Outdoor cats always worry me. Thanks for sharing this – it’s important to let animal owners know how to protect their fuzzy ones from tick and spider bites! Category A: Spider is deadly & dangerous; Category B: Spider is toxic. Symptoms of a widow bite include paralysis or rigidity, severe upper body pain that causes yowling, tremors, difficulty breathing, loss of coordination, vomiting, diarrhea and heavy salivation. And they might be lurking in Australian residents' shoes or laundry. If your cat has an anaphylactic reaction to a spider bite this could lead to their complete collapse and coma. House spiders in Australia are a common occurrence. We get lots of nasty bugs in the summer here. Thank you for all the great tips. Additionally, signs of a tick or spider bite may include: You can safely remove a tick from your cat’s body as long as you’re very careful – use tweezers, a specialist tick remover (you can purchase these from your vet or local pet store) or your fingernails and firmly grasp the tick’s head as close to your cat’s skin as possible, then twist and pull it out applying steady pressure. ). I live in tropical Florida, USA, and we have critters year around. If your cat has been bitten by a paralysis tick, weakness often starts in the back legs and progresses from there. Envenomation and poisoning by terrestrial animals (both vertebrate and invertebrate) are a significant economic problem and health risk for domestic animals in Australia. So spiders are prime targets. A cat's skin and fur is too thick for most spider species' fangs to penetrate. Icky!!! CONTENTS: Find out which commonly found Australian spiders are venomous and dangerous to you and your family. Luckily in the U.S., there are only a few spider species whose bite can cause severe problems in people and pets. It’s known for its mighty fangs (that can pierce through fingers and toenails!!) Its other name, jewel spider, coincides with the Austracantha minax, found in Australia. As the venom from a spider bite travels and the area begins to swell, your cat will show obvious signs of pain and distress. In the Midwest where I’m from we had ticks, but they weren’t the paralyzing kind. The same also goes for dogs, as a venomous spider in the digestive system would have its venom neutralized by acid and be of little to no risk. The Sydney Funnel Web Spider is one of the world’s most deadly spiders as they carry one of the most dangerous toxins. If left untreated, a brown recluse bite can cause severe tissue damage in a cat. There are a lot of rumors that letting a cat eat a venomous spider (which is, frankly, nearly any spider) will kill a cat. All my cat get flea/tick protection. We’re glad we don’t have venomous spiders in Switzerland ! In australia, you can never really be “safe” from animals, as they find a way to locate themselves everywhere. We usually like to play with spiders, but maybe we should think about not doing that next time. None of us go outside, but we do get spiders inside sometimes. Although it is true that the most dangerous spider in the world— the Sydney funnel web spider (Atrax robustus)—lives in Australia, spiders in general are nothing to fear. Not that the spiders we have are poisonous, but you never know. Australia is home to many poisonous spiders, with the Red Back spider (known as the Black Widow spider in the United States and the Katipo in New Zealand) being the most dangerous for cats. Most of the juvenile cat-faced spiders do not mature into adulthood as the spiderlings eat up their own siblings after they emerge from the silk sac. From big, hairy spiders and intricate, delicate spiders to pointy fangs and sticky webs- welcome to the world of Australia’s creepy crawly spiders! Spiders venomous to cats: Latrodectus (Widow spiders) – Worldwide distribution, well-known species include the Black Widow, Western Black Widow, Northern Widow, Red Widow, Brown Widow (USA), Katipo (New Zealand) and the Redback (Australia). In the case of a spider bite, you might notice puncture wounds or swelling although these can be difficult to see initially depending on the length and thickness of your cat’s fur. If it's small and moves, cats will probably try to eat it or play with it. That means poisonous. Symptoms will vary depending on the … They have a roughly leaf-shaped pattern on the top of their … Widow Spiders. Most species of spider are unable to penetrate human or animal skin. Australia is infamous for its deadly snakes, spiders and sea creatures, including the notoriously dangerous redback spider. 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