Protect your cat from fire ants

May 15, 1:02 PMHouston Cats ExaminerKirsten Alvarez

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Don't let your kitty be bitten

When we first moved to Houston with our two kitties from California, we'd never come across fire ants. Ants, yes, but not fire ants. They are big, red and mean. And their bites are painful. A bite on a human (something I experienced just recently) can swell up and itch for days. But our kitties are much smaller than we are, and a fire ant bite — just one — can be serious, even deadly. 

This goes for outdoor and indoor cats. According to peteducation.com, "Fire ants are commonly attracted to pet food. They can blanket a food bowl, making it impossible for pets to eat." 

And even if your cats step outside in the backyard for just a minute, they may step on an ant hill. 

So, how do we protect our cats from these firey little insects? 

• Ortho Home Defense for fire ants, which is available at your local Home Depot. Why is this good? Because you can simply spray a line of this around your home to keep the ants from getting inside. 
  
  Why it's good for pet-owners? It's liquid, dries quickly, and is sprayed so closely to the very bottom perimeter of your home that your cats aren't likely to go near it. Keep them inside for 24 hours after you spray, and you're good to go. 
   
• Individual mound control. Why is this good? Because you can spot treat your lawn just for the mounds, instead of putting poison over the entire lawn. 
  
  Why it's good for pet-owners? Well, even though there may be organic versions of this type of treatment available, which are less toxic, it would still be wise to keep your pet away from the mound area for 48-72 hours after treatment. 
   
• Keep the food dish empty, except for feeding time of course! If ants are attracted to cat food, they will try to get to it. If you're gone during the day and are worried you'll come home to an ant-covered food dish, don't leave food out. It's as simple as that.  Feed your cats at designated feeding times instead. It will also help with weight problems!
   
• Mint tea bags, or mint scented oil. Apparently, ants don't like mint and will steer clear. So, if your cat needs to have food available at all times for whatever reason, try putting mint tea bag near the food to keep ants away. 
   
• Raid Ant Hotels. Why is this good? Because they are cheap, flexible plastic that you can put under the refriderator, behind the trash can, etc. etc. 
  
  Why it's good for pet-owners? My cats aren't interested in them when they see them, but it's easy to stick these bad boys in places they wouldn't even look, like under the fridge. Or you can put some sticky pads on them and stick them to the top of the inside of the trash. It's easy to be creative and make sure the ants find these poison hotels on the way to what they really came for, your cat's food! 
   
• Bitten? If your cat has been bitten, take him to the vet immediately. If your cat has stepped on an ant hill, make sure to pick any ants off and then take him to the vet, even if you don't know whether or not he was bitten. 

Always remember to think safety first when it comes your kitties. If you need to use the spray type of Raid, take the cats out of the room and make sure to mop up any residue when you're done before letting them back in the room. Always make sure to check any mounds for excess pellets of poison that may look like food. Always, always, always use caution when dealing with poison of any type around your cats. You knew all of this already, right? 

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