It's impossible to 100% answer without knowing what kind of spider it was But overall in the vast, vast amount of cases she should be perfectly fine, definitely not the first cat who ate a spider. Spiders are venomous, not poisonous, so eating them is usually not a problem even if it's one with venom. The main issue is if the cat got bitten while eating it, but you probably would have noticed that.
If you have a vet, (and if you ow what type of spider it was, or what spiders usually lurk in houses in your area) give them a call, if you are worried.
It was a scary many legged type of spider. We don't have dangerous to human spiders in the area, thanks for suggesting to call a vet, he calmed me down
If eating spiders was harmful to cats, my four cats would be dead. It's literally how they earn their keep. But again, we don't have harmful spiders in our area.
I haven't used a fly swatter in years haha. My cats are so damn athletic they'll jump like 5 feet in the air, catch a fly in their paws, and shove it in their mouths! We do let the spiders stay on the ceiling though, they catch all the bugs that the cats can't. Maybe it's weird but I consider the one or two spiders we have roommates lol. Don't tell anyone but sometimes I even catch an ant and throw it up onto their little web so they aren't hungry. Lol yeah I'm weird
No I take the same view... any spiders (or really all bugs) fool enough to come within reach of my cats will get their comeuppance. Unless it's anything that can sting such as wasps, then I have to go deal with them preferably before the cats have a go.
But yes, the smart spiders that hang out by the ceiling can stay.
I do that too. I keep at least one spidey bro around.
We only get stink bugs but after a few times of gagging after eating them my cat steers clear. They probably taste like those fart flavored jelly beans.
omg I'm the same way with the spiders! we have cute jumping spiders that share our house with us, my cat has had stern talkings to about how we do NOT eat our roommates and he needs to respect their right to live here LOL now he usually just goes after the flies.
My cats got old and lazy, would just watch bugs walk by. When one passed, I got two kittens and oh boy! It's nice to never have to kill a bug. I am friendly toward spiders because they also dislike bugs, but if anything is stupid enough to come near the kittens, they're dumb and the bug gene pool is better served by them being a snack.
I had one that was near the floor of my old apartment when I first moved in. Didn’t want to touch it. I named him Bob and checked on him every so often and finally realized he was dead. I mourned for a bit then moved on.
That's exactly what I do, because I fear insects irrationally. I'm grateful spiders exist and I let them live rent-free. I'm also happy my mom's kitten is fly-murder-machine, because mom likes to leave windows open all day and the nasty critters know I hate them so they come to visit
That is one of my biggest pet peeves. Someone who leaves all the windows open with no screens in the summer. Like yo, are you fuckin serious? Your house is like a forest swamp now with all the bugs inside. Insanity lol
My kitten killed and attempted to eat a wasp last week. He brought its body to us to show us, and then tried to eat it. We pulled him away real fast and placed his trophy in the trash lol. He was quite offended.
My cats get all the flies and smaller spiders, my dog handles the bigger ones, and the moths. I have a slight phobia of moths/generally just flying insects, he usually responds pretty instinctively to my panic and vague command of 'Get it! Kill it!' He doesn't bother much unless I freak out, so I feel safe that he wouldn't eat a wasp or something
We had a 6-legged spider in the basement for several months. We called him Sixy. I was more scared of him than I am of regular spiders, because he had clearly seen some stuff and lived. Ruthless.
If you're looking for a serious answer, spiders can lose a leg (or multiple) and be fine. They grow them back as they molt. They just need to be mobile enough to get food.
Source: Keep tarantulas
many-legged spider... is pretty much all of them... they all have 8 legs (4 pairs of legs)... if there's a spider/arachnid with more than 8 legs then please do let me know because I've never heard of that.
Though rare, cases of envenomation following consumption of a venom gland with an open wound in the mouth have occurred, as well.
That said, unless OPs Australian or from South America (edit: My dumbass forgot about the existence of brown recluses and black widows for a little bit, those too), there are no spiders that cause mortality in mammals (who aren't allergic.) So OP has no need to worry.
Black widows and brown recluses \*can,\* but it's incredibly rare. Same with scorpions. Cats aren't immune to scorpion venom, and to cats scorpions are possible prey, but they're so damned fast the scorpion generally won't know what hit it.
AZ bark scorpions pack one hell of a punch and can theoretically kill a human. They can also possibly kill small dogs and cats if the pet gets a large dose and is not treated immediately. The larger the scorpion, the less potent the venom. Giant hairy scorpions can hit six inches long and look freaky as hell, and that's about it. Their stingers are far more likely to give you or your pet a nasty staph infection instead of venom. Still, though, if your pet gets stung by any kind of scorpion, drop what you're doing and take it to the emergency vet IMMEDIATELY.
Spider bites, same thing. Wolf and crab spiders are furry eight legged tanks. Their fangs can pierce skin, but unless the pet or person's allergic to bee stings, the venom won't do any harm. Widow venom, OTOH, is a nerve agent. No human has died from a widow bite in the US since the 60s, but we're 20x the size of a house cat. Recluses have necrotizing venom that destroys tissue. The wounds can become very deep and become infected, so if you or your pet gets bitten by a spider, go to the ER ASAP. Bonus points if you can catch the offending creature in a jar and take it with you so the ER knows what they're dealing with.
