One of my cats (4-year-old male) is at the vet right now. Short version, I
sprayed for ants (Raid) around the baseboard in the kitchen where his water
and food bowls sit. I thought I had waited until it dried enough to put them
back, but apparently I didn't and some either got in his food/water or he
got it on his paws and licked it off (he's a very fastidious groomer),
because this a.m. he started showing signs of having ingested it. His pupils
were way dilated, he didn't seem like he was in pain or anything but he
looked he was practically stiff with fright although he was walking around
OK and did eat something. I took him immediately to the vet, who came in on
the holiday, and he took one look at the cat and said he did get into
ant/roach spray because he's showing the signs of it having made his nervous
system hyper which is what that does. The vet says the cat seems in good
shape otherwise, checked his heart, breathing, etc., so he gave him a shot
of atropine, will keep him overnight and expects him to be OK in 24 hours or
so. I will be more careful with bug spray from now on, ants are eating us
alive in the South this summer but I'd rather have ants than harm one of my
felines. My question is, even though the vet has painted a very optimistic
picture about this, could there be any chance of lasting damage, and if so
what do I need to look for?