If you’re a cat owner, you may have wondered if those spindly daddy long legs spiders skittering around your home could pose a danger to your curious feline. With their spider-like appearance but unusually long, thin legs, daddy long legs spiders have a reputation as one of the most venomous spiders around.
But is this ominous reputation deserved, or can these spiders and cats safely coexist in your home? Read on as we unravel the myths and facts about daddy long legs and cats.
What Are Daddy Long Legs?
Daddy long legs are a group of arthropods that get their common name from their extremely long and spindly legs. There are actually multiple different creatures that are referred to as daddy long legs, including two main types: opiliones, which are also known as harvestmen, and pholcidae, which are a family of spiders commonly called cellar spiders.
Physical Characteristics and Behavior
Harvestmen daddy long legs have oval-shaped bodies that reach about 5-9 mm long (0.2-0.4 inches). Their legs span 5-50 mm (0.2-2 inches), but can extend their legs out to around 160 mm (6 inches)! Unlike spiders, their body regions are broadly fused together and they only have two eyes rather than six or eight.
Harvestmen do not spin webs and do not have silk glands. They are omnivorous scavengers that eat mostly dead plant material and fungi, but will also consume insects, larvae, and eggs. They live for about a year and are not venomous or harmful to humans.
Cellar spiders have long, thin legs that are around 30-40 mm long (1.2-1.6 inches), but their legspan can reach up to 75 mm (3 inches). Their body length is only around 6 mm (0.2 inches). They have a small, compact body with six eyes arranged in three groups of two.
Cellar spiders spin irregular, tangled webs in dark corners or crevices in man-made structures, which helps give them their “cellar” name. The webs help them catch other spiders and insects to eat. Unlike harvestmen, cellar spiders do have venom glands but the venom is not considered medically significant for humans.
Differences Between Harvestmen, Cellar Spiders and Others
While having incredibly long legs is their main shared trait, harvestmen and cellar spiders have some clear differences:
- Harvestmen are not spiders, while cellar spiders are true spiders.
- Harvestmen have a fused body while cellar spiders have two distinct body segments.
- Harvestmen do not produce silk but cellar spiders spin webs.
- Harvestmen have 2 eyes vs 6 or 8 eyes for cellar spiders.
- Harvestmen are omnivorous scavengers and cellar spiders are carnivorous predators.
There are a few other arthropods that get called daddy long legs as well. These include crane flies, which are true flies, and mites in the Opilio genus. Crane flies have extremely long legs like daddy long legs spiders, reaching up to 20-60 mm (0.8-2.4 in).
Opilio mites are arachnids related to spiders and ticks, and have laterally flattened oval bodies with long legs.
No matter their classification differences, all types of daddy long legs are harmless to humans, despite urban myths that they are the most venomous spiders but cannot bite humans due to their short fangs. This is not true for any type of daddy long leg!
Are Daddy Long Legs Venomous?
No Venom Glands
Daddy long legs spiders, also known as cellar spiders or harvestmen, do not contain venom glands and therefore cannot inject venom. Unlike black widows, brown recluses, and other venomous spiders, daddy long legs completely lack venom glands and venom.
These spiders capture their prey by trapping them in irregular webs instead of biting them.
According to entomologists and arachnologists, daddy long legs venom urban legends originated from their appearance rather than any confirmed toxic effects. These spiders seem threatening because of their large size relative to body mass and their tendency to swarm in dark places.
However, numerous studies have shown they pose minimal danger to humans and pets.
Myths About Toxic Venom
There are several myths stating that daddy long legs spiders have highly toxic venom but cannot open their fangs wide enough to bite humans. These claims are completely false, as these spiders do not produce venom at all.
Due to the prevalence of false information about daddy long legs on the internet, many remain unaware that these myths have been debunked by experts.
Some speculate these myths provide an explanation for why nobody reports serious symptoms after daddy long legs bites. But without venom glands, fangs, or toxic effects, daddy long legs do not deliver toxic bites.
While their long legs let them hunt effectively, they are harmless to humans and generally safe for cats as well, beyond normal spider biting risks.
Daddy Long Legs and Cats
Low Risk of Being Bitten
Daddy long legs spiders typically avoid confrontation with cats. Their small mouthparts and fangs make them unlikely to bite cats, even if threatened. In fact, research shows daddy long legs successfully bite humans in less than 5% of encounters. So the risk seems minimal for our feline friends.
These spiders prefer to live in dark, undisturbed areas like basements, garages, and sheds. Cats most commonly encounter them when prowling through forgotten corners and crevices of the home. But the arachnids quickly retreat to safety out of reach when disturbed.
Their long legs allow rapid escape to prevent potential conflicts.
No Evidence of Toxicity to Cats
While many spiders possess toxic venom, current studies show no evidence of toxicity from daddy long legs venom to cats or other animals. The small size of their fangs and venom glands limits venom production and effectiveness.
This aligns with the University of California’s research concluding daddy long legs do not produce clinically significant venom.
Furthermore, no veterinary reports exist of cats or dogs suffering spider bites from daddy long legs. Dr. Jess Trimble, a renowned veterinary toxicology specialist, affirms “Daddy long legs seem harmless to companion animals.
“ So while caution is wise around any spider, daddy long legs appear non-threatening if encountered by curious cats.
Keeping Cats Safe Around Daddy Long Legs
Control Daddy Long Legs Population
To keep curious cats safe, it’s important to control the number of daddy long legs spiders in and around your home. Here are some tips:
- Seal cracks and crevices where spiders may enter.
- Use dehumidifiers and air conditioning to lower indoor humidity under 50%, which daddy long legs dislike.
- Apply pesticides outdoors if there is a severe infestation near doors, windows, or weep holes where spiders may enter.
With some diligent pest control, you can minimize your cat’s exposure to daddy long legs spiders and their potentially infectious bites.
Watch for Predatory Behavior
It’s in a cat’s nature to hunt insects and spiders. Carefully observe your cat’s behavior around daddy long legs to prevent them from getting bitten.
Cats often play with their prey through stalking, chasing, and batting with their paws. Be especially observant of these behaviors, as it may provoke the spider to bite in self-defense. Distract your cat with an interactive cat toy when you notice them getting overly curious about daddy long legs.
See a Vet If Bitten
According to the VCA Hospitals, less than 1% of daddy long leg bites are medically significant for cats. Still, their fangs can cause redness, swelling, and infection around the bite area.
| Mild Symptoms | Severe Symptoms |
| Redness | Fever |
| Itchiness | Severe swelling |
| Slight swelling | Trouble breathing |
Take your cat to the veterinarian promptly if bitten, especially if severe symptoms appear. The vet can provide medications to ease inflammation and prevent infection from the bite.
Conclusion
To conclude, daddy long legs are venom-less creatures that present little danger to cats. Their reputation as one of the most poisonous spiders is simply unfounded. While daddy long legs can startle cats with their erratic movements, there is no evidence that they are toxic if ingested.
With some common sense precautions like controlling their population inside and supervising interactions, cats and daddy long legs can coexist peacefully in your home.