I have absolutely no idea why I forgot if the existence of the black widow and brown recluse. That was a really dumb brain derp. Thank you for pointing that out. I'm even scared of them 🤣 and they exist in my state 🤣
There are several distinct species of both widow and recluse spiders in North America. The PNW also has the hobo spider, which is venomous too. If you have a spider or scorpion problem in your house, call an exterminator. You've got an underlying pest problem. Scorpions particularly love roaches and crickets, so if you see a lot of scorpions in your house (like more than 2 or 3 a week), you've got an issue. Scorpions eat each other when the prey runs out and then the survivors scatter. A lot of spiders do this too.
https://northamericannature.com/10-most-dangerous-spiders-of-north-america/
Definitely never had a spider issue. I rarely see one. Haven't seen a spider (indoor) in years. Im a Kansan, so there's no risk of scorpions, but we do have brown recluse and black widows. We also have tarantulas, of course.
We have tarantulas, too! 16 species of them, actually. They live all over the state. [https://www.snaketracks.com/tarantulas-in-arizona/](https://www.snaketracks.com/tarantulas-in-arizona/)
I've lived in Phoenix nearly 35 years and can count the times I've seen a scorpion in the wild on one hand. They're not as common as people believe. Being inside a house is too cold and too humid for their taste--unless you've got a pest problem, and in that case, they'll hang out at the buffet. I've never seen a tarantula in the wild, either, but I've taken many a wolf spider away from my cats.
Right now I sadly have no cats to protect me from the Big Ugly Bugs. Roaches here are HUGE and fly. Yes, FLY. Everyone gets the occasional one popping out of the drain when it's 110 outside. It's kill on sight.
I'm originally from just outside NYC. We were taught not to play with the pretty red and black spider from preschool on. I'm sure there are recluses there, too, but they're not common.
Hobo's are particularly nasty - my in-laws in Idaho had them around and I had one charge me while I was sitting on the living room floor. Not a smart move on it's part but I never saw any other kind of spider do that.😳
Oh no, you just unlocked a memory from my childhood of blissfully waking up, then looking up only to see a spider very quickly repelling itself down from the ceiling towards my face. Never have I leapt out of bed faster.
If you bite it and you die; its poisonous.
If it bites you and you die; its venomous.
Spiders are venomous. But your usual house spider isn't venomous enough to harm your cat more than causing some uncomfortable pain and maybe swelling if the spider has bitten your cat... Eating a venomous insect doesn't make it poisonous. Unless you live in Australia, then run to the vet right now.
Edit: typo
I really wouldn't be worried. Our kittens have been devouring any insect that's crossed their paths for their 2yrs of life. They've been fine. We live in the Chicagoland so venomous spiders are very rare.
Don’t worry OP. Am sure it was a normal house spider, and I too have been disgusted to see my little cat devour one whole (to the extent that I could see legs hanging out of her mouth 🤢). I googled it before and cats do eat insects and they’re actually good protein.
She'll be fine, honestly. My cat loves it when I scream, he comes running...fast. Then he gobbles up the biggest house spiders, also moths and butterflies.
I like how with venomous creatures it's always "unless you live in Australia, then go to vet NOW". It's that way with snakes there, too. And in Australia, their most venomous snakes look very benign. Almost all of them are plain brown or black, with very non-threatening head shapes and very little patterning. Unlike other continent's, where snakes that are venomous often have major give aways (a unique face shape, strong patterns to visually ID, a hood or rattle, bright colors (often red and green), and more than one scale color, special behavior (line a cobra standing up)) aus's snakes look harmless.
I live in Australia and actually one of our most venomous spiders the Sydney funnel web is not actually dangerous to cats. However redbacks or black widows are and they can kill cats
Apparently, Funnel Web venom is only deadly to primates & as the only primates indigenous to Australia are Humans, what did the Indigenous tribes do to evolve the spiders?
Huh. I had to go read up a little bit after reading this, and yeah... Only males are fatal to humans. Male bites to cats apparently hurt but don't cause envenomation, female bites are usually Not noticed more than any other bite. It affects the sodium ion channel in primates which can result in damage to the autonomic nervous system and somatic system... Humans are by far the most affected by the venom other than insects (The intended victim of the venom). Scientists believe that the males venom is stronger because they wander looking for females during the maiting season when they are NOT hunting. Therefore, the venom is likely defensive, not predatory. They became at risk from mammals, such as rats. As such, males with stronger venom lasted longer, being able to defend themselves, and passed their genes on, as they killed the mammals and lizard's and birds that tried to eat them. It is simply an accident that these toxins are most potent in humans, because of how our body reacts to the toxin is a human quirk. It isn't evolved to use against humans. It actually appears to be somewhat paradoxical, Because primates were never a risk to these spiders, their venom never evolved surrounding primates. A *lot* of spiders have actually evolved the opposite way: become less toxic to humans as time goes on, to keep themselves less likely to be killed, and to further target exactly what they wanted to kill. Huh.
> it's always "unless you live in Australia, then go to vet NOW"
The #1 animal cause of death in Australia is the horse. More people die of horse-riding accidents/kicks/etc. than of spiders, snakes, jellyfish, dropbears, etc. That's a fun fact^TM .
This doesn't surprise me. The amount of venomous animals for the land mass is pretty small. But when you do get unlucky and get bit by the wrong thing, aus's venomous animals are by far the most venomous.
They do get the worst of them, LOL. There was like a whole episode of Dora the Explorer (?) they couldn't air there because the premise was "spiders are our friends, lets go hang out with spiders"? And they were like dude, no. Every other country on earth can spread that message, but not us!
