I think Biscotte may have been bitten by a spider. Last night, around midnight, I heard her meowing and she wouldn't come when I called her from bed - I was reading, with all the others in their places already. There was something about her meow that concerned me - it was a kind of 'help me' tone. So I jumped up and in the hall I found her facing down this enormous spider - I have never seen one as big here - at least two and a half inches across. Persil followed me and normally she hunts them, but she backed off. I just freaked, rushed for a shoe and bashed it, then flushed it away. Biscotte seemed fine, I told her she was a good girl for calling me, and she came to bed.
This morning she didn't come down to breakfast and I found her on a spare bed, looking disheveled, and feeling clammy to the touch. I carried her down, took her temp (normal) and put her in a cage to monitor her. I could find no bite site and no obvious swelling. She has now, 6 hours later, eaten a little chicken and some kitten kibble, but has not peed or pooped today. She is a bit listless still, but has lost the really wild look she had this morning.
I can't find any references to poisonous spiders in this part of Europe, and none of my friends know of any. But all spiders bite and maybe she was unlucky and this one decided to have a go at her. It is a holiday weekend here, which makes it difficult to contact anyone, and it was made worse by a thunderstorm that knocked out my landline for hours. Does anyone have any insight to offer? My feeling is to monitor her in the cage for 24 hours and if all her functions are not back to normal by then, to take her to the emergency clinic in Caen, 40 minutes away. Everything local is closed for two days for the 1st May holiday.
This morning she didn't come down to breakfast and I found her on a spare bed, looking disheveled, and feeling clammy to the touch. I carried her down, took her temp (normal) and put her in a cage to monitor her. I could find no bite site and no obvious swelling. She has now, 6 hours later, eaten a little chicken and some kitten kibble, but has not peed or pooped today. She is a bit listless still, but has lost the really wild look she had this morning.
I can't find any references to poisonous spiders in this part of Europe, and none of my friends know of any. But all spiders bite and maybe she was unlucky and this one decided to have a go at her. It is a holiday weekend here, which makes it difficult to contact anyone, and it was made worse by a thunderstorm that knocked out my landline for hours. Does anyone have any insight to offer? My feeling is to monitor her in the cage for 24 hours and if all her functions are not back to normal by then, to take her to the emergency clinic in Caen, 40 minutes away. Everything local is closed for two days for the 1st May holiday.
