Can Bugs on Plants Affect Cats?

Stings and Bites

• The most dangerous bites are from black widow spiders and tarantulas, whose venom can cause pain, paralysis and death unless an antidote is given promptly. Bites from brown recluse spiders can lead to ulcerating wounds that may get infected. Stings from bees, wasps, hornets, centipedes and scorpions cause local pain and swelling, which you can treat with cortisone ointment and ice packs. If the cat also suffers shock or an allergic reaction, you should consult a vet.

Parasites

• Cats easily pick up ticks while exploring long grass. Ticks attach themselves to the skin, where they feed on blood. This may lead to anemia and transmission of bacterial or viral diseases and toxins. Cats also pick up botfly maggots (cuterebra) from the grass blades where they have hatched. The maggots enter the body through a wound or other orifice and migrate through the flesh to form lumps under the skin. The cat may become feverish and uncoordinated, and it may need anti-parasite medication from the vet to eliminate the invaders.

Poisoning

• You may worry that your pet may become ill after eating insects. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, fireflies can be toxic and crickets may upset a cat’s stomach, while fragments of beetle shell can irritate the gut. However, the main problem with swallowing insects is the insecticide they may have ingested. Signs of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, weakness, difficulty in breathing, and eventually liver damage, anemia, coma and death. Insecticides that contain strychnine are especially dangerous.

Preventing Trouble

• Unless you plan to keep your cat indoors all the time, you should check every day for signs of pain or illness and for lumps in the skin. Choose nontoxic insect deterrents such as citronella, natural pyrethrum and herbal flea sprays. Nutritional yeast added to cat food may also repel fleas. Consider treating your garden plants with beneficial nematodes, which prey on insect larvae but are harmless to mammals.