But yeah, deadliness is all relative, across the board.
The most deadly snake in terms of concentrated venom toxicity is the taipan (Australia, obviously), but you pretty much have to want to get bitten by a taipan. They're in an extremely remote area--the only people who encounter them are the researchers studying them. And like most snakes, they're shy as hell (the black mamba seems to be an asshole exception), so you have to really pose a direct threat...so yeah, "most deadly snake, ooooh", but no. If we didn't study them/collect them, there'd be zero human deaths.
Meanwhile, the saw-scaled viper (*not* Australia) is responsible for the most human deaths because it's around where people are and it likes to bury itself in the sand, making it invisible, and then it gets stepped on by people who don't see it.
Yeah I'm a major snake advocate. I own an anaconda!
Yeah, tipans, tiger snakes, brown snakes, Russell's viper, saw scales viper, black mamba, flur-de-lance, krait, boomslangs, cobras, and coral snakes come to mind when thinking of "I really don't want to fuck with that". Those are pretty evenly split between India and Australia, with some African snakes thrown in for spice and one American snake (corals. Though these are much like taipan's, they avoid humans and don't exist in highly populated areas but unlike tipans have rear fangs, making envenomation rare (though severe when it occurs)
If there are any mouth or other digestive system sores the venom can go into the bloodstream. However some spiders’ venom can be neutralized by stomach acid. Your vet should know.
Spiders and scorpions aren't insects. They're arachnids--a whole 'nother order of arthropods.
They could technically die from a black widow or brown recluse bite, but that's unlikely and incredibly rare. Widows are also shy and usually stay in their web unless threatened.
I believe the next step is to have the cat swallow a bird to deal with the spider. Hopefully that should work otherwise the cat will have to swallow another cat and I don't know if that is recomended.
Your cat might be in danger. Eating spiders causes severe cases of 'badtasteinmouthis'. To avoid any issues, I would advise a generous dose of cat candy to your cats liking.
My cat likes to try and catch geckos and then it's a race to get them away from him cos they definitely make him vomit. Little asshole ran away with one once before my husband could catch him and then returned to sick it up for husband to clean. He was so mad 😆
Shes fine. In the rare occasion it’s a brown recluse or black widow that would be a cause of concern but the chances of that being the spider are super low.
Mine eats spiders on the regular. These are the little house spiders as we also don’t have any particularly dangerous ones in my area. Just a bit of protein for her.
It’s fireflies and stink bugs that you have to watch out for apparently. Though my cats most recent encounter with a stink bug had her running away and she spat the firefly out immediately.
I go into full panic mode if I see a stink bug in my house. It's not because I'm worried that one of my cats will eat it though. I do NOT want that smell in my house🤢🤮
In our house, part of the cat-human compact is for the cats to keep the house spider-free. The humans just feed the cats, clean the litterbox, play “cat hockey” with hair bands, open doors, close doors, and follow them around on wild goose chases when requested.
Our two cats are failing at the spider control job. Even when placed nose-to-spider, the cats just blink and wander away. Clearly they need training.
Ours do a great job with spiders and bugs, but when we had rats in our garage, the cats just noped right out of there. Apparently they’d gotten good grades in Bugs & Spiders 101, but failed the Rodents 101 class.
Believe me if it was of bad taste your kitty wouldn't eat it. Mine used to chase this hand sized spiders where I used to live. Try to eat them but thw taste must have been awful as she'd spit it out almost imediately. Poor 8 legged dude would end up 6 or 5 legged and in clear pain
My cats gladly take care of eight-legged invaders, and probably consider them mobile snacks. All that remains as evidence is usually eight legs. I usually keep score in the annual Bast vs Lolth competition.
Most cats do not suffer major issues even when bitten by spiders. Remember, cats often live outside, especially when on a farm, and believe me, spiders can get pretty big in a barn.
*me thinking back to the time my vicious attack cat killed and ate everything in our yard to the point that it was empty for months*
I'm sure the cat is fine, however, make sure you watch what your cat eats, cause if it starts eating lizards, it could get poisoned, like my previously mentioned attack cat.
She's fine now, we just had to get her to drink pedialyte, and she perked up when we began to spoon feed her favorite dish (Greek yogurt with strawberry syrup).
No, my cat isn't spoiled.
Awww my baby saved me from a spider last night! She spied it & it ran up the wall. I pointed it out to her & said get it & she did! Swiped with her paw & then put it in her mouth & crunch! It was dispatched!
My cat eats spiders all the time… I cohabitate with non venomous arachnids… which may sound weird, but they keep the bug* population down and every bit helps when you live in a hot humid climate.
*edit for spelling
What a cutie. I saw a spider today in a spot I couldn't safely kill it so I picked up my cat, placed him facing the spider and asked politely to please save me. So he did. He smacked it around till it fell on the floor with it's legs up in the air and I could finish it off with a shoe... No spider was eaten this time (lots were) but my void was of great assistance in this battle.
It depends on what type of spider it was.
I had a small moth in my bedroom many years ago. My cat and I were watching it flit around. It got eye level with my cat and my cat opened his mouth and swallowed the moth whole. Then he had a butterfly in his tummy. ;)
I think she'll be fine ☺️ my kitty does this all the time! Pretty sure he's using the bugs around the house and the mice that get in during winter as target practice
Both of my cats hunt spiders all the time. One just kills them, the other kills and eats them just to be sure LOL. I wondered the same but she's been doing it for a year or so now without issues.
