There’s little extra disturbing than seeing slugs slithering towards your cat’s meals bowl, and it could actually go away you questioning what to do about it. Slug pellets aren’t a good suggestion as a result of your cat may eat them and get very sick, so deterring the slugs with humane, non-toxic strategies is one of the best plan of action.
Happily, there are many issues you possibly can attempt, so let’s get caught in.
The 7 Tricks to Maintain Slugs Away from Cat Meals
1. Feed Your Cat Indoors
In case your cat is fed outdoors, it may be time to rethink bringing your cat again inside at mealtimes to maintain their meals and water in as hygienic a situation as attainable. If this isn’t an choice, attempt one of many options under.
2. Elevate the Meals
Elevating your cat’s meals bowl is without doubt one of the easiest methods to stop slugs from getting inside. You need to use no matter you have got at dwelling to relaxation the bowl on or spend money on an elevated meals bowl. One other thought is to position the meals bowl on a desk and have your cat leap as much as get to it.
3. Create a Barrier
You may defend your cat’s meals bowls by constructing a barrier with one in every of many supplies to maintain slugs away. One choice that has been recommended is to make use of copper wire as a result of this probably provides slugs a minor shock that may ship them slithering within the different route, although the reality to this has been questioned. Alternatively, you could possibly attempt clear, dry eggshells (residue may find yourself attracting the slugs) or seaweed that are additionally anecdotally mentioned to repel slugs. Simply make it possible for no matter you employ to make your barrier shouldn’t be poisonous to cats.
4. Feed Dry Meals
Slugs are seemingly extra interested in moist meals, so if it’s a must to feed your cat open air, contemplate feeding a dry method as an alternative. This will not fully resolve the issue, nevertheless it may assist decrease the attraction for slugs.
5. Cowl the Bowl
Some individuals cowl their cats’ meals bowls with an merchandise like a plant pot to maintain these slimy meals fiends at bay. You’ll must take away the quilt to let your cat eat later, although, so it could be greatest to take the meals away when your cat has completed.
6. Clear the Space Completely
When your cat has completed consuming, take away any leftover meals and clear any mess that’s been left behind so slugs don’t really feel tempted to maintain coming again to the world. Even just a few morsels may have slugs coming again for extra, so be thorough.
7. Place Slug-Deterring Vegetation within the Space
In case your cat’s bowl is outdoors, you possibly can attempt planting some probably slug-repelling crops close by. Choices embrace rosemary and thyme. Simply watch out to not put any cat-toxic plants near your cat’s meals in case they resolve to have a nibble.
Are Slugs Poisonous to Cats?
Slugs alone aren’t poisonous to cats (although consuming one may trigger a tummy upset), however they are often if your cat eats a slug that has consumed insecticide. This may trigger toxicity, leading to indicators like drooling, vomiting, incoordination, respiratory points, diarrhea, and twitching, which may result in progressive deterioration.
As well as, in some elements of the world, slugs typically carry lungworm parasites, which may infect your cat. Lungworm infections can vary from gentle to extreme, and kittens, older cats, and cats which are already unwell are particularly weak to getting a extreme an infection.
Indicators of lungworm vary from no observable indicators, to coughing and shortness of breath. Please contact a vet in case you spot any of those indicators, or have issues that your cat might have eaten slugs, and probably be contaminated by lungworm.
Closing Ideas
With just a few easy adjustments, you possibly can preserve slugs away out of your cat’s food bowls for good. That is essential not just for stopping slugs from stealing your cat’s meals or grossing out your cat by making themselves at dwelling within the bowl but in addition as a result of slugs may be dangerous to cats in the event that they’re carrying pesticides or parasites.
Featured Picture Credit score: Patric Froidevaux, Shutterstock
