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Is boric acid harmful to cats?

post #1 of 15
5/7/11 at 1:28pm
Thread Starter 
I'd like to put some down to get rid of the bugs, but not if there's any chance at all it could do any harm to my cats. Including what if the bugs eat the boric acid and the cats eat the bug? Thanks.
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post #2 of 15
5/7/11 at 5:54pm
The problem with Boric Acid is that it doesn't evaporate like other pesticides and it is not absorbed into the environment. It is toxic to cats in large quantities, but I personally wouldn't use it. It can cause depression, vomiting and diarrhea and if a cat is poisened by it, it has to be treated by dialysis. You can certainly use it in baseboards, behind counters or in places where you cat cannot reach it. I don't know about if the bug eats the boric acid and the cat then eats that bug, . ARe your cats treated with Frontline, Advantage or Revolution, as this will help the flea (if that is the bug you are talking about?) problem as well. Much luck
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post #3 of 15
5/7/11 at 6:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Misty8723 View Post
I'd like to put some down to get rid of the bugs, but not if there's any chance at all it could do any harm to my cats. Including what if the bugs eat the boric acid and the cats eat the bug? Thanks.
I wouldn't use it. Here is a quick reference page which helps understand daily household items which can cause a toxic reaction in your cats.

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxcat/toxcat.html

M
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post #4 of 15
5/8/11 at 4:36am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Feralvr View Post
The problem with Boric Acid is that it doesn't evaporate like other pesticides and it is not absorbed into the environment. It is toxic to cats in large quantities, but I personally wouldn't use it. It can cause depression, vomiting and diarrhea and if a cat is poisened by it, it has to be treated by dialysis. You can certainly use it in baseboards, behind counters or in places where you cat cannot reach it. I don't know about if the bug eats the boric acid and the cat then eats that bug, . ARe your cats treated with Frontline, Advantage or Revolution, as this will help the flea (if that is the bug you are talking about?) problem as well. Much luck
Thanks, I will not be using boric acid! No they aren't treated with anything for fleas because I won't put pesticides on them, or feed them pesticides (heartgard). Its not fleas that's the problem its some other kind of little black bug - maybe some kind of ant? Not really sure. They like to hang around the water bowls.
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post #5 of 15
5/8/11 at 5:03am
Get some Diatomaceous Earth (crushed diatoms and not "earth" at all). It is like a fine powder and completely safe for both humans and animals. If you cannot obtain some from a plant nursery then try online. It MUST be human/food grade though. There is an industrial DE so stay away from that one.
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post #6 of 15
5/8/11 at 7:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
Get some Diatomaceous Earth (crushed diatoms and not "earth" at all). It is like a fine powder and completely safe for both humans and animals. If you cannot obtain some from a plant nursery then try online. It MUST be human/food grade though. There is an industrial DE so stay away from that one.
I had ants coming in under the baseboard and swarming the cat bowls. I stuffed DE under the baseboards and put the cat bowls in the middle of a plate of DE. They've been gone for months so I don't do the plates anymore, but the baseboard is still packed.
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post #7 of 15
5/8/11 at 8:01am
I wouldn't put powdered boric acid anywhere the cats could possibly ingest it.

That said, boric acid is an ingredient in most pet eyewashes (think Opticlear) and in that very dilute situation is an effective antibiotic.
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post #8 of 15
5/8/11 at 12:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
Get some Diatomaceous Earth (crushed diatoms and not "earth" at all). It is like a fine powder and completely safe for both humans and animals. If you cannot obtain some from a plant nursery then try online. It MUST be human/food grade though. There is an industrial DE so stay away from that one.
I'm looking online for a place to buy it. Do you just put it down and the bugs eat it?
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post #9 of 15
5/8/11 at 4:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Misty8723 View Post
I'm looking online for a place to buy it. Do you just put it down and the bugs eat it?
No, the bugs walk through it and it gets on their bodies. Diatomaceous Earth is made of crushed diatoms which are a miniscule crustacean from the sea. When crushed they are like a fine powder which is totally safe for humans and other mammals to eat but it is like sharp shards of glass to the bugs, cuts their exoskeleton and they die. The ants would carry it back to their nests and then kill the other ants.

Some farmers feed some of it to their animals to keep them from having internal parasites. Some humans even take some on a regular basis for the same reasons.
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post #10 of 15
5/8/11 at 6:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
No, the bugs walk through it and it gets on their bodies. Diatomaceous Earth is made of crushed diatoms which are a miniscule crustacean from the sea. When crushed they are like a fine powder which is totally safe for humans and other mammals to eat but it is like sharp shards of glass to the bugs, cuts their exoskeleton and they die. The ants would carry it back to their nests and then kill the other ants.

Some farmers feed some of it to their animals to keep them from having internal parasites. Some humans even take some on a regular basis for the same reasons.
Thanks for your help. I don't know if i can find it locally, so I'm going to buy some over the internet (I've found a couple sites) and hope it does the trick.
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post #11 of 15
5/8/11 at 7:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
No, the bugs walk through it and it gets on their bodies. Diatomaceous Earth is made of crushed diatoms which are a miniscule crustacean from the sea. When crushed they are like a fine powder which is totally safe for humans and other mammals to eat but it is like sharp shards of glass to the bugs, cuts their exoskeleton and they die. The ants would carry it back to their nests and then kill the other ants.

Some farmers feed some of it to their animals to keep them from having internal parasites. Some humans even take some on a regular basis for the same reasons.
Very interesting and very useful knowledge, never heard of DE before. Will file this into my mental kitty tool box for future reference!
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post #12 of 15
5/8/11 at 7:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Feralvr View Post
Very interesting and very useful knowledge, never heard of DE before. Will file this into my mental kitty tool box for future reference!
If you do use it make sure its Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth there is a difference. Non food grade is the stuff used in pool filters.

I was looking for information on buying it on line and found this site that has lots of information. They also sell it but you can get it other places as well.

http://www.earthworkshealth.com
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post #13 of 15
5/8/11 at 8:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CheshireCat View Post
If you do use it make sure its Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth there is a difference. Non food grade is the stuff used in pool filters.

I was looking for information on buying it on line and found this site that has lots of information. They also sell it but you can get it other places as well.

http://www.earthworkshealth.com
I recommended this in post #5 but it doesn't hurt to reiterate. Getting food grade is of course absolutely necessary so you don't harm your kitty.
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post #14 of 15
5/8/11 at 9:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
I recommended this in post #5 but it doesn't hurt to reiterate. Getting food grade is of course absolutely necessary so you don't harm your kitty.
Sorry about that. I didn't see it and thought it should be mentioned. Next time I will read more carefully.
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post #15 of 15
5/9/11 at 7:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CheshireCat View Post
If you do use it make sure its Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth there is a difference. Non food grade is the stuff used in pool filters.

I was looking for information on buying it on line and found this site that has lots of information. They also sell it but you can get it other places as well.

http://www.earthworkshealth.com

YES!!!! I will and I just asked my DH this morning about DE and he said "WHAT!!!!" Don't give that to the cats!!! That is what I used for cleaning pool filters many years ago!!!!!". I would definitely get the human grade DE if I were ever to need it. Thanks though
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