Black Widow Bites in Cats
Both the male and female black widow are poisonous. However the female has more venom than the male, and her venom can be fatal to small children and animals, depending on how big the spider is and how many bites are given. Pets like small dogs and cats can die from a Black Widow bite.
Black Widows usually nest in dark secluded places that aren't disturbed often, such as garages, garden sheds, storage bins, and any crevices or cracks in the house or other structures. Ordinarily a pet cat will not disturb such areas, but curious kitties sometimes poke their noses where they do not belong.
The first sign your cat has been bitten by a spider, is that there will be extreme pain in a localized area. If your cat reacts to your touch as if he or she is in excruciating pain, you will want to examine the area.
If the bite is not fresh, hair will begin to fall from the wound in patches. This will expose the spider bite, which will usually be red and swollen.
Almost immediately after being bitten your cat will experience tremors and seizures. These muscle spasms are ordinarily very painful, and will render the cat unable to move much.
Soon after the muscle spasms end the cat will become paralyzed. This is because the Black Widow spider's venom attacks the nervous system, and a small animal like a cat cannot handle the massive dose of venom that the spider packs in it's bite.
A great majority of the time, if a Black Widow spider bite is untreated in cats or other small animals, death will result from it. This can be partly because of the loss of muscle control, which restricts the animal's breathing and other vital functions.
Published by Chelsea Hoffman
Chelsea Hoffman is a prolific crime writer and novelist with such titles in print as "Chloe and Louis" and the "Fear Chronicles" series. She's currently pursuing a career in Criminology. View profile
- The Difference in Spider Bites and What to Do If BittenThe two most common spiders that live in the United States are the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse.
- Spider Bites: Recognizing Allergic ReactionsThis article will offer helpful information to help you identify possible allergic reactions to spider bites.
- Tips to Prevent Spider BitesMy goal with this article is to help people prevent a painful and expensive spider bite.
How to Recognize Allergic Reactions to Spider BitesLittle bitty spiders can cause King Kong-sized problems when the victim has a spider bite allergy. Here's how to tell.
- Intramuscular Injection Improves Pain Associated with Black Widow Spider Bite
- First Aid Treatment for a Black Widow Spider Bite
- Natural Remedies for a Brown Recluse Spider Bite
- Spider Bites: Treating a Black Widow Bite
- Do You Truly Understand the Black Widow Spider?
- Brown Recluse and Black Widow Spiders
- How to Identify and Treat Spider Bites
3 Comments
Post a CommentIm sorry to hear about Johnny. I have lost so many pets to venomous snakes and insects... every time it's like losing one of your own family members.
The first time Johnny was bite was 6 weeks ago, it took over a month to recover
Then 9-1-09 he was bite again at a neighbors and died hours after he was bitten
My cat Johnny was bitten twice - once 6 weeks age he almost died - it took little over a month to recover - I sprayed and killed the Black widows around our house .Johnny was 100%25 climbing roofs %2Ccatching wild Doves and looking beautiful.%0D%0A Yesterday 9-1-01 Johnny didn%27t come home 2%3A00 am for food -I found him 10%3A00 AM dead across the street next to some bushes and a fence loaded with Black Widows - He died beautiful - just a little red irritation mark on his rear leg . Johnny died within hours after bitten