safe vs unsafe bugs

Now that we are in the great northwest, I let Abi out on a deck on which I have partial screens so she won't go through the railings. It's flimsy enough to prevent her from jumping on it, and it allows her to enjoy the outdoors safely. So, she has discovered bugs. And she loves them. Aside from the potential bee sting are bugs safe things for her to mess with? I am talking rolypolies, garden spiders, flies, moths, butterflies. For now she only torments them but it's not long before she eats one. Is it ok?

I don't have an answer to your question but I am very glad you brought it up because I have always wondered the same thing.

My two cats are indoor only but every now and then a bug will sneak it when the door is open or they'll find house spiders. I always take away their "friends" when I see them batting them around but I do that only because I have no idea whether or not the bug will harm them if they eat it.

Those faux-ladybugs are bad news, and I've never seen a cat try to eat one twice. They must either taste bad or upset their tummies or something.

You do have poisonous spiders to worry about now, out there. Here's something about that (Oregon, but that's the Pacific Northwest right?) http://www.ent.orst.edu/urban/spiders.html

Perhaps you could supervise outside time until you know how she acts around black widow spiders? She may instinctively know they're bad news, but since she's been an inside cat for so long she may not.

Oh, and this site is pretty awesome, though not for people who get the heebie jeebies or the creepy crawlies from looking at pictures of bugs.http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

Ladybugs and milkweed bugs do taste nasty. They feed on the milkweed plant which has cardiac glycosides in them. Foul tasty substance! That's why they these bugs are brightly coloured...it helps their predators learned really quickly what red things are icky!! As long as your cat doesn't develop a taste for them and eat 20 or 30 of them....then they aren't harmful.


edited to add: yes...I am a geek!!

Thanks for the link on spiders. I know of black widows. and I am relieved to hear there are no brown recluse spiders. Mostly she chases flies and moths. So I am relieved.

I don't know if it is related, but the week before Trout got really sick and almost died, she ate a couple of those orange ladybugs. EeK! I won't be letting her eat those anymore!

Welcome to the great northwest!

I live just outside of Seattle, WA.
Just to let you know, there have been reports of brown recluse spiders in WA and OR. Other spiders to watch out for are the Hobo Spider (they have no fear and can be aggressive) and the Wolf Spider. But keep in mind that these spiders hide pretty well and unless you go digging around in a wood pile you won't come across them. (Knock on wood)
If you're in Western WA or Southern OR watch out for black widows. There has been reports of black widows in Snohomish County north of Seattle too.
When I lived in So. Oregon for 2 years I use to go around the outside of my house with a broom litterally everyday! When I found out there were black widows down there I was so freaked out. After many many months I came across a black widow web. When I was brooming off one of my herb vases I heard the web "snap" I knew what it was.

If you continue to let your cat out on the deck/patio I would suggest keeping it cleared off so nothing can hide inside, under or around anything.

Here is a web site for you to check out.
http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/inse005/inse005.htm

I would also be concerned with the bees around here. This time of year they are building their bees nests and can get aggressive if someone or something seems a threat to their home.