How common are spider bites among cats?

lovelydork

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We recently moved from the upstairs apt to the downstairs one and i've never seen so many spiders!  I was seeing 2-5 a day.  We tried spraying for them but I still see one a day.  My kitty Zoey got to one and was pouncing it. I tried getting her away from it but this happened really fast.  she pounced like 3 times really fast, bit at it twice and it was dead.  It was about half an inch to an inch and brown...looked recluse-ish but I couldnt really tell bc it was mangled.  How common are spider bites among cats?  Is there a good chance she killed it before it took a nip at her? I'm rather worried...my furry babies are the apples of my eye.
 She's not acting too weird or anything, hasn't thrown up, isn't furiously licking anything and I keep checking around her mouth for a bump but I don't see one
 

yayi

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My cats play, chase, and kill spiders and other insects. It's quite normal. I don't think they've been bitten and if they had, I have not seen any bad effects. It may be a different story if it's a poisonous insect. 
 
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swampwitch

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Almost all spiders are venomous. Some are just a lot worse than others and there are spiders that can kill a cat: brown recluse, black widow, redback, wolf, hobo are a few. Also be careful about spraying poison to control the spiders; eating or playing with a spider that's been sprayed can poison your kitty.

Keep your cats away from bees, wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, too, their sting anywhere can cause severe allergic reactions requiring immediate care. If stung in the mouth the kitty's throat can swell and stop breathing.

You might want to identify what spiders you have around, the bad ones give pretty awful bites to humans, too.
 
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feralvr

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I also get spiders in my house downstairs each Fall for sure. Most times with not a problem to my babies. BUT one time, Pipsqueak did get a spider bite on his face by his ear. He had to go to the vet for treatment. He has a bad reaction and was extremely lethargic. He has a compromised immune system so that might have been the problem :dk: So now we spray twice yearly, Spring and Fall.

Welcome to TCS!!!!!!! Glad you found us :D :clap:
 

Winchester

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Be careful with spiders! Bad spider bites can kill a cat! Many years ago, BooBoo was playing down by the front door. I had gone down the steps, taking a load of laundry to the basement and I saw a spider there; evidently it had come in from the screen door. But I thought, "It's a spider" and that was it. I could still smack myself silly for being so stupid.

After putting the laundry in the washer, I came back upstairs and Boo was just sitting there. I talked to him, but got no response. Snapped my fingers at him. Nothing. He just sat there, staring into nothing. I immediately yelled for Rick to call the vet that we were on our way.

As we were driving to the vet, Boo suddenly started screaming....I will never forget those screams. I've never heard any kitty scream like that. We got him to the vet and they immediately put him into an oxygen tent and started giving him meds. I don't remember what all they did, but it was touch-and-go for the rest of the day. They wouldn't let us bring him back home; he had to stay in the tent. The next morning, the doctor called and said that when he came in, Boo was sitting in the cage, hollering for breakfast. We could take him home.

Evidently, Boo had decided to eat the spider. But as the spider went down his throat, it bit the inside of Boo's throat. And the bite caused some kind of anaphylactic shock....had we not raced to the vet with him, BooBoo would have died.

I kill all spiders as soon as I see them....I don't waste any time. We don't get many, but sometimes they do get in the house.
 

pushylady

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OMG Pam! How awful. Just goes to show it doesn't have to be something obviously dangerous like a black widow to cause problems.
 

Winchester

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OMG Pam! How awful. Just goes to show it doesn't have to be something obviously dangerous like a black widow to cause problems.
It was bad. Really, it was terrible. To this day, when I think about it and realize that we almost lost that boy, I could cry. We were so scared. And it was my fault....I could have prevented the whole thing. I was an idiot. And that's why, whenever somebody talks about spiders, I tell this story. We almost lost him.
 

catspaw66

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We all blame ourselves when anything bad happens to one of our furkids.  Sometimes, there is nothing you can do to prevent it, and sometimes there is.  You have learned an important thing about spiders that you didn't know before.  Do not be overly hard on yourself, but enjoy the fact that your furchild is still with you.
 
 

theresa31

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My kitry was under chair and made a noise i thoyght my daughter steped on him he moved and sat there. I foynd a spider on floor alive and killed it. I don't know what to do
 

theresa31

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I ggot the spider. Its dead. But i looked uo spiders don't look like a brown reclues but could be wrong
 

abby robertson

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Be careful with spiders! Bad spider bites can kill a cat! Many years ago, BooBoo was playing down by the front door. I had gone down the steps, taking a load of laundry to the basement and I saw a spider there; evidently it had come in from the screen door. But I thought, "It's a spider" and that was it. I could still smack myself silly for being so stupid.

After putting the laundry in the washer, I came back upstairs and Boo was just sitting there. I talked to him, but got no response. Snapped my fingers at him. Nothing. He just sat there, staring into nothing. I immediately yelled for Rick to call the vet that we were on our way.

As we were driving to the vet, Boo suddenly started screaming....I will never forget those screams. I've never heard any kitty scream like that. We got him to the vet and they immediately put him into an oxygen tent and started giving him meds. I don't remember what all they did, but it was touch-and-go for the rest of the day. They wouldn't let us bring him back home; he had to stay in the tent. The next morning, the doctor called and said that when he came in, Boo was sitting in the cage, hollering for breakfast. We could take him home.

Evidently, Boo had decided to eat the spider. But as the spider went down his throat, it bit the inside of Boo's throat. And the bite caused some kind of anaphylactic shock....had we not raced to the vet with him, BooBoo would have died.

I kill all spiders as soon as I see them....I don't waste any time. We don't get many, but sometimes they do get in the house.
omg that sounds so horrific! Id be in tears if that hapened to any of my babies!

Here in australia we have ALOT of deadly spiders here that are really quite dangerous to ppl and animals. In the summer we get alot of huntsman spiders which grow REALLY LARGE and wolf spiders which are even bigger and they come inside alot during the hot days and cause alot of havock. We have to be so careful to check everything esp shoes and clothing from the line cos they hide and strike when you dont see them. They can be a real menace!!!!! We also get alot white tip spiders that apparently cause necrosis with a small bite
 
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pushylady

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My kitry was under chair and made a noise i thoyght my daughter steped on him he moved and sat there. I foynd a spider on floor alive and killed it. I don't know what to do
How is your cat acting now? Are you sure he was bitten?
 
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