ant killer thats safe around kittens/cats ?

My wife have two cereballar hypoplasia kittens in our upstairs bathroom.

We tried leaving out some wet food in a dish for them but noticed several
hours later that ants had gone on the attack and raided the bathroom!
We got the ants cleaned up and I sprinkled baby powder around the baseboards
(I heard baby powder will deter them?).
We started feeding them wet food in the morning and afternoon on a dish on a towel in the bedroom and putting the towel in the wash and dish in the dishwasher after and havent seen any ants since.
We are also giving them dry food in between the morning and afternoon wet food feedings.
So two questions:
1)Will this be enough food for them ?
We split a can of food between the two kittens and there is usually some leftover so I think it probably is enough.

2)If the ants come back is there an ant killer that is safe to use around
cats/kittens or will we need to move them to another room ?

There are those who say that wet food shouldn't be left out more than about 15 minutes.

We've had the problem with ants this year, too. One problem is that these particular ants like both sweet and protein-rich meals, often alternating between them, so baits may not work.

I put down a bait that looks like a jelly in a place close to where the ants are entering the room. It's best if it's in a place a cat can't get at. It won't have any smell that the cat will like, but you don't want to take chances. An alternate choice would be one of the baits that comes enclosed in a small plastic container with openings for the ants to enter and exit. Usually the flow of ants will stop in a day.

If the ants are coming in from outside, I put a bait near that spot, too.

Safe killer: corn gluten. Just heard them talking about it on a gardening show, so off you go to the garden centre and get some.

For many years, I've been using the baits enclosed in plastic. They work well for me. They take 2-3 weeks to eliminate the ants. I put them down every year. If I remember to put them out early enough, I don't see any ants at all. I use various name brands. They all work.

I put them in the outside door jambs, in lower kitchen cupboards, in the bathroom, under the refrigerator, in the basement, etc.

If your cats have a tendency to chew on plastic, I wouldn't use these baits. Even if they don't, I'd monitor them carefully, at least for a while. There are some ant baits that are made of metal. They sell ant baits at the big box home/hardware stores, small hardware stores, grocery stores, etc.

None of my cats have ever shown any interest in them.


Robin

Make a mote - using something like a flowerpot saucer filled with water. Put vaseline on the bottom edges of the saucer or areas that touch the floor where the ants might climb into the mote.

Put the bowl (can also have vaseline around the bottom edges for extra prevention) into the saucer that has either ice, or water in it.

The cats should be able to get to the food without touching the saucer, water, or vaseline.

I leave my canned food out for hours, and my last feeding is around 11 pm - I leave the food out - then, in the morning (around 7 or 8 a.m.) most the food is gone - and no one has become ill because of it.

Also, putting the food up - like on a table, or even putting the food on something like a towel, or mat - helps delay the ants finding the food and invading before you see one of the ant scouts. You can kill him (or them) before they gets back to the Company to give them the news. YIKES!

As for the ants - I used Windex - and vaseline in the path or hole the ants traveled -- until we finally got a pest service to come - all he sprays is the outside areas of the house - now we no longer have ants inside.

So, I fear using the ant killer where the cats are - just me, I suppose - so, I tried everything else in order not to have them around the poison. I have used the ORTHO bug spray in areas where the cats can't get to - like under the stove, etc. I understand that once it's dry it's safe - but - I'd rather error on the safe side and not use it around my cats.

Hope you are able to resolve the ant problem before you get too crazy.

Diatomaceous earth or Sodium borate (Borax), both are safe, effective insecticides.
I have used both for ant and flea killers/preventatives.

Originally Posted by Arlyn

Diatomaceous earth or Sodium borate (Borax), both are safe, effective insecticides.
I have used both for ant and flea killers/preventatives.

Click to expand...

The Thing I have been concerned about is what if the ants or bugs eat the borax or diatomaceous earth and the cats eat the bugs? Will that harm or poison the cats? I see I'm starting to get ants again as well and I want to get rid of them, but I'm scared to death of doing something that will hurt my babies.

Originally Posted by Misty8723

The Thing I have been concerned about is what if the ants or bugs eat the borax or diatomaceous earth and the cats eat the bugs? Will that harm or poison the cats? I see I'm starting to get ants again as well and I want to get rid of them, but I'm scared to death of doing something that will hurt my babies.

Click to expand...

Borax is definitely harmful. DE is perfect. Some folks feed their animals DE on a regular basis to get rid of internal parasites. DE is the chemical free way to get rid of insects. You must be absolutely sure to get the food/human grade DE and NOT the industrial grade. Some people actually take DE themselves to preclude internal parasites.

I've been using DE for a number of years now for insect control and nothing, but nothing is safer or better IMO.

Check out this thread:
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=230436

I read the above post with interest, my daughter has Ants and 2 cats, and is desperate not to cause any harm to the cats.  Where would she get DE from please.

bootsieblue33 said:

I read the above post with interest, my daughter has Ants and 2 cats, and is desperate not to cause any harm to the cats.  Where would she get DE from please.

Click to expand...

Call feed and seed stores, places that sell livestock feed and farming stuff.

DE - just be careful using it yourself - I've heard it's not a good thing to breathe while using it (?).

For me - all I needed to do is hire a pest control company - all they do is spray around the perimeter of the house and yard - they don't have to come inside - and it's the best $38 a month that I could spend.(!)    

I do pick up any drinking water containers and grass (food) containers that are outside before the pest service comes - other than that - wow! I no longer am going insane keeping the ants out of the house, and out of the food on the floor, or outside on the patio floor where I feed the feral colony that stays at our house.

Check out AMAZON.com - they have it