KAK - you are reliving my Labor Day weekend of last year. I brought Jazz home on Aug. 24th and she was very sick. At her vet check they said she had ringworm, a URI and earmites. I put her in quarantine and started treatment. A week or two later on the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend I found something in the carpet of her room that looked like a small white piece of overcooked spaghetti. I had no clue what it was until I started looking around and found something that looked like a piece of dry white rice. I immediately got on the internet and started researching and discovered it was tapeworms. I, like you, had to wait until the Tuesday after Labor Day to see the vet for treatment. I took in a few pieces in a baggie and he confirmed tapeworm. I can't remember what he gave her but it was a one dose oral medication. It did the trick.

If what you found looks like what I described than it is more than likely tapeworms.

As far as being contagious I'm sorry but I can't remember what all the info I read said. Since I had her confined in a room all ready I wasn't too concerned. I do think that it has to be ingested to infect your cat so that shouldn't be a concern unless they have fleas or have eaten a rodent (most common ways to infest).

Good luck - hopefully your other three guys won't have or get it.