Spider repellent that is safe for cats

Hi there,

I live in a basement apartment and around this time of the year, all the garden spiders find their way into my home as they seek warmer temperatures. I've been waking up with random spider bites which while not threatening, are annoying and itchy. 

My usual go-to to repel spiders is using eucalyptus oil or tea tree oil but I have heard that cats can develop health issues with essential oils around. I want to keep my kitty safe and healthy but also get rid of these spiders.

Any advice?

My first thought is food grade Diatomaceous Earth (the "food grade" certification is *very* important if using around animals).  You would basically line the perimeter of your rooms with it, unless you know where they're entering.  Bathrooms, and areas near pipes, are a good bet.  If you can get your landlord to seal any nooks and crannies in walls or ceilings, that would certainly help.  While it's safe for ingestion, you would want to keep it as close to walls as possible.  Stirring up the dust can irritate lungs and mucous membranes.  

Because DE is a very fine powder (what you can't see is that's it's composed of microscopic jagged fragments of fossilized critters) that can act as a respiratory irritant, you may want to wear a mask while working with it.  It also works great for fleas, ants, roaches...pretty much all the creepy crawlies.

Good luck!

I got rid of a bad spider problem in my basement a couple years ago by spraying a mixture of half coconut oil and half white vinegar around the edges of the floors and walls.  They vanished in minutes and stayed gone for months.  Good luck.