My cat has carpet beetles. Are they dangerous? How to remove them safely?

You are right in saying that certain chemicals should be avoided around cats. This should include permethrins, pyrethrins, and any of the chemicals derived from these compounds. However, most studies have already shown that as long as your kitty isn't actively licking this chemical, being directly sprayed with it,or eating dozens of the ants killed by it, the level of toxic exposure required to cost significant harm or death in a cat is pretty unlikely. That is not to say that ultimately it would be safer to relocate your cat during the extermination process or use a different chemical that kills ants. There are many different insecticides that have very limited intoxication potential. If you have any concern about what to use, I would advise you to reference the pet poison healthline website. You can also call them if you want specific advise concerning your pet. Here's the website: http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/ Good luck in your ant killing journey!

The main insect to be concerned about would be a venomous spider like a black widow or brown recluse. Bites from these spiders can cause large wounds and tissue necrosis and can be very complicated to treat. Other insect bites will be a nuisance but should not cause any major problems. Additionally, if your cat eats the bugs, the only symptoms you may see are those related to GI upset. These symptoms would include drooling excessively, inappetance, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Or you may not notice any symptoms at all. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Hello, and thank you for your question. The tapeworm segments consist of tapeworm eggs, that can be ingested by fleas. I would ensure that Milton has (and continues to be) on monthly flea control, and that he received an appropriate deworming treatment for tapeworms. As long as the fleas are well controlled, the tapeworms should die away and not recur. The only way that humans can get infected by tapeworms is to ingest an infected flea, so it is safe to say the risk is low! I hope this helps, and that Milton is doing well!

Hi, thabks for using PetCoach! Flea infestations take about 3-6 weeks to break due to the flea life cycle. All pets in the house should be treated with a good long lasting flea preventative. For cats I recommend Bravecto or Comfortis. For dogs with Nexgard, Bravecto or Simparica. You do need to treat the house: vacuum daily and throw bags out each day or clean canister after each vacuum. Put the bag in an outdoor trash can and keep the cans away from the doors. Keep stray cats and wild life away from your doors by removing door mats and sources of food. Sprinkling boric acid powder before vacuuming can help. I am not familiar with sevin 5 dust. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-prevent-flea-and-tick-infestations-on-your-dog/ I wish you the best!

I can't find any information that millipedes are poisonous. They don't bite, so that shouldn't be an issues. However, I have seen some very upset stomachs when pets eat too many insects, so I would try to prevent them from eating too many millipedes at once. Also, if you choose to kill the millipedes, make sure the poison you use is safe for use around cats, and the cats should not eat any millipedes after poison is put out.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Some people can be allergic to cats and therefore can react to cat hair and dander. Otherwise, aside from getting it in your eye with a scratch, or in your throat with itchiness, it is not 'dangerous'.

There isn't a great answer to your question, i.e. nothing that is absolutely completely safe to use, however you can mix boric acid (1 part) and powdered sugar (3 parts) and sprinkle it in the areas where your cat can't access, and where you have seen the ants (i.e., under cupboards). It's not completely safe because the boric acid can cause GI upset if ingested, so if you can keep your cat from walking through these areas and subsequently grooming the substance off his/her feet, it will eventually work. It takes a bit of time, maybe a couple of weeks, but the ants will carry the mixture back to the queen and eventually all will die. Hopefully you can keep your cat from this area of the house for a couple of weeks, until this method works.