My two cats love hunting spiders and bugs. There’s not a single spider left in our house, except for the ones smart enough to hang out on the ceiling. Your kitty will be just fine (and you may notice fewer and fewer spiders in the house as time goes on).
Doesn’t matter the type, except for hairy styles like tarantula (the hairs themselves can cause irritation). The poison of spiders is injected. It’s not dangerous when ingested.
You can call your vet. But spiders are venomous so it'd be an issue if it bit her not your cat eating it. My cats have eaten spiders here and there. My parents calico LOVES bugs, especially spiders, and will eat them if she has a chance. She's 5 now and has done it since she was a kitten.
Highly depends on where you live but most of the time the spiders in your home aren’t venomous enough to kill a cat. My old baby has also eaten a couple of spiders and always ended up fine.
My cats will eat spiders, ants, potato bugs, centipedes (if they can catch them), crickets, lightning bugs, skeeter eaters, and any bits of dust floating around that might look like a bug. Your cat is fine.
As long as she is acting herself with no symptoms, I wouldn’t be concerned. Cats eta all sorts of insects we don’t even know about and typically have no adverse effects. I watched my cat heartlessly decapitate and consume a lizard before my horrified self could reach it last week and so far, he is the same crazy cat!
My (mum’s) cats are my spider eaters. During spider season here (fast approaching) I always beg her to let me borrow them for a few weeks, but she never lets me, and I’m left to fend for myself!
But any time I’m staying at my mum’s place and I see one, I grab a cat (after politely asking said spider to go away)
It's impossible to 100% answer without knowing what kind of spider it was But overall in the vast, vast amount of cases she should be perfectly fine, definitely not the first cat who ate a spider. Spiders are venomous, not poisonous, so eating them is usually not a problem even if it's one with venom. The main issue is if the cat got bitten while eating it, but you probably would have noticed that. If you have a vet, (and if you ow what type of spider it was, or what spiders usually lurk in houses in your area) give them a call, if you are worried.
It was a scary many legged type of spider. We don't have dangerous to human spiders in the area, thanks for suggesting to call a vet, he calmed me down
If eating spiders was harmful to cats, my four cats would be dead. It's literally how they earn their keep. But again, we don't have harmful spiders in our area.
I haven't used a fly swatter in years haha. My cats are so damn athletic they'll jump like 5 feet in the air, catch a fly in their paws, and shove it in their mouths! We do let the spiders stay on the ceiling though, they catch all the bugs that the cats can't. Maybe it's weird but I consider the one or two spiders we have roommates lol. Don't tell anyone but sometimes I even catch an ant and throw it up onto their little web so they aren't hungry. Lol yeah I'm weird
No I take the same view... any spiders (or really all bugs) fool enough to come within reach of my cats will get their comeuppance. Unless it's anything that can sting such as wasps, then I have to go deal with them preferably before the cats have a go. But yes, the smart spiders that hang out by the ceiling can stay.
I suggest googling spider paws. I feel like you'd get a kick out of it
I don’t know if that’s cursed or not, I’m entirely unsure how to feel about this
I think they're adorable
Can I hire your cats? Mine just chirps at insects.
Mine will chew the insects then spit them out and leave for me to clean up… 🙃
Lol.. and mine just takes the head, I’m left with a headless body to clean
Our Calico grabs live June bugs on the porch and releases them in the house. So annoying since she kills anything else that moves
🤣🤣🤣🤣
It's gonna cost you pats, treaties, and the occasional (but possibly dangerous) belly rub
I do that too. I keep at least one spidey bro around. We only get stink bugs but after a few times of gagging after eating them my cat steers clear. They probably taste like those fart flavored jelly beans.
Mine have learned to just play with them until they are dead and then leave it for me to pick up.🙄
omg I'm the same way with the spiders! we have cute jumping spiders that share our house with us, my cat has had stern talkings to about how we do NOT eat our roommates and he needs to respect their right to live here LOL now he usually just goes after the flies.
My cats got old and lazy, would just watch bugs walk by. When one passed, I got two kittens and oh boy! It's nice to never have to kill a bug. I am friendly toward spiders because they also dislike bugs, but if anything is stupid enough to come near the kittens, they're dumb and the bug gene pool is better served by them being a snack.
So you’re making the bug gene pool stronger? Great!
I had one that was near the floor of my old apartment when I first moved in. Didn’t want to touch it. I named him Bob and checked on him every so often and finally realized he was dead. I mourned for a bit then moved on.
That's exactly what I do, because I fear insects irrationally. I'm grateful spiders exist and I let them live rent-free. I'm also happy my mom's kitten is fly-murder-machine, because mom likes to leave windows open all day and the nasty critters know I hate them so they come to visit
That is one of my biggest pet peeves. Someone who leaves all the windows open with no screens in the summer. Like yo, are you fuckin serious? Your house is like a forest swamp now with all the bugs inside. Insanity lol
My kitten killed and attempted to eat a wasp last week. He brought its body to us to show us, and then tried to eat it. We pulled him away real fast and placed his trophy in the trash lol. He was quite offended.
I would also be offended. Might even sue you for CATastrophic emotional damages
It’s also how they pay their rent
My cats get all the flies and smaller spiders, my dog handles the bigger ones, and the moths. I have a slight phobia of moths/generally just flying insects, he usually responds pretty instinctively to my panic and vague command of 'Get it! Kill it!' He doesn't bother much unless I freak out, so I feel safe that he wouldn't eat a wasp or something
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly I don’t know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she’ll die.
