Are spider-hunting cats in any danger?

r. Michael Fox

Question: My husband and I live in a house that gets an annual invasion of crickets and spiders when the weather turns cold. We relocate them outside as we fifind them, alive and unharmed. Spiders do good work in bug control, after all.

This year we adopted two young adult cats from a local rescue group, and they are very feisty! Among other things, they hone their hunting skills on any insect they can fifind — they are strictly indoor cats. I never knew we had so many bugs even before the weather turned. Anyhow, I am worried about the coming spider invasion.

What arachnids in the Washington metro area could hurt our boisterous boys, how can we identify them and how do you suggest we protect them? — C.C., Washington, D.C.

Answer: I wish more people would show the kind of respect that you do by putting spiders and other insects you fifind in the house safely back outdoors. Collectively, insects contribute so much more to the greater good on planet Earth than does the human infestation!

Our always-indoor cats serve as in-home sentinels, alerting us to any insect they fifind by their obvious focus, pawing and, if we are not quick to intervene, chewing.

Some cats are expert flfly and moth catchers. In the wild, insects can be part of a cat’s diet, and because of their high protein and fat content, some bug species are being developed as an alternative food source for humans, which is probably more sustainable and humane than raising warm- blooded animals for food.

The area around where you live is home to an impressive array of spiders, and only two are poisonous: The black widow has a shiny black body with red spots on the underside and is poisonous, but rarely bites.

The other poisonous spider is the brown recluse; it is more often found in other areas of the country, but has become more common in Maryland and Virginia in recent years. The brown recluse is unusual because it has only six eyes (most spiders have eight) and wears a violin-shaped marking on its back.

I would advise being on the alert and keeping a close eye on your cats so you can intervene to rescue any insects they fifind.

I would worry most about wasps in early fall, which can sting cats and dogs and cause an acute reaction that could require emergency veterinary attention.