Can a bite from a Steatoda triangulosa or a black widow be harmful or fatal to cats?
Eating a spider won’t harm a cat as spiders are venomous not poisonous and only the venom being injected through a bite can harm them. Cats and dogs have pretty thick fur covering their skin and generally spiders bites don’t have a great deal of effect on them as they can’t reach the skin easily. It’s only when they get bitten on the nose or somewhere with little hair that the fangs can even get into the skin. However a black widow bite that goes into the skin can be fatal to cats if bitten. Black widows are very shy and bites are rare. http://www.petplace.com/cats/black-widow-spider-bites-in-cats/page1.aspx – here’s a page with some info about bites by them and what to do in case of. Steadota are a relation of the widow spiders but not as dangerous but I would imagine they could still give a nasty bite. Best to keep your house clear of them with the cats around.
