Cat Feces Covered in Webs

by Trish
(Helena Montana)

I have a garden area that I cleared last autumn, intending to get a fence around it this spring. I went out yesterday and noted that my cat has pooped in the area in a couple of places (pre-fencing). Most notable was that the poop was covered and attached to the dirt with something that looks like spider webs. My concern is that the web-builder is something inside the cat feces (worm? or something?) Has anyone else seen anything like this or know of any garden insects that have an affinity for trapping cat poop?

Editor Comment on Cat Feces and Webs

Gastrointestinal parasites usually do not have the physiological capacity for building a web or anything that is similar to a web. Many worms, protozoans or any other parasites do complete their life cycle in the environment inside feces, but they usually do not form a web. None of the gastrointestinal parasites are ever found/reported/noticed building such webs.

However, many feline parasites do require some type of intermediate host to complete their life cycle. These intermediate hosts can be insects such as spiders, flies, mosquitoes, ticks, bugs, cockroaches etc. So, it is possible that your cat feces can get infested with such webs, formed by some reservoir host, like a spider in this case.

Moreover, web like things can also be growths of some type of fungus, which can grow on the crude proteins and nutrients in the feces. So, they too can cause the problem if fungus is over populated in the lawn.

Along with this, lawn or open areas have many other risks for companion animals. These can be various insects, amphibians and even microbes and parasites habituating in the lawn. Even normal flora can have health risks for companion animals, which roams around in this environment.

It is therefore always recommended that you keep the lawn and open areas disinfected and free of harmful insects. This is not only helpful in keeping your pets safe, but also for humans as well, which reside in the same places.

Two pet safe products that we suggest for the yard include Zodiac Pre-Strike Insect, Yard and Garden Spray (to eliminate mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, ants, crickets, and other insects) and Nature's Avenger (organic weed killer).

It is better to disinfect and reduce the amount of weeds in the lawn and all the open areas with a quality disinfectant, insect repellent and weed killer, and if possible keep your companion animals limited to certain premises or areas.