Ringworm in cats

Ringworm in cats is a type of skin disease. Our vet team has put together this fact sheet to help you understand everything about the disease. We offer expert information on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and causes. We also recommend precautions for cat owners, as there is a risk of transmitting cat ringworm to other animals and even people.

Definition of ringworm in cats

Ringworm is the name given to a contagious, often itchy fungus that uses the top layers of an animal's skin as a source of nutrition in order to survive.
 
This skin disease is usually identified on a cat by missing, circular patches of fur. But lots of other (more common) skin conditions look very similar and some cats will show no signs at all.

Though it’s called ringworm, the disease does not have any relation to worms and more closely resembles athlete’s foot in humans.

Symptoms of ringworm in cats

Signs of ringworm vary in their look and severity, but there are common symptoms that come with this infection. These include:

• hair loss (usually on the head, ears or legs), usually in circular patches
• areas of hair loss often looking sore and red with a crusty covering

These two symptoms can also be seen in other skin conditions. An appointment with your vet will confirm whether your cat has caught the infection or not.

Diagnosing ringworm in cats

If you think your cat has ringworm, you will need to take them to the vet. They will need treatment to cure it and stop it from spreading to people and other pets in your family.

There are several tests that help to diagnose ringworm - for example, your vet may use an ultraviolet lamp to look at your cat’s fur and skin. This is because some types of ringworm will show up under this type of light.

Your vet may also look at a sample of your cat’s fur under a microscope to see if they can spot the fungus. The best way to diagnose ringworm is to take a sample from your cat’s skin and place it in a dish to see if it will grow under lab conditions. This can take up to two weeks to give results. This test is very reliable - other tests may give false positives and negatives.

Treating ringworm in cats

Though a cat’s immune system will eventually fight the infection, treatment is the best option. This is to stop the risk of the infection spreading to other pets and humans. Other animals that have been in contact will also need treatment so tell your vet if you have other pets. The usual treatment is anti-fungal drugs combined with an anti-fungal shampoo.

Protecting your home from ringworm

Ringworm spores are hardy and can live in the environment for up to two years. If you cure your cat of ringworm but do not eradicate it from your home, your cat could become infected again. So take a few precautions:

• Restrict your infected cat to one room while treating them, so that spores are not spread through the house
• Carry out decontamination of your home, either by cleaning areas on a daily basis or using chemical disinfectant approved by your vet
• Dispose of all bedding, brushes, combs and toys that cannot be cleaned

Causes of ringworm in cats

The skin disease is contagious. It's fairly easy for your cat to get ringworm by coming into contact with another infected cat, or being in an environment where ringworm has been present.

This is especially the case in multi-cat households. Ringworm is spread through infected hair and skin follicles which cats naturally shed.

Ringworm is much more common in young cats and long-haired cats. Young cats (under one year old) are more susceptible to the infection due to their immune systems not being fully developed. Long-haired cats have the perfect breeding ground in their long hair, where spores can get easily trapped and are hard to remove.

How to manage ringworm in a multi-cat household

If you find one cat has ringworm, then it's safest to assume that all your cats have been exposed to it.

Treat all cats for the infection to make sure that it’s eliminated from your home as soon as possible.

How people might catch ringworm from your cat

Ringworm can be passed to people. It's caught through touching an infected cat. In people, ringworm lesions appear as a red circle on the skin (hence the name).

You cannot catch ringworm if your skin is unbroken. If you have a scratch, graze, wound or suffer from a skin condition such as eczema, you may catch the infection. But it’s usually easily treatable.

"People with weaker immune systems are more at risk of catching ringworm from cats," says Blue Cross vet standards lead Anna Ewers Clark. "Vulnerable people include young children, elderly people and people undergoing chemotherapy or treatment involving transplants or transfusions. I recommend that you don’t let children touch your cat if he or she has ringworm."