Cat ate moth after playing with it in dust and plaster

[mayabear]

HUGE moth in the house. She went crazy trying to get it. She jumped on top of the bathroom cabinets and lights which she's never done before and I didn't think was possible, but when there's a will, there's a way with cats though, right... She was playing with it and had it in her mouth (it's so gross seeing the legs sticking out!!) then dropped it again and played some more, and eventually ate it. I can’t really reach up there so it was quite dusty and until today I didn’t even know there was a space on top of the cabinet. The space had lots of dust and plaster or something (like they didn’t clean up after installing the mirror and light wires). Of course I’m freaking out because she couldn’t get down after getting up there so kept pacing back and forth in the dust and dirt. And she likely ate some of it with the moth.

Think she'll be ok? How long would it take for symptoms of poisoning or illness to show up? I'm not as worried about the moth, though she's never eaten one before, but I am concerned about the dirt and other materials that were up there.

I love that she's active but I don't love the agita

 

[StefanZ]

HUGE moth in the house. She went crazy trying to get it. She jumped on top of the bathroom cabinets and lights which she's never done before and I didn't think was possible, but when there's a will, there's a way with cats though, right... She was playing with it and had it in her mouth (it's so gross seeing the legs sticking out!!) then dropped it again and played some more, and eventually ate it. I can’t really reach up there so it was quite dusty and until today I didn’t even know there was a space on top of the cabinet. The space had lots of dust and plaster or something (like they didn’t clean up after installing the mirror and light wires). Of course I’m freaking out because she couldn’t get down after getting up there so kept pacing back and forth in the dust and dirt. And she likely ate some of it with the moth.

Think she'll be ok? How long would it take for symptoms of poisoning or illness to show up? I'm not as worried about the moth, though she's never eaten one before, but I am concerned about the dirt and other materials that were up there.

I love that she's active but I don't love the agita

As I know, most moths arent poisonous. Some larvae of moths may be, causing heavy salivating and such.

Do observe, check up where there is a vet, but as I understand it, there is no real danger.

 

[klunick]

I don't think a little dust and dirt will hurt her. Cats are pretty tough at what they can get away with ingesting as long as it wasn't a lot of it.

 

[di and bob]

Anything that sat up there a long time is most likely OK by now. Moths don't hurt cats, they eat them, crickets, spiders, and grasshoppers all the time in the wild. Cats have a different digestive system than ours and can eat all kinds of things that would make us sick. I'm sure she'll be OK.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

If she's ok this evening, she's gonna be fine. Cats eat all sorts of bits and dabs and get away with it. The amount of random crud that went down with the moth was certainly negligible!