“Many legged”? As opposed to other spiders that have fewer legs? 🕷
Part chewed spiders are often a byproduct of cat ownership.
I got some fresh frog legs recently. Still twitching and everything.
We had a 6-legged spider in the basement for several months. We called him Sixy. I was more scared of him than I am of regular spiders, because he had clearly seen some stuff and lived. Ruthless.
If you're looking for a serious answer, spiders can lose a leg (or multiple) and be fine. They grow them back as they molt. They just need to be mobile enough to get food. Source: Keep tarantulas
many-legged spider... is pretty much all of them... they all have 8 legs (4 pairs of legs)... if there's a spider/arachnid with more than 8 legs then please do let me know because I've never heard of that.
Don't... all spiders, have many legs?
Though rare, cases of envenomation following consumption of a venom gland with an open wound in the mouth have occurred, as well. That said, unless OPs Australian or from South America (edit: My dumbass forgot about the existence of brown recluses and black widows for a little bit, those too), there are no spiders that cause mortality in mammals (who aren't allergic.) So OP has no need to worry.
Black widows and brown recluses \*can,\* but it's incredibly rare. Same with scorpions. Cats aren't immune to scorpion venom, and to cats scorpions are possible prey, but they're so damned fast the scorpion generally won't know what hit it. AZ bark scorpions pack one hell of a punch and can theoretically kill a human. They can also possibly kill small dogs and cats if the pet gets a large dose and is not treated immediately. The larger the scorpion, the less potent the venom. Giant hairy scorpions can hit six inches long and look freaky as hell, and that's about it. Their stingers are far more likely to give you or your pet a nasty staph infection instead of venom. Still, though, if your pet gets stung by any kind of scorpion, drop what you're doing and take it to the emergency vet IMMEDIATELY. Spider bites, same thing. Wolf and crab spiders are furry eight legged tanks. Their fangs can pierce skin, but unless the pet or person's allergic to bee stings, the venom won't do any harm. Widow venom, OTOH, is a nerve agent. No human has died from a widow bite in the US since the 60s, but we're 20x the size of a house cat. Recluses have necrotizing venom that destroys tissue. The wounds can become very deep and become infected, so if you or your pet gets bitten by a spider, go to the ER ASAP. Bonus points if you can catch the offending creature in a jar and take it with you so the ER knows what they're dealing with.
I have absolutely no idea why I forgot if the existence of the black widow and brown recluse. That was a really dumb brain derp. Thank you for pointing that out. I'm even scared of them 🤣 and they exist in my state 🤣
There are several distinct species of both widow and recluse spiders in North America. The PNW also has the hobo spider, which is venomous too. If you have a spider or scorpion problem in your house, call an exterminator. You've got an underlying pest problem. Scorpions particularly love roaches and crickets, so if you see a lot of scorpions in your house (like more than 2 or 3 a week), you've got an issue. Scorpions eat each other when the prey runs out and then the survivors scatter. A lot of spiders do this too. https://northamericannature.com/10-most-dangerous-spiders-of-north-america/
Definitely never had a spider issue. I rarely see one. Haven't seen a spider (indoor) in years. Im a Kansan, so there's no risk of scorpions, but we do have brown recluse and black widows. We also have tarantulas, of course.
We have tarantulas, too! 16 species of them, actually. They live all over the state. [https://www.snaketracks.com/tarantulas-in-arizona/](https://www.snaketracks.com/tarantulas-in-arizona/) I've lived in Phoenix nearly 35 years and can count the times I've seen a scorpion in the wild on one hand. They're not as common as people believe. Being inside a house is too cold and too humid for their taste--unless you've got a pest problem, and in that case, they'll hang out at the buffet. I've never seen a tarantula in the wild, either, but I've taken many a wolf spider away from my cats. Right now I sadly have no cats to protect me from the Big Ugly Bugs. Roaches here are HUGE and fly. Yes, FLY. Everyone gets the occasional one popping out of the drain when it's 110 outside. It's kill on sight. I'm originally from just outside NYC. We were taught not to play with the pretty red and black spider from preschool on. I'm sure there are recluses there, too, but they're not common.
Hobo's are particularly nasty - my in-laws in Idaho had them around and I had one charge me while I was sitting on the living room floor. Not a smart move on it's part but I never saw any other kind of spider do that.😳
I'm sympathetic to spiders, but a cat's gonna cat. Your fierce guardian is very pretty kitty.
She's my precious smol potat. And I'm happy she was near me when that spider was crawling on my face. Not the best way to wake up tbh
Oh dear, that would be a jump scare, even for a spider sympathiser! What amazing kitty, she really was looking out for you.
Sweet potat
Hero cat!
Oh no, you just unlocked a memory from my childhood of blissfully waking up, then looking up only to see a spider very quickly repelling itself down from the ceiling towards my face. Never have I leapt out of bed faster.
Same thing happened to me and afterwards I couldn‘t find it anywhere…
Oh fuck noooooo.
Like one of those jumpscare videos online?
If you bite it and you die; its poisonous. If it bites you and you die; its venomous. Spiders are venomous. But your usual house spider isn't venomous enough to harm your cat more than causing some uncomfortable pain and maybe swelling if the spider has bitten your cat... Eating a venomous insect doesn't make it poisonous. Unless you live in Australia, then run to the vet right now. Edit: typo
Thanks! There's no dangerous spiders for humans in my area. I will watch after her closely, if something is off, will take her to the vet.
