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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Hunting spiders

12 replies

Dancingfairydreams · 08/10/2018 20:26

Somewhat of a possibly silly question but can spiders hurt a cat? (Don't want to Google & run the risk of lots of pictures appearing 😱) My fur baby likes to hunt bugs, with the change in weather this has lead to an increase in spider hunting. I've noticed that they seem to be fighting back at her? She seems to jump away from them, we intervene as soon as we can to catch & put the spider out (royal we, the DP kindly does this!) but I worry she could be hurt?

OP posts:
dontticklethetoad · 08/10/2018 20:28

Good question. I think there is too much fur for spiders to bite.
Ours just seem to play with them, then give them one final swat.

ThymeCake · 08/10/2018 20:31

Are you in the UK? If so, she'll be fine!!!

(Don't listen to me if you're in Australia or the Amazon or somewhere with the real monsters 😱)

gamerchick · 08/10/2018 20:33

Well spiders can be fiesty but I doubt they could hurt a cat. A common house spider anyway.

I swear nobody believes me when I tell them I had a spider raise up and put it's dooks up at me once. It was the most boggling thing I've ever seen. Grin

Original poster
Dancingfairydreams · 08/10/2018 20:34

Am in the UK so hopefully nothing on a scale like oz etc! But she is a madam so it wouldn't surprise me if she did find a really dangerous one!! She's swatting & attempting to eat so my worry is around her mouth etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
Dancingfairydreams · 08/10/2018 20:35

@gamerchick I believe you! This is what some are doing to the cat! It's crazy to watch!

OP posts:
Allergictoironing · 08/10/2018 21:26

My Girlcat is a fearsome hunter of spiders, I used to have loads around the house but not any more, and she's never been injured by them. Even Boycat, clumsiest & thickest kitty ever, hasn't managed to be hurt by one yet.

I do have my suspicions that the dodgy tummy she had recently might have been down to eating too many of them though Wink

Ski37 · 08/10/2018 22:11

My cat is an avid hunter of most things small and leggy- flies drive him mad! I’ve only seen him encounter a spider once though.......giant spider ran across the floor towards cat, cat ran away, spider then ran away from cat, cat followed spider, spider then turned and made a slight movement towards cat, cat looked at me then looked at spider then looked at me again before running away for a second time. My cat is obviously all talk and no action!
( spider was caught and removed to the end of the garden, no doubt only to come back again as soon as my back was turned)!

Ski37 · 08/10/2018 22:26

I’m also sure it was on here that I once read a post from someone who owned a white faced cat who liked catching spiders. From what I remember said cat once leapt onto a lap for cuddles with a moustache made of waving spiders legs. That image made me laugh more than it probably should have and still makes me laugh if I think about it now 😹

gamerchick · 08/10/2018 22:32

@gamerchick I believe you! This is what some are doing to the cat! It's crazy to watch!

Grin
agnurse · 09/10/2018 06:57

I've seen cats eat spiders before and they were fine.

Orangelover · 09/10/2018 09:07

My Nixon who is extremely lazy and never brought any presents back enjoys swotting them, pulling legs off and eating them bit by bit ConfusedEnvy

Really gross. When he does it I can't watch. I'm normally torn between wanting to save the spider but I'm scared of them so end up letting him do it Blush

Branleuse · 09/10/2018 09:15

There are no dangerous spiders in the UK. She will be fine.

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