Expert: Jessica - 1/26/2012

Question
Can a tape worm and round worm infestation interfer with a six month old cat from delivering her kittens? What signs present themself of a problematic delivery due to the cat being so young . Because I cant be sure of the actual date she was inpregnated I have been concerned she is overdue twice now she acted like it would begin delivery, she had gone over 12 hours without eating was cleaning herself much more, and was hiding under my mothers  bed, then we made her move out from my moms bed and she went back to being her playfull kitten ways and no longer showed these signs of delivery is it possible to interfer in the delivery process and her somehow stop her body from delivering her kittens? Can the worms hurt her or the kittens or cause her to no go into labor?  What should I watch for and is there anything I can do at this point to help this process along?  Thank You P.S this cat was a stray that just pop up back in July 2011 she was wild wouldnt let anyone pet her for weeks and wouldnt come inside then one day I found her unable to walk or eat and was obviously in a very bad way after three days I took her to a vet and begged for her help because even though this kitten was not mine and would not let me touch it I could not allow it to just starve to death but had no money what so ever to pay for her care this vet was a god send and sold me the antibotics she needed after finding an absecess in her abdomen, and instucted me in what I could do to nurse her, after nursing this kitten for 5 weeks and giving her shelter while she got better the family that normally does not like cats has fallen for this one head over heels but due to the fact I have not worked for years and am in major debt I have failed this kitten by not getting her fixed or dewormed in a timely manner and need to be pointed in the right direction in how to manage her health from here on out If you have any sujestion, or know of any programs designed to aid animal owners that are finacialy desperate I sure could use the information.  Thanks again Tina Davis

Answer
Hi Naoma,

It is possible to interrupt labor. If the kitty feels too stressed to deliver, this can halt the process. It's possible that she was going to deliver the kittens under your mother's bed, but labor stopped when you moved her. On the other hand, it's also possible she was just "nesting" - searching for an appropriate spot to deliver. Nevertheless, I would try not to interrupt her privacy unless she's put herself in a dangerous spot.

As for the worms, they should not interfere with delivery. They WILL, however, have a devastating effect on her health, and potentially the kittens', because she is already such a young mother. Her body is trying to grow by leaps and bounds at this age. Parasitic worms take away the nutrition she requires to do that. And a growing litter does so to an even greater extent. If possible, she should see a vet for an appropriate dewormer and nutritional supplement. If not, I would suggest treating her with Nemex for puppies to treat roundworms. Use the same dosage by weight, but you only need to repeat two weeks apart. Then treat with Tape Worm Tabs for tapeworms. Both medications are safe for pregnant cats.

I also recommend that you put original Advantage on your kitty to get rid of fleas. Fleas are carriers of tapeworms, so if you're seeing tapeworms, your kitty may have fleas (or at least had them in the past). I know this sounds like a big investment, but it will be better to get it all under control before you have a litter of little ones to treat, too!

Best wishes!
Jessica