Better Alternatives for Baygon/Insect killer that is safe for cats

[delightful_cat]

My dad usually sprays Baygon when he notices that mosquitoes enter our house and sometimes he sprays it quite near the cages of my persian cats. Isn't it dangerous for my cats to inhale it? I never allow them to go out their cages so they can't ingest it. I am just concerned if it's deadly to them just by inhaling it. What are better alternatives to this that is considered safer for cats?

 

[fionasmom]

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/propoxur.pdf
Health Hazard Information on page 1 discusses animal hazards from inhalation
Which Bug Product Is Right For You?
Precaution from the company (SCJohnson) advises that you remove pets, birds, and cover aquariums

I would urge caution around the cats. If they are in a cage when it is sprayed in their area, they are probably inhaling it.

I don't personally have much experience with insecticides, so can't help with alternatives.

 

[FeebysOwner]

If there are specific entry points where the mosquitoes are getting in, try placing some mosquito repelling plants in those locations. These plants are not all good for cats if ingested but since it seems you confine them to a caged area, you shouldn't have to worry about that. The article link below discusses what kind of plants are mosquito repelling.

You can also use mosquito traps in those same areas - again, they will be fine since your cats can't get to them. A link to some of the supposed best ones is also provided below.

There is also a spray to use indoors that Chewy.com declares is pet safe - WONDERCIDE Mosquito & Fly Indoor & Outdoor Aerosol Spray, 10-oz bottle - Chewy.com

Safe & Dangerous Mosquito Repellent For Dogs and Cats | Preventive Vet
Top 5 Bug Zappers & Mosquito Traps 2023 (impressivegadgets.com)

 

[Caspers Human]

The insecticide, Baygon, is made from a mixture of pyrethroids. All pyrethroids are toxic to cats and lethal to fish and honeybees.

You should not be spraying anything containing pyrethrin anywhere in a house where cats are kept unless they are kept away from the area until the smell of chemicals is gone. (From a few hours to a day.)

I suggest, instead of spraying, you give some thought to the ways you can exclude mosquitoes from the house.
Keep screens on open doors and windows. Repair screens that have holes or keep windows closed if you don't have full screens on them.

Turn on air conditioning if you can. Mosquitoes and many other bugs prefer warmer temperatures and won't go inside a house that's air conditioned as much. Air conditioning also helps because people tend to keep windows and doors shut.

Mosquito traps can work but the problem is that, in order for traps to work, they have to attract the bugs. The idea of trapping (and killing) bugs is a good thing but attracting more of them to an area where humans live isn't so smart. When you want less of something, it doesn't make sense to attract more of it. Right?

Why not look around the outside of your property to find out where mosquitoes are living and breeding? Look for pools of standing water and remove them. Cut down overgrown brush and mow the high grass. Occasional spraying of insecticides, OUTDOORS, can also help but only after other measures have been taken. If you don't cut back overgrown vegetation and remove stagnant water, spraying is like trying to put out a house fire with a garden hose...it's futile.

If you would like to try plants to repel mosquitoes, catnip is supposed to be a good bug repellent. Why not plant some catnip in your garden? The active substance, nepetalactone, in catnip that makes cats get frisky is also the stuff that makes bugs go, "Ick!" Popular wisdom says that the same evolutionary forces that made catnip plants develop a chemical repellent for bugs also attracts cats for the same reason. If cats go near catnip plants, they are less likely to be bothered by bugs. I'm not certain that this is completely true but it does make sense. Doesn't it?

The idea of spraying in order to get rid of pests is okay but, before you do, it's better to get rid of the reasons why bugs come in the first place. If you have ants in your kitchen, isn't it better to get rid of crumbs and leftover food first?