My cat was sprayed with bug spray containing permethrin. Is it fatal?

If your cats are showing signs of poisoning, this is a medical emergency and they need veterinary treatment now. There is nothing you can do at home for them, as cats are very sensitive to flea treatments and any time they show signs of poisoning, veterinary treatment should be sought right away. Please take them into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

Yes, permethrine is toxic to cats, and even small amounts can cause severe and fatal poisoning. Do not put this on Rowena or anywhere near her. If she has fleas, I would get a flea treatment from your vet to treat them. Remember you will have to disinfect the environment at well. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. I hope this helps!

This should not cause any problems. Cats can be sensitive to very concentrated permethrin products (>1-2% concentration), but the concentration of this spray is much lower than that (around 0.02%) so we would not expect to see any toxicity issues related to this. I would recommend making sure that the area is completely dry before allowing your cat back in, but once it's dry it should be fine.

Once the Raid is dried and absorbed into the environment / objects, Chloe should not be in any significant danger of permethrin toxicity. In theory, if she were to find an area that didn't dry and lapped enough of it up, it could certain cause a toxic episode. If you are concerned about this, I would recommend bringing Chloe inside but perhaps secluding her to areas that are not sprayed. If this is possible, it's probably your safest bet.

Hi there. Symptoms of permethrin poisoning (muscle tremors, seizures, etc.) are usually evident within a few hours of exposure. So if you used the fly spray last week and are not seeing any signs of a problem, there's probably no need to worry :)

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Great question! Unfortunately, permethrins of any kind are not safe for use around cats. Permethrins are very toxic to them. I would not risk it. ( https://icatcare.org/advice/permethrin-poisoning/ )

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!