Cat and spiders! (No photos of spiders)

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

This is kind of a two fold question - part better suited to another board but I am always scared to post on those.

We live in an old granite house and the weather has turned colder. There are suddenly absolutely loads of spider - those big skinny ones, and the more usual fat ones. Our cat hunts them, often eats them (then is sick) or kills them and leaves the corpses.

I don’t mind spiders so am happy to catch and pop them outside. I don’t like finding their crunchy bodies, and I don’t like the cat being sick. Our previous cat had to be pts with intestinal lymphoma last year, and while there is clear cause/effect here, her only symptom was vomiting and I find it really upsetting when this boy is sick!

So my questions - how can I get rid of the bloody spiders, and how can I stop the spider-killer from killing/eating them? Our previous cat was too much of a lady to bother with insects, but this lad was a stray kitten found in a shed, who presumably grew up on spiders!

Spider-man pics attached as pre-payment for any help.

I don’t think there’s really anything you can do. Your cat is a natural hunter and following their instincts. Mine was the same when young. She’s not interested now in spiders but still brings in birds and mice

I had a feeling that would be the case. He’s not brought in any dead things from outside in ages, so he much be fed up. I just need to get rid of the spiders really, then.

My sister had a cat many years ago that caught and ate spiders regularly. It clearly didn't like the legs though so she'd regularly find 8 legs neatly radiating from a spider body shaped void on the floor. 🤣

You really do have to love cats.

Tonight Louie hunted/killed/ate a daddy long legs I inadvertently let into the kitchen along with him as he came in from outside. Seeing its legs sticking out of his mouth like a scene from a horror film will haunt my dreams.

They are so gross aren't they!!? I don't think there is much you can do about them eating the spiders, both mine do. One eats them with the most disgusted look on her face, like she has been forced to. But does it again next time she sees one!! I'll never get over the trauma of seeing dcat2 chomping on a baby mouse, it's tail being sucked in like spaghetti 🤢

My cat catches mice and then eats all but the innards. She leaves the innards in her food bowl for some inexplicable reason!

Louie declines to actually eat any mice or birds he catches, he just plays with them. Good job he’s cute. He’s thrilled the heating’s gone on.

This is the time of the year when spiders are out looking for luuurrve. They are around in your house all year round, but they (especially the males) throw caution to the winds driven by carnal urges around now. And the spiders aren't coming in to your house from outdoors, just about all of them will be indoors and will actually die if thrown out.

I've heard that (once they start to fall) putting conkers in the house puts the spiders off.

The only methods of getting rid of spiders that would work (ignoring the horrendous ecological damage and morality of killing them purely because you feel uncomfortable at the cat exhibiting natural behaviour) all involve making them deadly poisonous to the cat.

You'll get used to it.

I think you have misunderstood - I am not seeking to kill the spiders, and clearly say in my OP that I am totally fine with popping them outside. I’d just rather they weren’t in my home/the cat was also not killing them. There is no morality question and it was intended as a lighthearted thread.

My kitten destroyed a giant house spider the other day and dropped the soggy remains on my feet while I was on the toilet 😳

My family and friends who live in old spidery houses swear by putting bowls of conkers around the place. Something about some chemical the conkers put out prevents spiders? They don’t have cats, though, so you perhaps need to protect the conker bowls somehow.

Slight derail but I have a lot of the daddy long leg/cellar spiders in my house, and as a PP has said, this time of year the more conventional slightly chunkier house spiders come in looking for lurve....the daddy long legs predate them. Don't know why I find it grim, seems like cannibalism even though they are different species.
My late Pud didn't eat spiders, or chase flies, or hunt. Honest, he was a real cat!
Lovely to see Louie looking so well and happy @Judystilldreamsofhorses

Mine like earthworms and snails . The earthworms get neatly chopped and left on the carpet. The snails get eaten then she uses her tray 🤢🤢. I think mine are too lazy to catch anything faster

One of mine eats any insect he comes across.

The other two just step on them and leave them where they fall. Slippers are a must in our house 😂

To answer your question there is nothing you can do. Cats gonna cat 🤷🏼‍♀️

It’s pets unfortunately and I don’t think there’s anything you can do. My dog loves to eat anything from the decaying corpses of dead mice, to spiders. to the shit of cats and other dogs. It’s gross.

I just stopped letting her breath anywhere near my face.

Louie is gorgeous 😻

My ds never recovered from this.