Cat friendly aint deterant/killer - Paw Talk

Keritsubo · #1 08-24-2006, 11:35 AM

We have ants... I am very irritated with this. I am I thinking to get those little ant traps they walk into and putting them places I know Callie can't get them.

The problem its, the ants have discovered her food! I cleaned up in there and refilled the food and water but they seem to inquiring again. I can not move Callie's food. Both us and Callie are picky about where it is and this works best. I fear if I change anything she won't eat as much and decide the carpet is her litter again.

Does anyone know of a good product I could use near her food and around the rest of teh house?

LuvMeTrue · #2 08-24-2006, 11:55 AM

Keritsubo, i an an ant problem as well and i have the ant hotels threw out my apartment but i had to stick them to teh floor sonce my cats found one and played with it. I know that they didn't get poisoned byt them since there is no way fr them to get the 'food' that is iside. i know the lady down stairs has been spraying her window sills to help prevent the ants from getting in but i do not know if it is safe for cats that is one of the reasons why i haven't done that. I am planing on doing some research so once i find out anythingi will get back to you.

wellahart · #3 08-24-2006, 04:31 PM

This might help. It lists household items that will help like cucumber slices or tea. Those are definetely safe for the cat. Hope it helps you out.

wellahart · #4 08-24-2006, 04:32 PM

OOps....forgot the website http://www.eartheasy.com/live_natpest_control.htm

millie121 · #5 08-24-2006, 05:37 PM

When ants were getting into my cats' food, they were coming in through a small vent to the outside. I'm always battling ants outside, so I just bought some outside ant bait by Terro (it worked very well by the way). Plus, my girls aren't at all picky, so I just moved their food upstairs.

The mint tea bag suggestion is also good. I actually just bought spearmint and peppermint essential oils to refresh mine. You can actually use the oils all around window sills, etc. too. Essential oils are skin and eye irritants, so you have to watch, but they are very effective otherwise pretty much safe. I use them alot in my basement where the cats don't go much, and I put drops in drawers and in cabinets, etc. I wouldn't do anything like put the drops of spearmint right by the kitty food, because it's also a cat deterrent.

I think somone else had a thread on here saying Bounce dryer sheets are good for ant repellant. Are those kitty safe? Maybe you could put some of those underneath the food area??

specialname · #6 08-24-2006, 06:52 PM

heard pure liqiud peppermint works on alot of pest problems

LuvMeTrue · #7 08-24-2006, 07:09 PM

bouce sheets are safe for animals just got to be careful that they don't find it and tire it to shreds i made the mistake of leaving a box of them near the door whil i was getting ready to do the laundry and both of my cats got in to them and i managed to safe 3/4 of what i had left but i am still picking up bits of the sheets and it has been bout 2 months

Keritsubo · #8 08-25-2006, 08:37 PM

I tried dryer sheets under the food with no luck... I think you have to replace it daily or something since it only seemed to work for a brief time.

Its in our bathroom and its such a small area. May try sprinkling some mint. Not so keen on cucumber slices though. Might end up trying it though.

Keritsubo · #9 08-26-2006, 05:27 PM

Jorge's ingenious solution to keeping them out of her food... a moat!! We took a shallow tupperware dish that wasn't much bigger than her food dish and put water in it. Then put the food dish into the water. Callie doesn't care and so far so good I think the ants are actually detured to the point I haven't seen much of them on teh floor today.

Angelnstuff · #10 08-26-2006, 06:10 PM

i was going to suggest the mote as well. most crawling bugs wont cross water, altho some will drink from the edges, they wont get to the food

Nara · #11 08-26-2006, 07:05 PM

Ooh! That's a really good idea! We're having a bit of a problem with ants at the moment too. I'll have to try that.

kissmyasp · #12 08-26-2006, 09:47 PM

we use robocan http://www.robocan.net/
I don't think it is available in the USA but there might be something similar

and it doesn't bother animals one bit, and keeps those pesky ants out for good

millie121 · #13 08-27-2006, 10:21 AM

I'd be very careful using pyrethroids/pyrethrins around kitties. I know it says safe around animals, but certain pyrethroids that were EPA-approved here in the US now can't be labelled for use in cats/kittens due to severe reactions/deaths. Now, that's a slightly different scenario where the pesticide is actually being applied to the pet, but in any case in an aerosol pesticide it can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. That link doesn't say which pyrethroids they use, some are not so dangerous as others, and of course I have no experience with the product. I only know you're anxiously awaiting your new little furballs and I'd hesitate using this stuff around them (I hope I don't sound preachy, I'm really not trying to be).

vanderkitty · #14 12-07-2006, 08:34 AM

I do not like that idea of Bounce sheets. We laid a box of Bounce sheets on the fridge, and we laid a loaf of bread on the fridge, and the scent permeated the bread bag and had us gag reflexing for months. lol we were eating sandwiches and we were like, EW, these taste strange, then we figured it out. I don't think kitty will appreciate you doing this to their food. Put some sticky tape around the edges of the bowl. At the bottom, get the sticky on both sides tape.