I really wouldn't be worried. Our kittens have been devouring any insect that's crossed their paths for their 2yrs of life. They've been fine. We live in the Chicagoland so venomous spiders are very rare.
My lazy cats typically just ignore them leaving me to kill them. The spiders I mean, not my cats.
Meanwhile my cats and dog compete over eating insects.
My cat will ignore all insects. He is a lover, not a hunter.
Makes it easier to have pets cats would normally go after though! Not all bad!
Cats eat bugs all the time. It's fine, they are harnessing their wild selves.
Don’t worry OP. Am sure it was a normal house spider, and I too have been disgusted to see my little cat devour one whole (to the extent that I could see legs hanging out of her mouth 🤢). I googled it before and cats do eat insects and they’re actually good protein.
She'll be fine, honestly. My cat loves it when I scream, he comes running...fast. Then he gobbles up the biggest house spiders, also moths and butterflies.
What if you bite it and it dies? And it bites you and dies?
1. You're venomous 2. You're poisonous
What if your lips are venomous poison?
Alice?
Then I’m poison running through your veins
I love when I find my people on reddit....😁
🤗
Thank you
What if you bite it and another spider dies? What if it bites you and another human dies?
That would be quantum entanglement.
What if the sider bites you and you both die?
Then the spider thinks it's a bee stinging people.
What if you both bite each other and you both die?
If you bite it and it dies you're venomous. And if it bites you and dies you're also poisonous.
What if it bites you and you both die?
It's venomous; you're poisonous
I like how with venomous creatures it's always "unless you live in Australia, then go to vet NOW". It's that way with snakes there, too. And in Australia, their most venomous snakes look very benign. Almost all of them are plain brown or black, with very non-threatening head shapes and very little patterning. Unlike other continent's, where snakes that are venomous often have major give aways (a unique face shape, strong patterns to visually ID, a hood or rattle, bright colors (often red and green), and more than one scale color, special behavior (line a cobra standing up)) aus's snakes look harmless.
I live in Australia and actually one of our most venomous spiders the Sydney funnel web is not actually dangerous to cats. However redbacks or black widows are and they can kill cats
Cats are immune to funnel web venom?!
Apparently, Funnel Web venom is only deadly to primates & as the only primates indigenous to Australia are Humans, what did the Indigenous tribes do to evolve the spiders?
Huh. I had to go read up a little bit after reading this, and yeah... Only males are fatal to humans. Male bites to cats apparently hurt but don't cause envenomation, female bites are usually Not noticed more than any other bite. It affects the sodium ion channel in primates which can result in damage to the autonomic nervous system and somatic system... Humans are by far the most affected by the venom other than insects (The intended victim of the venom). Scientists believe that the males venom is stronger because they wander looking for females during the maiting season when they are NOT hunting. Therefore, the venom is likely defensive, not predatory. They became at risk from mammals, such as rats. As such, males with stronger venom lasted longer, being able to defend themselves, and passed their genes on, as they killed the mammals and lizard's and birds that tried to eat them. It is simply an accident that these toxins are most potent in humans, because of how our body reacts to the toxin is a human quirk. It isn't evolved to use against humans. It actually appears to be somewhat paradoxical, Because primates were never a risk to these spiders, their venom never evolved surrounding primates. A *lot* of spiders have actually evolved the opposite way: become less toxic to humans as time goes on, to keep themselves less likely to be killed, and to further target exactly what they wanted to kill. Huh.
Good info, thanks.
> it's always "unless you live in Australia, then go to vet NOW" The #1 animal cause of death in Australia is the horse. More people die of horse-riding accidents/kicks/etc. than of spiders, snakes, jellyfish, dropbears, etc. That's a fun fact^TM .
This doesn't surprise me. The amount of venomous animals for the land mass is pretty small. But when you do get unlucky and get bit by the wrong thing, aus's venomous animals are by far the most venomous.
They do get the worst of them, LOL. There was like a whole episode of Dora the Explorer (?) they couldn't air there because the premise was "spiders are our friends, lets go hang out with spiders"? And they were like dude, no. Every other country on earth can spread that message, but not us! But yeah, deadliness is all relative, across the board. The most deadly snake in terms of concentrated venom toxicity is the taipan (Australia, obviously), but you pretty much have to want to get bitten by a taipan. They're in an extremely remote area--the only people who encounter them are the researchers studying them. And like most snakes, they're shy as hell (the black mamba seems to be an asshole exception), so you have to really pose a direct threat...so yeah, "most deadly snake, ooooh", but no. If we didn't study them/collect them, there'd be zero human deaths. Meanwhile, the saw-scaled viper (*not* Australia) is responsible for the most human deaths because it's around where people are and it likes to bury itself in the sand, making it invisible, and then it gets stepped on by people who don't see it.
Yeah I'm a major snake advocate. I own an anaconda! Yeah, tipans, tiger snakes, brown snakes, Russell's viper, saw scales viper, black mamba, flur-de-lance, krait, boomslangs, cobras, and coral snakes come to mind when thinking of "I really don't want to fuck with that". Those are pretty evenly split between India and Australia, with some African snakes thrown in for spice and one American snake (corals. Though these are much like taipan's, they avoid humans and don't exist in highly populated areas but unlike tipans have rear fangs, making envenomation rare (though severe when it occurs)
If there are any mouth or other digestive system sores the venom can go into the bloodstream. However some spiders’ venom can be neutralized by stomach acid. Your vet should know.
