These organisms can make life miserable for cats — and sometimes their owners, too.

By Tom Ewing

A parasite is an organism, either simple or complex in structure, that inhabits and finds its nourishment inside another creature, contributing nothing to its host’s well-being and often robbing the animal of valuable nutrients. Cats commonly serve as hosts for these rude and voracious interlopers, often experiencing severe health disorders in return for their hospitality.

Some parasites can transmit zoonotic diseases, illnesses that are passed between animals and humans — often through an infected animal’s feces.

To compound the problem, many parasites can transmit zoonotic diseases — illnesses that are passed between animals and humans, often through contact with an animal’s feces. …

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