This morning I found one of my cats behind the couch not wanting to come out and I found a dead black widow in the water bowl so i'm guessing he has been bitten by it. I don't have cash for a vet right now but I could sell some belongings but i'm afraid it may be to late by the time I have enough. Right now I have him in my room and he is just sleeping, are black widow bites always fatal to cats? Hes 6 months old. Its been 40 minutes since I noticed.
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Black Widow Spider Bite
- Thread starter kelp
- Start Date
Is he just quietly laying there? Has he eaten anything? Is he showing any signs of distress? Can you pet your cat and see if there are any spots where he reacts in pain?
Google "black widow bites cat" or something similar so you know what symptoms to watch for and if it might be serious enough to try to get some veterinary care.
Many vets offer some sort of financial help even if it's just Care Credit. At the very least, call your vet and explain your cat's situation and your current inability to pay. See what the vet says.
You can try the free first visit thing at Banfield vet hospitals (the one located in Petsmart stores). I don't think the free visit involves much, though, just a quick physical. If your cat needs a more thorough exam, that will likely cost extra along with any treatments.
Try looking her for financial help:
Financial Aid for Pets
No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life
It's a good idea to set aside money to have on hand in case of situations like this. Or at least have some kind of plan on affording vet care when money is tight.
You can try the free first visit thing at Banfield vet hospitals (the one located in Petsmart stores). I don't think the free visit involves much, though, just a quick physical. If your cat needs a more thorough exam, that will likely cost extra along with any treatments.
Try looking her for financial help:
Financial Aid for Pets
No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life
It's a good idea to set aside money to have on hand in case of situations like this. Or at least have some kind of plan on affording vet care when money is tight.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
He seems to be doing okay at the moment, he slept for 5 hours. At first he didn't want to eat but I placed some in his mouth and that got him eating on his own. Hes laying next to the window looking outside now so hopefully everything is well.
So, it has been over 9 hours since he may have been bitten by the spider. If he is not showing any symptoms listed in the internet article, he probably was not bitten. They are fairly fast to develop after the bite. according to the online article. Keep a close eye on him for the next day or so, just to be cautious.
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Also only the female black widows are venomous so you have a 50/50 chance anyway unless you can distinguish between the two. However they can have a variance of coloring and markings alone, and also between males and females that it is likely hard to tell.