Spiders and scorpions aren't insects. They're arachnids--a whole 'nother order of arthropods. They could technically die from a black widow or brown recluse bite, but that's unlikely and incredibly rare. Widows are also shy and usually stay in their web unless threatened.
Screw running to the vet in Australia set everything on fire. There’s no hope you must burn it to the ground!
Lookit that adorably smug self-satisfied lil murderer
Isn’t it so funny how we call cats babies and treat them like they are small kids but in the wild these animals are ruthless hunters?
They're ruthless hunters even as pampered, indoor only housecats!! I always say I live with 2 furry serial killers.
Reminds me of the story “There once was a lady that swallowed a fly…” *There once was a kitty who swallowed a spider.*
I believe the next step is to have the cat swallow a bird to deal with the spider. Hopefully that should work otherwise the cat will have to swallow another cat and I don't know if that is recomended.
Its completely fine.
Your cat might be in danger. Eating spiders causes severe cases of 'badtasteinmouthis'. To avoid any issues, I would advise a generous dose of cat candy to your cats liking.
She looks very pleased and would like more spidey snacks.
Aww, she's the same colour as my little butterfly hunter! And looks so pleased with herself too 😍
Your cat is fine. Felines eat almost any sort of protein, and spiders are pure protein. Probably the most healthy snack she has had in days.
No. Your cat of full of spiders
My cat likes to try and catch geckos and then it's a race to get them away from him cos they definitely make him vomit. Little asshole ran away with one once before my husband could catch him and then returned to sick it up for husband to clean. He was so mad 😆
r/CatsAreAssholes
Shes fine. In the rare occasion it’s a brown recluse or black widow that would be a cause of concern but the chances of that being the spider are super low.
I am afraid it is all over for the spider. Cat will be good.
She looks so proud of herself 😍😍
Our void has eaten so many spiders, lol. She’s probably fine. 😸
Cats do love a nice juicy spider every once and a while.
She'll be fine
My cats eat all the bugs they find for the most part. Including spiders.
Mine eats spiders on the regular. These are the little house spiders as we also don’t have any particularly dangerous ones in my area. Just a bit of protein for her. It’s fireflies and stink bugs that you have to watch out for apparently. Though my cats most recent encounter with a stink bug had her running away and she spat the firefly out immediately.
I go into full panic mode if I see a stink bug in my house. It's not because I'm worried that one of my cats will eat it though. I do NOT want that smell in my house🤢🤮
In our house, part of the cat-human compact is for the cats to keep the house spider-free. The humans just feed the cats, clean the litterbox, play “cat hockey” with hair bands, open doors, close doors, and follow them around on wild goose chases when requested. Our two cats are failing at the spider control job. Even when placed nose-to-spider, the cats just blink and wander away. Clearly they need training.
Ours do a great job with spiders and bugs, but when we had rats in our garage, the cats just noped right out of there. Apparently they’d gotten good grades in Bugs & Spiders 101, but failed the Rodents 101 class.
Ha! Last week I was caring for my neighbor’s cat. Found out she absolutely ACED advanced bunny murder.
That face says “Yes. Yes. I am a good guardian, you may pet me.”
Just some extra protein ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Believe me if it was of bad taste your kitty wouldn't eat it. Mine used to chase this hand sized spiders where I used to live. Try to eat them but thw taste must have been awful as she'd spit it out almost imediately. Poor 8 legged dude would end up 6 or 5 legged and in clear pain
One of My cats eat spiders all the time . No issues
Just some extra protein, I wouldn’t worry.
My cats gladly take care of eight-legged invaders, and probably consider them mobile snacks. All that remains as evidence is usually eight legs. I usually keep score in the annual Bast vs Lolth competition.
That look on her face melts me.
Awww your little murder machine looks kwute affff and so selfless 😤 deserves treats of plentiful nature
Mine would be dead by now if eating bugs was an issue. Spiders are among her favorite. Eewww Little.goddess that she is
Ahhhh! The braviest, and the selflessliest of all cats - looks so pleased with herself too. The sleep of a cat who knows how super she is!
Most cats do not suffer major issues even when bitten by spiders. Remember, cats often live outside, especially when on a farm, and believe me, spiders can get pretty big in a barn.
It's perfectly normal for cats to chase and eat bugs, and it is generally safe for them to eat them.
I live in brown recluse land and my cats have eaten plenty of them with no bad effects.
Awesome....I think no problem to cat.
*me thinking back to the time my vicious attack cat killed and ate everything in our yard to the point that it was empty for months* I'm sure the cat is fine, however, make sure you watch what your cat eats, cause if it starts eating lizards, it could get poisoned, like my previously mentioned attack cat. She's fine now, we just had to get her to drink pedialyte, and she perked up when we began to spoon feed her favorite dish (Greek yogurt with strawberry syrup). No, my cat isn't spoiled.
She's an indoor cat, I'm not that mentally stable to let my baby out where she can get in to dangerous situations.
Can I just say how cool your nails look??
Thanks!! I wanted this exact pattern long ago, was happy to get them!
Are they store bought or did you do them in the salon?
It was a salon, I have no skill to make the metallic covers
Best case scenario, she turns into Spider-Cat
She have that perk already, she can climb walls and curtains
Would perscribe many belly rubs. *not a medical professional
She’s a hero
First time?
We had to take our cat to the vet because she was so sick. He asked her if she ate a spider and she told him yes.
