Looking for a pet-friendly way to rid house of bugs

[MissLori]

Before I had my cats, when I started seeing spiders or bugs in my old house, I'd just grab the RAID and spray the hell out of the room in question (usually the basement).  Now that I have my 2 cats, this isn't an option so I need to find another alternative that is safe for them. Anyone have any solutions?

[Mary K]

MissLori, I live "in the woods" and occasionally have spiders, Daddy-Long-Legs, crickets, moths, flies, etc. in my house. The cats absolutely LOVE catching and eating them. (I used to catch them myself in a jar and put them outside, but why deprive cats of their hunting insticts?) I still catch hornets this way. But my home is practically bug free now that I have 3 indoor cats. As you know, cats are extremely sensitive to any sprays or chemicals. So am I! If I can adapt to these many legged critters, anyone can! Good luck!

[LdyBeret]

Hi
A while back I had a lukemia cat and needed to rid the house of fleas.  My vet at the time suggested I use Borax powder.  Yep, the laundry soap.  Apparently insects have this wax coating on them that breaks down with contact with soap.  So I sprinkled a continuous line of the stuff around the perimeter of my house (and I lived in an old shack in an orchard in Florida so there were lots of bugs) and it worked!  Try not to vaccuum it up ... they need to get it on them in order to effect them.  Doesn't work on spiders, they are different, but most insects left my home alone after that.  And since I didn't have the other bugs, spiders weren't as common since there was nothing to eat in the house.  As for flying things, look into a natural spray.  Usually rosemary extract, if I remember correctly.  It's been a while. 
Beret

[garypen]

Boric Acid as well. Although, I don't know how cats react to it. (Boric-Borax. I wonder if one is derived from the other?)

[Sharon L.]

I use boric acid occassionally (silver fish, yuck), but only under my sinks where I know that cats can't get access. A completely safe and non-toxic approach is diatomaceous earth. I dust the carpet once a month, especially during flea season, and it really cuts down the insect traffic. Be sure to get the feed grade or flour grade as a much coarser grade of diatomaceous earth is used to filter pools.

It could also be used in your garden to cut down on insects, but you'd need to reapply after watering. And besides, insects are good, and good for you, as long as they stay outdoors

Sharon L.

[Cindy Nevarez]

I have also put D-Earth in a spray bottle with water. The last cat we rescued was completely infested with fleas. Saturating her with it and keeping the floors and other sufaces dusted with it took care of the problem.

You can use for internal parasites too.

[Davis]

My cat was once a great bug killer.  I was always finding spiders and all kinds of bugs crumpled up and dead on the floor after he got done with them (not that I had a house full of bugs...LOL...just a few here and there).  Then all of the sudden he stopped killing them.  He only goes for the spiders now.  He must have had a bad encounter with a bug of some kind (maybe one of those stink bugs or something) and he has hated all other bugs since...he gags at the mere sight of them.  But he is my eagle eye and I immediately know when there is a bug around, because he starts gagging.  It's quite hilarious.  I just don't feel comfortable with poison of any kind, and I'm afraid he would get the borax on his toes and lick it off, so the bugs in my house are disposed of by hand with a tissue or paper towel.  That's the best I can do.

[Mary K]

Davis, What your cat does at the sight of a bug is hilarious! You must make a Youtube video for us! You guys could make some money! Last night Squeakers found a hornet before I could stop her and tried to eat it. Don't know if it stung her (she wouldn't let me look in her mouth) but she spit it out quickly. She may be gagging at the sight of a hornet, soon! They seem to know (usually!) which bugs NOT to eat.

[Davis]

LOL, yes a video would be perfect, if only I had the equipment.  My mother once witnessed him gagging at the sight of a bug when she was visiting and said that I need to get it on video.  She was cracking up.

Gee, I hope your kitty didn't get stung.  I've heard of cats having some pretty bad reactions to hornet stings.  ....And then there was the story of Oz...yes "Oz", the cat that killed hornets.  I read about him in one of those cat magazines years ago. Apparently Oz rescued an infant who was swarmed by hornets by killing every one of them within a matter of minutes. I don't know how he did it, and he came out of it unscathed.

[Ellie]

Great stories about the bug hunting kitties.  I have one that does that as well.  I am terrified of bugs, especially the big brown ones, don't even like to say their name.  Pippi loves to chase them and wear them down so I can kill them without fear.  I don't usually let her eat them, if I see her when she's searching.  I am afraid the bug might already have some pesticide on it and may pass it on to Pipppi.  I am also going to try this soap idea; it sounds enviromentally safe too. 

[jb]

Found this:

http://www.epinions.com/HOME_DEFENSE_Indoor_Insect_Killer_-_33_ounce_Spray/display_~reviews

[lacy]

We had ants in our bathroom. I mix dawn liquid dish soap and white vinegar in a spray bottle (I read it somewhere on the internet) I sprayed it all along the baseboards. It worked. They havent been back on months! And it also kills them if you spray directly on them.