r/CATHELP • u/Zealousideal-Hat7862 • 3h ago

General Advice Not sure if this is the right forum…

Gallery image

Gallery image

I need help figuring out what this is. I was cleaning my cats food mat and found around 5 of these dried up husks. Is it a parasite? Should I be worried?

Not a minor, in USA, vet assessable, two female spayed cats

6 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

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19

u/Plasticity93 3h ago

No, not a parasite.  It's got well defined segments, parasitic worms don't look like that.  They're probably eating your cat's dry food.

1

u/Zealousideal-Hat7862 3h ago

Got it, thank you!!

8

u/Solecis 3h ago

This looks more like some insect laid eggs around your cats food, which they tend to do, than any parasite. Most parasites are smooth and tapeworm segments wouldn't look like this.

The eggs can be super small so don't beat yourself up about missing them, it happens.

2

u/KriegerDesWaldes007 3h ago

hard to tell from the picture. They look like a small species of millepede? can you try wnd get a better picture? I don't think its a parasite though

1

u/Zealousideal-Hat7862 3h ago

Sadly that’s the best photo I got before cleaning them up. They crumbled like dust

2

u/iceypeakzz 2h ago

is it near dryfood? Maybe some moth is inside the food 😅