As the felines have lightning-quick reflexes as well as sharp senses, they could get their paws (and mouth) on fast-moving things that pique their curiosity including hovering bugs. Normally, you have nothing to worry about if your fluffy friend manages to capture dragonflies, moths, butterflies,... but it's an entirely different matter with bees. Sure enough, cats run into all sorts of troubles if they got stung by bees but what if the pets inadvertently ingest the flying insects? Bees don't exactly belong to the natural diet of cats but if your cat ate a bee recently, would it suffer from health issues?
Worry about the well being of your furball after seeing it gobbled down a bee? If that happens to be the case, the information down below shall resolve your concern.
Cats Eating Bees: Not A Single Chance Of Sickness Here
There is a high chance that you feel anxious about the health of your pet so let's make one thing clear: it's safe. Cats normally don't get sick from eating wasps, hornets, yellow jackets and so on.
"But what about the nasty bee stings?" you ask yourselves. Well, the stings only become dangerous if they successfully enter the bloodstream of the pets and inject the dreaded venom. In case you don't know, venom differs from poison is that it must be directly "injected" to take effect. As a result, bee stings should prove harmless once ingested. Overall, pet owners have nothing to worry about if their cats consume a couple of bees. The digestive system of the felines would process insects just like ordinary packets of protein.
Still, you must refrain from rushing to the conclusion that your cat gets away scot-free after chewing on bees. Take a good look at the body of your fluffy friend including the mouth to see if something appears odd. Generally speaking, nothing bad happens after your cat ate a bee but if it got stung by one, dangers loom.
So The Bees Already Stung The Pets Before Being Ingested
If the bees indeed managed to sting your cat then telltale symptom shall show up in just a few moments.
- Swelling
- Redness
- Rapid breathing
- Elevated heart rate
- Changes in behaviors
When you notice these signs, it's strongly recommended that you assume the pet is currently suffering from a bee sting and act at once. First and foremost, proceed to remove the stinger since it's going to inject the venom into the body of the feline even if it's disconnected from the bee. Second, contact the local veterinary clinic to tell them about the situation and require consultation. Third, in the case your cat experiences great discomfort, get it into a carrier and head straight to the vets.
Note: Different cats have different constitutions so if cat parents see the felines going into shock due to allergic reactions, drive to the clinic immediately.
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Proper Treatments For Bee Sting
Depending on the severity of the condition, the vets would come up with suitable treatments for specific cases to optimize the chance of total recovery. For most of the time, conventional treatments for bee sting in cats tend to involve:
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Soothing All Bee Stung Areas
The standard method to relieve the pain from bee stings is to cover the sites with ice packs, cold towels,... If the circumstances allow, other remedies could be used to minimize the suffering of the felines which facilitate further treatments.
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Suppressing Bee Sting Allergic Reactions
In mild cases, the vets may give the pets some antihistamine medication such as Benadryl. If the situation worsens (shock), it's probably necessary for the vets to administer corticosteroid drugs, epinephrine and so on.
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Restoring The Balance Of Electrolytes
After being subjected to the bee venom and the following allergic reactions, cats inevitably lost electrolytes. By giving them IV fluids, the vets help the pets re-hydrate as well as restore the balance of electrolytes.
Though treatments at the veterinary clinics should take care of most of the risks to the health of cats, you still have to be careful. So keep watch over your furball for a few days to make sure that it's recovering smoothly without complications.
Recovery Of Bee Sting And Precautions Pet Owners Must Take
Once the vets discharge your cats, they shall give a couple of suggestions regarding how to accelerate the healing process. Usually, for cats that have a long history of allergic reactions, it's necessary to give them medications at intervals. Needless to say, avoid giving your fluffy friend drugs unless you obtain clearance as well as instructions from the vets. Moreover, since cats don't exactly like to receive medicines, it's wise for you to ask someone to assist. Occasionally, having an epinephrine pen (also known as EpiPen) in the house may be handy.
Assuming that your cat knows the pain of being stung by bees firsthand, they would likely stay away from the flying insects in the future. However, if your cat ate a bee in the past without experiencing problems, it might fail to learn its lesson. Hence, it's up to you to protect your pet.
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Always Keep The Pets Indoors
Aside from bees, the outside world contains all kinds of dangers that could threaten the life of the domesticated felines. Because of that, if you truly want to ensure that your cat is safe from harms, don't let it venture freely into the outdoors.
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Set Up Several Insect Screens
Sure, it's possible to stop your sneaky cat indoors but what if your cat ate a bee flying into the house from the outside? To avoid that scenario, it's strongly recommended that you invest in some insect screens to deter the uninvited guests.
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Prepare Bee Repellent On Hand
Overall, bees simply do what they need to do and in most cases, it's best to leave the insects as they are considering their vital role in nature. Nonetheless, you still have to protect your family and your cat so stock up on bottles of bee repellents.
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