Toxic effects of boric acid on animals from ants to feral cats

A. Hi, Mari-Alice. Boric acid has been used as eyewash for people for many decades, but animals aren't people, and what's good or bad for us might not be equally so for cats. So it may or may not be the best treatment for her eyes, but a boric acid eye treatment won't kill her.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Use regular eye drops on your kitten. It's much safer and it cleared up my son's kitten overnight.

Vera L Taylor
- Taylor, Florida
July 28, 2008

My grandmother put a pinch of boric acid in water and boiled it for a minute to make an eye wash cure for pink eye.

Melissa Koski
- COLUMBIA South Carolina USA
November 13, 2017

A. Hi Catherine. Yes, certainly it could harm them. If the poisoning was done effectively it might even kill them.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Your post is from 2013. I hope your cats have remained safe.

In NEW YORK, poisoning these cats would be considered animal abuse - and is considered a Felony, punishable by jail time. I don't know if this is true in your state. Try to find out.

IF SO - and IF YOU RECEIVE MORE THREATS from this neighbor: 1.Report it to the police.
Having proof with you is best - so keep a hidden recorder with you - and converse in a polite, CIVIL manner with this neighbor about this issue. Try to get them to talk about their threats (e.g., "Do you really intend to poison the poor cats?")
[Smart phones generally will record very well, and can be kept in a shirt pocket, or, maybe even in your hand. You can also buy inexpensive computer USB's ($10-20) that ALSO record on their own. Check Walmart.com or Amazon.
You might also consider leaving a note with your neighbor asking them not to harm these cats with poison or any other means. (You can use a personal reason (e.g., "I Love them", and/or, "they are not causing you any harm"). Because, if you're lucky they MAY respond to your note with a note threatening the cats again (or confirming previous threats) -- another form of proof. (Don't tell them it's illegal yet - or you may not get the response you want!)
2. If all else fails - can you bring these cats into your home?
There are many animal rescuers who are adept at trapping. Look on internet for cat rescuers nearby. Are the cats friendly/handlable by you - or are they Feral (Not handleable)? (I've taken several Ferals into my home. Still can't touch them, but they're wonderful!) Have them taken directly to a vet first - to have them tested for Leukemia/AIDS - with a vet who confirms he/she can handle ferals if they're feral. (Some rescuers can do this testing for you inexpensively - Ask). AIDS-Positive cats can be kept safely with Normal Cats - as long as there are no REAL FIGHTERS. Sharing Food/Water, and even "Play" bites will not transfer the disease. Only DEEP bites are risky.). Leukemia-Positive cats must be kept in separate rooms from AIDS or Normal cats. Leukemia transfers very easily.

If, sadly, the cats were already killed - again, you can try to engage your neighbor in a polite, CIVIL conversation about the happening - and record it. (e.g., "How could you have the heart to kill these cats?") (Or, again, by note.) If this is a felony in your state - the statute of limitations may not have run out yet for prosecuting them - if you have proof.
Good Luck, Jackie

Jackie P. [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- New York, New York, USA
May 28, 2015

A. If you have feral cats living in your back yard, the best thing you can do it exterminate them as quickly and humanely as possible.

Feral cats are a bane to the environment and the ecology.
They decimate the indigenous small animal/bird population and provide no useful contribution in return.
They have a negative effect on the entire ecosystem and disrupt the natural food-chain.

As an avid environmentalist, I see this regularly.

... Find something more useful for your emotions, like maybe helping people instead of animals?
Just saying

Ted C.
- corpus christi Texas
August 8, 2016

Thanks Ted. There is benefit to calm discussion and seeing the other's person point of view.

In my wall-to-wall suburbs there hasn't been a snake, raptor, bobcat, weasel, owl, fox, coyote, wolf, or other hunter for at least 75 years. This total elimination of carnivores means that the swarms of chipmunks, squirrels, geese, rabbits, deer, groundhogs and other herbivores in every 100 x 100 lot totally strip bare every vegetable patch & flower garden in spring, then the animals succumb to starvation & disease (we pick up several dead chipmunks and rabbits every fall) ... that isn't the natural ecological order either.

I don't want a pack of feral cats in my backyard, but I'm always happy to see an occasional neighborhood cat passing through the yard as a counterbalance to my completely unnatural suburb, and its ridiculous concentration of chipmunks, rabbits, and squirrels :-)

I certainly agree that people should concentrate on helping their neighbors, rather than trying to trick them into felony convictions :-)

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Thanks Ted C. for your opinion as an Environmentalist. I would disagree that feral cats are useless. Living on a farm, you need to have domestic & feral cats -- we called them "mousers" -- to eradicate mice, rats, rabbits & other small critters from destroying your garden, animal feed, hay & invading your home. Not to mention the hantavirus that is carried by mice & rats. I have heard stories from neighbors & have seen feral cats scare off deer, which will eat your garden, coyotes that want to dine on your chickens, & even dogs that love to dig up whatever you put in the ground. This is applicable to urban areas too.
In Az we have an issue with scorpions which are nearly impossible to eradicate. Any exterminator will tell you the best way to get rid of scorpions is to have a cat, both inside & outside your home. It's not that cats are immune to a scorpions venom, it's their fur & skin that wards off the scorpions stinger.
My last point is a religious one. God didn't create anything to be "useless". Every living creature, be it human, animal or insect, has a purpose, even cockroaches. Roaches clean the environment by feeding on decaying organic matter, leaf litter & wood around it. In the process the roaches body traps a lot of atmospheric nitrogen. (Info on roaches from a popular exterminating company.) As an Environmentalist, sure you understand, don't mess with "Mother Nature". Be blessed!

