Preventing and treating stings and insect bites on cats

Summer means longer days and more time for cats to explore and laze outside. However, it also increases their chances of coming into contact with a range of minibeasts, from fleas and other parasites, to stinging insects such as bees and wasps.

It’s your cat’s natural instinct to stalk small, fast-moving creatures – and with the abundance of buzzing beasties around in the warmer months, this can lead them into trouble.

If your cat gets stung by a bee or wasp, they’ll usually experience pain, irritation and mild swelling at the site of the sting, just as a human would. In most cases, this discomfort should ease after a short period of time.

However, multiple insect stings (if your cat disturbs a beehive, for example), stings in areas where swelling could obstruct their breathing (such as the mouth or throat), or stings that cause an allergic reaction in your pet can be more serious and may require prompt veterinary attention. Read on to learn more about the signs and symptoms of stings in cats.

Cats are very good at hiding symptoms of pain, so if you weren’t around when your cat got stung, it may not be immediately obvious.

Look out for your cat suddenly pawing, licking or nibbling at a particular part of their body, yowling or vocalising more than usual, or showing signs of localised swelling or reddening.

It might help to consider the most common stinging incidents:

• Cat paw stung by a bee or wasp: Cats will often pounce on and trap a moving insect under their paws, leading to them getting stung. Look out for your cat chewing their paw or limping, or for swelling of their paw pad.
• Facial stings: Our cats tend to follow their noses – but investigating face-first can get them into trouble! If stung, your cat may paw at their face, or develop swelling or redness in the affected area.
• Cat ate a wasp or bee: Swallowing an insect will generally do your cat no harm, but a sting to the mouth or throat in the process could cause swelling and potentially interfere with their breathing, so do seek advice from your vet if you’re worried.

To help ease the discomfort and swelling of an insect sting, you could take a clean cloth or tea towel and run it under cold water to use as a cooling pad on your cat.

Applying ice or a bag of frozen veg wrapped in a cloth will have the same effect – but try not to shock and further distress your cat with the sudden change of temperature.

When bees sting, they often leave a tiny stinger embedded in the skin that continues to secrete venom. If you actually spot a bee stinger, don’t try to remove it with tweezers or by squeezing it out – you could accidentally release more venom from its sac. Instead, scrape over the area with a clean, rigid piece of card to remove the stinger, then use your cooling pad.

Bee stings are slightly acidic so, once the sting is out, a simple home remedy such as bicarbonate of soda paste (one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda mixed with one teaspoon of lukewarm water) may help ease symptoms.

Some cats – like some people – may experience a severe and dangerous allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to the venom in insect stings. This usually occurs within the first hour, but may develop over several hours. If you notice any of the following in your cat after a suspected sting, contact the vet immediately:

• Severe swelling around the face or neck, which could affect their airways
• Wheezing or difficulty in breathing
• Vomiting or diarrhoea
• Excessive drooling
• Dizziness or weakness
• Seizures or collapse

Your vet may prescribe antihistamines to treat an allergic reaction. Remember, you should never give your cat any human allergy medications before seeking advice from your vet, as not all of these are pet-friendly. Your vet will need to determine the correct dosage of any medicine and what type of treatment will work best for your cat.

Making sure you have cat insurance – and taking a poorly cat to the vet promptly – will help ensure you’re covered in the event of any unexpected, urgent health problems.