Dog & cat health · Vet-reviewed guide

Ringworm in Cats to Humans: How to Protect Your Family

Yes, you can catch ringworm from your cat — it's one of the more contagious things a cat carries. A few simple habits keep it from spreading through the house.

Quick answer: Yes, ringworm in cats can spread to humans, and it does so readily, so this is one case where The reality is to take real precautions rather than to relax. Ringworm is a fungus, not a worm, and it passes from cats to people through direct contact with an infected cat and through spores shed onto bedding, carpets, and furniture.

Alarmingly, even a cat showing no obvious signs can carry and spread it. In people it usually appears as an itchy, red, ring-shaped rash on the skin. The good news is that it is treatable and preventable: with sensible hygiene while your cat is treated, most households avoid it or clear it quickly. Children, elderly people, and anyone with a weakened immune system are more susceptible, so extra care matters there. This guide covers how it spreads, how to protect your family, and what to do.

How it spreads from cats to people

Ringworm passes by direct contact with an infected cat's skin or fur, and indirectly through spores the cat sheds onto shared surfaces, bedding, grooming tools, and furniture, where they persist.² Because a carrier cat may look healthy, people sometimes catch it before the cat is even diagnosed.

Who is most at risk

Anyone can catch ringworm, but children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible and may get more troublesome infections.² Households with these members should be especially careful while a cat is being treated.

How to protect your family

• Wash your hands after handling the cat or cleaning up after it.
• Wear gloves when applying the cat's treatment, and an old long-sleeved shirt you can wash.
• Limit the cat to easy-to-clean areas during treatment.
• Clean and disinfect bedding, floors, and surfaces regularly to remove spores.
• Treat all pets in the home, since they can pass it back and forth.²

What to do if a person catches it

Ringworm in people is treated with antifungal creams or, for stubborn cases, oral antifungals from a doctor, so see your own physician for a human infection.² See a vet for your cat right away, because treating the cat at the same time is essential, or the infection keeps bouncing between cat and household. For the full picture on the cat side, see our ringworm in cats and treatment guides. Any medicine for your cat must be prescribed by a vet. See how our vet prescription service works.