Do Cats Get Tape Worms?

Our old cat cries continually. He is blind, clumsy, can't jump and is semi-incontinent or perhaps he suffers from dementia. He doesn't seem to remember where the litter box is so he pees on the newspaper I have strategically placed at the bottom of the stairs--usually. He does the other function on another strategically placed newspaper at the top of the stairs.

He is very skinny and for a while there he seemed to be melting away--hence my wondering about a tape worm. To fix this I started giving him an extra can of cat food each morning. I let our giant-sized Tabby outside and then I slip the Tuxedo a second can. He inhales it and then spends the rest of the morning whining for more food.

This whining is not subtle. He scratches at the door. He wants more to eat. Both cats are insatiable but the Tabby seems to have some sense of limits. However, both cats head for the kitchen the minute a person opens the refrigerator. If you stop to look at mail in the kitchen, the cats are instantly at your feet. I swear the Tabby thinks he's a dog. The Tuxedo...well, we don't know what he thinks. We like him when he curls up nicely in his flannel-lined basket which sits on the coffee table. Otherwise we're not so fond of him.

Every other day I yearn to euthanize him. He's stinky no matter how often we bathe him and he pretty much stays inside all day--plotting his next dumping site. It's gross. At the same time, when he's not crying for more food he either sleeps or just bumbles around contentedly. When it's warmer he'll go out again. That's another cause for concern. One day, Kid 1 and I watched him as he slowly made his way diagonally across the intersection down the street. A driver made the left, slowed as she passed our house and said "Wow, that is one slow cat!" When Spring is truly sprung, we'll worry about this again. Meanwhile, putting a pet down in this area costs around $300 so he may end up living a long, long time.