environmental and hygiene factors. As with other parasites, outdoor cats are at higher risk of exposure to the worm. Cats that are regularly allowed to hunt or roam are at highest risk for infection. Poor sanitation and overcrowding in shelters may contribute to the spread of the worm as well. Other than U. stenocephala, which is more common in colder climates, hookworm infections tend to be higher in warm, moist environments.

What your cat is in for — The cat hookworm is a blood sucker and may cause anemia in your cat. In contrast to the roundworm, which feeds on the nutrients in your cat’s intestines, these worms are tissue feeders and feed directly off of your cat’s blood supply. The worm will attach itself to the inside of the cat’s intestinal wall, and inject an anti-coagulant at the feeding site to keep the blood from clotting. If the worm moves on to another feeding site, the original site may continue to bleed.

Signs and symptoms — The anemia caused by the blood loss is usually more serious in kittens, as well as cats already weakened from other illnesses. In cases that are serious enough, a blood transfusion may be required and there may be a risk of death. Hookworms in your cat may create any of the following symptoms: stunted growth in kittens, poor coat, weight loss, pale gums, anemia, weakness, and bloody diarrhea. Bleeding in the gut may cause black tarry stools.

Life cycle and transmission — Infection may occur through ingestion of larvae. This can happen when your cat eats an infected transport host such as a mouse, or by eating contaminated water or soil. Skin penetration is also another means of infection (often through the feet). In addition, infected mothers may pass the disease on in their milk.

Cat hookworms have a direct life cycle, meaning that they can be transmitted without a host. Many other parasites require a host.

Once in the intestines, adult hookworms attach themselves to the intestinal wall and feed on the tissue. Eggs are laid, which end up in the cat’s stool. After the eggs hatch, they develop into larvae (immature worms). In as few as five days, under the right conditions of temperature and moisture, eggs can develop into the infective larvae stage. This process may, however, take as long as three weeks or so. The larvae are said to be able to remain in the infective stage in the soil for many months.

If the hookworm larvae enter through skin penetration, they’ll migrate via the circulatory system to the lungs. From the lungs, they’ll find their way to the throat, where they are swallowed. The cycle begins again when they may mature and begin producing eggs in the intestine.

It’s known that in dogs, prenatal infection via transplacental blood flow occurs, but this has not been established in cats. According to some reference sources, kittens can become infected via the milk of an infected queen (transmammary infection), but this has not been definitively established.

Cat hookworm treatment and diagnosis — Healthy cats may show few, if any symptoms in less severe cases. For this reason, cats should be tested yearly for worms. Hookworm eggs are microscopic, so you’ll have to rely on your vet using a microscope to examine your cat’s stool. Typically, kittens are treated for hookworm during their vaccination series, whether or not they test positive. In order to completely cure a cat of a hookworm infection, at least two treatments of deworming medication are needed. Typically, treatments are administered at 2 - 3 week intervals.

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