Safe Mosquito Repellents for Cats: What to Choose?
Overview of Insect Repellent Products
When it comes to the everyday insect repellents we use, they can generally be categorized into two main types:
Firstly, there are physical insect repellents and eliminators, which include items like mosquito traps, electric mosquito zappers, and mosquito netting that can also be considered part of this category.
The second category is chemical insect repellents and eliminators, which boasts a wide array of products: mosquito repellent sprays, disktype mosquito coils, electric mosquito coils, spray insecticides, natural ingredientbased mosquito candles or aromatherapy, topical repellents, and wearable insect repellent strips (bracelets) and so on.
Within the chemical category, while there are a few natural products like those containing citronella oil, the vast majority use artificial pyrethrins or DEET (diethyltoluamide) as active ingredients. These are effective and generally safe for humans and most mammals when used at the recommended dosage.
However, cats are not on the safe list! In the veterinary medical book "The Cat Doctor's Feline Medicine," it is stated about pyrethrins:
Pyrethrins are insecticides extracted from chrysanthemums, with the most commonly used types being the first and second types, including permethrin, allethrin, cypermethrin, and cyfluthrin.
The formulation containing cypermethrin and diethyltoluamide (DEET) has been safely used on dogs, but it is highly toxic to cats.
Yes, you read that right. A dosage considered safe for humans and most mammals can be dangerous for cats. This is because cats lack the glucose醛 acid transferase enzyme needed to metabolize pyrethrins, making their metabolism of these compounds very weak, and their tolerance level low.
Symptoms and Prognosis
Direct contact, accidental ingestion, or inhalation of excessive amounts of pyrethrins or DEET can lead to toxin accumulation, causing symptoms in cats, such as drooling, restlessness, vomiting, seizures, inability to walk or stand, and difficulty breathing.
Prognosis: In most cases, pyrethrins poisoning is not fatal unless the dose is extremely high, and with proper treatment, the prognosis is generally positive. However, some combined insecticides (such as the mentioned cypermethrin) can be more severe and may even threaten the life of the cat.
Prevention
As the saying goes, "Illness enters through the mouth," and the same applies to poisoning. Therefore, the focus of prevention is on preventing ingestion and direct contact (with the skin).
Pyrethrins and DEET, as the main ingredients in insect repellents, come in many forms and have different effects and methods, which also leads to varying levels of safety for cats:
Disctype mosquito coils: These release smoke and active ingredients to repel mosquitoes when burned. However, the smoke and dust particles produced are not friendly to cats with sensitive senses, and there is a high risk of cats accidentally licking or biting them. For cat owners, it's best to stay away from these.
Spray insecticides: These are applied to the air and surfaces like walls, furniture, and floors to eliminate insects. This method almost inevitably pollutes the indoor environment and may settle on cats or be inhaled by them. Even if cats are kept away during the application, the insecticide particles that settle on furniture and floors can be transferred to the cat's paws and fur through walking or lying down, and since cats have the habit of licking their fur and paws, they can indirectly ingest these particles. This is very dangerous, so it's best to avoid using these products.