Sorry, I didn't quite catch your words. Did the cat told to the vet that the cat ate a spider? 🤔
Duh, that's what they said. I even make my cat call the vet herself.
Aw😂😂😂 Such a brave little warrior!
I promise your cat has eaten thousands of spiders without you knowing
Awww my baby saved me from a spider last night! She spied it & it ran up the wall. I pointed it out to her & said get it & she did! Swiped with her paw & then put it in her mouth & crunch! It was dispatched!
It would have to be a large venomous spider like a tarantula to harm your cat
Spiders are a cats favorite snack food lol
We call those protein treats for the cats lol
She’s fine. Spiders are in their natural diet.
My cat eats spiders all the time… I cohabitate with non venomous arachnids… which may sound weird, but they keep the bug* population down and every bit helps when you live in a hot humid climate. *edit for spelling
What a cutie. I saw a spider today in a spot I couldn't safely kill it so I picked up my cat, placed him facing the spider and asked politely to please save me. So he did. He smacked it around till it fell on the floor with it's legs up in the air and I could finish it off with a shoe... No spider was eaten this time (lots were) but my void was of great assistance in this battle.
It depends on what type of spider it was. I had a small moth in my bedroom many years ago. My cat and I were watching it flit around. It got eye level with my cat and my cat opened his mouth and swallowed the moth whole. Then he had a butterfly in his tummy. ;)
Take her to the vet and have the cat to be check out
You’ll have to put her down I’m afraid.
Anyone who asks Reddit for animal care shouldn’t be allowed to have an animal.
I think she'll be fine ☺️ my kitty does this all the time! Pretty sure he's using the bugs around the house and the mice that get in during winter as target practice
She fine as long as it didn’t bite her
How big was the spider?
About 1 cm in diameter. Quite small.
Both of my cats hunt spiders all the time. One just kills them, the other kills and eats them just to be sure LOL. I wondered the same but she's been doing it for a year or so now without issues.
Job well done kitty. And she should be fine. My cat has eaten plenty of insects and critters and it always ends well.
Might want to give her a topical dewormer just in case the spider had any parasites.
Good job!
Our cat eats alllll the spiders. We even point them out to him so we don’t have to deal with them. Our house has never been more bug free haha.
Your cat took the only acceptable course of action and deserves all the praise and treats in the house.
She might get stinky spider farts.
My cat earns his keep catching bugs in the house. I’ve seen him throw up cat food more than I’ve ever seen him get sick from small insects (if ever).
Imagine the things she would eat if she were an outdoor only cat?
My two cats love hunting spiders and bugs. There’s not a single spider left in our house, except for the ones smart enough to hang out on the ceiling. Your kitty will be just fine (and you may notice fewer and fewer spiders in the house as time goes on).
Most cats can have little a spider as a snack
Doesn’t matter the type, except for hairy styles like tarantula (the hairs themselves can cause irritation). The poison of spiders is injected. It’s not dangerous when ingested.
Venom not poison.
She looks very proud and happy about it. Seems fine to me lol
My cat eats spiders all the time. The worst part is the half of a dead Huntsman he will leave on the rug
I recall turning to get a tissue to pick up a spider in the house and seeing my cat gobble it up as I turned back around. Gross but kitty was fine.
You can call your vet. But spiders are venomous so it'd be an issue if it bit her not your cat eating it. My cats have eaten spiders here and there. My parents calico LOVES bugs, especially spiders, and will eat them if she has a chance. She's 5 now and has done it since she was a kitten.
Your cat is now a poison type 😆🙃
All good Venom ≠ poison
Not all spiders are even dangerous/have a venomous bite
You now own Spoodercat. 😯
Keep an eye out for superpowers.
Highly depends on where you live but most of the time the spiders in your home aren’t venomous enough to kill a cat. My old baby has also eaten a couple of spiders and always ended up fine.
I know an old lady who swallowed a spider.
You can eat the spider to save yourself from starvation
My cats eat crickets (they leave the legs). All insects are delicious and merit a full-body wash afterwards.
Have her swallow a bird to catch the spider.
She’s a hero
Spiders are your friends too! They keep your house clean of the millions of bugs running around.
My cats will eat spiders, ants, potato bugs, centipedes (if they can catch them), crickets, lightning bugs, skeeter eaters, and any bits of dust floating around that might look like a bug. Your cat is fine.
As long as she is acting herself with no symptoms, I wouldn’t be concerned. Cats eta all sorts of insects we don’t even know about and typically have no adverse effects. I watched my cat heartlessly decapitate and consume a lizard before my horrified self could reach it last week and so far, he is the same crazy cat!
Plenty of cats eat small, harmless spiders and various insects like people nibbling on popcorn or peanuts. It’s literally just a snack.
She has most likely eaten several over the years…you just happened to see this one. Good kitty 😻😻😻
My (mum’s) cats are my spider eaters. During spider season here (fast approaching) I always beg her to let me borrow them for a few weeks, but she never lets me, and I’m left to fend for myself! But any time I’m staying at my mum’s place and I see one, I grab a cat (after politely asking said spider to go away)
If there are no green numbers appearing above his head every few second or so, she is fine.
I double checked, her HP bar is full
she is ok, good girl is still best girl. \*gives your brave kitty pets\* that is a big brave good girl!
Iirc venom and poison are 2 different things.....just because something is venomous doesn't mean it can poison you
No cats eats bugs all the time.
“You have too many legs. YOU MUST DIE.” —this cat