Kathy M.
Retired RN - Phoenix, Arizona
January 3, 2022


"You are a child of the universe. Just as much as the stars and the trees you have a right to be here" -- The Desiderata

To Ted, "the environmentalist".

When they got rid of feral cats, the black plague ensued and killed quite a few people. So please "Mr. Environmentalist", educate yourself and keep your mouth in check, as we don't want history repeating itself.

It is not in any way kind or good for the environment to kill feral cats. They've actually done quite a few studies on feral cats and the bird population. Given that most birds can fly, the birds that cats do manage to catch and kill (which are relatively few), are birds that are weaker, and by body weight have less muscle tone than healthier birds; these birds would have died anyways.

Birds can fly and easily escape a cat. I see it all the time. A cat also won't take on a bigger bird as they have sharp beaks and can hurt a cat. Once in a great while, a cat manages to catch a bird, but they are not lowering the bird populations around the world. That is more effectively being done by GMO corn, pesticides, climate change and all kinds of other things.

Birds also carry a variety of diseases, like the bird flu, which can affect humans (cats don't carry transferrable diseases). Many birds nest in attics and damage roofs and exteriors of homes. The bird population also very much needs to be kept in check.

Please stop promoting the idea that feral cats, who are born without a home by no fault of their own, deserve to die.

Everyone should encourage others to TNR feral cats. That is what is kind and will keep the population in your area in check. There are local groups in every area that will assist with trap, neuter & return (TNR).

And it's people like you, Ted the "environmentalist", who strangely them call themselves environmentalists but have no clue that cats are a very important part of the ecosystem, that need to be called out for your incorrect and ridiculous assertions.

Nica S.
Cat appreciator - Austin TX
November 7, 2023

Also, I took in a "feral" cat that was shot by someone in Corpus Christi, TX, where Ted C. is from. That cat can't walk now. He is a great, adorable friendly cat and definitely didn't deserve that fate. My husband and I have spent a lot of time and money trying to help this cat, including removing the bullets from him, as he very undeservedly was shot, likely by someone like Ted C., who falsely thinks feral cats are killing his precious birds. In TX, it is unfortunately not against the law to shoot animals, although it should be, like it is in NY, where I'm originally from.

These false statements that cats are causing bird populations to go down really need to be stopped. This idea causes severe and unreasonable reactions by people like Ted C., who strangely believe they're being environmentalists by promoting the idea of killing feral cats (and others like him who then go about actively attempting to kill them). Cats and birds have lived together for centuries. The bird issue is not due to cats.

So though at the same time that I understand you feel my comment was "toxic", I just want to point out that if you do allow people to post things on your site that actively encourage the killing of animals on your site, that in itself is not very peaceful, non-toxic or aloha. And you have to expect that Ted C.'s comment is going to cause a passionate reaction by some.

So again, sorry if I disrupted your site with what you see as a toxic attitude, but I actually think it's Ted C. who deserved the type of response you gave me.

Thanks again & take care.

Nica S.
- Austin TX
November 14, 2023

A. Hi again. The problem this site has is not your opinion about feral cats which, again, is *absolutely welcome*, but your disdain for those who think otherwise and who suggest "humanely as possible" elimination of what they consider dangerous pests. Euthanasia is often suggested as a humane solution for people, let alone feral packs of dogs & cats.

We've now been forced to remove Ted C.'s last name because another woman, whose posting we're not going to run, and perhaps motivated by a notification from you wrote:
"[he] came here to find an additional way to kill feral cats and encourage others" ..."those who kill cats often go on to kill people" ... "who actively encourages the death of animals is not psychologically sound".

I consider it absolutely outrageous for anyone to imply that someone they don't know is "not psychologically sound" and might "often go on to kill people", just because they don't share their opinion on feral cats. I know which person I think is "not psychologically sound"! I won't be patronizing her restaurant but I won't be posting her diatribe either.

Although Ted C. had his say, so did feral cat lovers Catherine C. & Jackie P. & Kathy M., and now you've had yours. This thread is struggling to return to its mission of discussing the beneficial uses and possible hazards of boric acid rather than being ground zero for a feral cat debate. Meanwhile an adjacent town just passed a new law that it is illegal to encourage homeless feral cats by feeding them :-)
Best Regards,


Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey