Domestic cats are curious predators which exposes them to stings from bees, wasps and other insects. Stings from bees and wasps will cause a painful swelling and it will usually be on the face or paws as they investigate the insect or perhaps prod it. Rarely, if a cat has been stung many times, they might going to shock because of the toxins. Or there might be a hypersensitivity reaction if the cat had been exposed to be stings in the past.
The seven steps according to my research is as follows:
- You identify the insect, and, in this case, I am making the presumption that it is either a bee or wasp;
- If it is a bee the sting will be left behind. It needs to be removed with tweezers or it can be scraped out with a credit card;
- You then make a paste of baking soda, and you apply it directly to the area of the sting;
- You can then apply ice packs to reduce swelling and pain;
- After that you can apply calamine lotion and Cortaid to relieve itching. If this treatment is used then the area should be covered with a loose bandage to prevent the cat licking off the medication.
- If the cat shows signs of being poisoned or looks as though they’re suffering from anaphylaxis the symptoms of which are restlessness, agitation, scratching the face, drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea and difficulty breathing, he or she should be transported rapidly to the nearest veterinary clinic.
- Exceptionally, if a cat is known to suffer with extreme reactions from bee stings the advice is to ask your veterinarian for an EpiPen® kit which allows you to inject epinephrine into your cat to counteract anaphylactic shock. Epinephrine has a short expiration date so it should be checked often to make sure that it is not outdated.
Here are some pages on bites from other spiders and snakes. There are more which can be found using the custom search tool.
What if a black widow bites my cat (they are sensitive to their venom)?
As you might expect, the advice when your cat has been bitten by a poisonous snake it to find the nearest vet or animal hospital. If you can’t get to one within 30 minutes the advice is as follows:
- As venom spreads faster in an active cat, keep your cat as inactive as possible;
- Stop the venom getting to the heart if the bite is on the leg by applying a ‘constricting bandage’ between the bite and the heart;
- The venom will be absorbed faster if the bite is washed so leave it alone;
- Applying ice might damage tissue do don’t do this either and;
- Don’t attempt the old trick of cutting the wound and sucking out venom as it does not work according to my research, and it might poison the person.
