> Actually this is not true for the cat tapeworm.  I got the whole lecture
> from my vet....................Fleas may carry some other stuff, but not
this, according to >what I've been told.

No, seriously , fleas really are intermediate hosts for a common species of
tapeworm that infect cats.  It's a dog tape by name that also infects cats
and people and is, apparently, the most common type, at least here in the
country where I live.  You'd think otherwise since my country cats are
hunter cats, but keeping the fleas controlled takes care of the tapes.
Here's a site with a graphic of the cycle:
 http://www.dr-dan.com/tapeworm.htm

And the Merck Veterinary Manual:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/25510.htm
Within the text be sure to click on *Table: Cestodes of Dogs and Cats in
North America* which lists all the species and hosts.  The first one listed
is common in cats (though it says less common in cats than in dogs).

Theola, wife of a vet and mom to another