Guide: What to Do if Your Cat is Stung by a Wasp or a Bee

Cats are hunters by nature, and they tend to stalk and go after anything that moves when they're in the mood to do so. It's fine when it's a mouse, or a bit of string, or a feather on a stick, or a laser pointer dot. It's quite another when whatever they go after can fight back. I'm not just talking about other irate cats, larger prey with teeth and claws, or something else that can be an obvious threat. Even tiny, otherwise innocuous creatures can cause problems, like wasps, bees, and other stinging insects.

So, if your cat suddenly yowls while prowling in the grass or stalking something on the wall in another room, and you notice a paw or cheek swelling up, what should you do? Can your cat be allergic to stings? Is it an emergency? Let's talk about it.

Can Your Cat Be Allergic to Bee or Wasp Stings?

I have good news and bad news on this front.

The good news is, it's very rare for cats to be allergic to bee, wasp, and other insect stings. The bad news is, it's not impossible, which means if this is the first time your cat has ever been stung, you need to keep a close eye on them and be ready to bring them to the emergency vet ASAP if something goes wrong.

What are the symptoms of serious allergic reactions?

If your cat is allergic to whatever stung them, they can display serious symptoms, probably right away. Pain and swelling are normal, but serious allergic reactions include symptoms like:

• Weakness or collapsing.

• Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing, as well as panting.

• Hives.

• Vomiting.

• Severe swelling, particularly around the nose, face, and throat.

• Excessive drooling, which can indicate swelling in the throat.

• Seizures, which are an emergency no matter why they occur.

• Diarrhea, which can indicate an internal sting if they ate the bug.

Additionally, some kinds of insect stings are worse than others, and cats can be hypersensitive to some and not others. Knowing what kind of stinging insects are present in your area can help you determine if it's likely to be bad.

If you're worried about stings but your cat hasn't been stung before, consider talking to your vet about emergency antihistamines. You can usually give your cat a bit of Benadryl or another antihistamine as a preventative measure if they've been stung, but you want to make sure you know how much to give them, which can vary depending on their age, size, breed, and any existing health issues.

TL;DR: If your cat has some swelling in an innocuous place like a paw and is generally acting like they're sore but otherwise fine, just keep an eye on them. If they experience any severe or unusual symptoms, it's emergency vet time.

If your cat has ever had a serious allergic reaction to anything – an insect sting, food, or anything else – your vet will probably prescribe an EpiPen to keep on hand for emergencies. Make sure to use it if you see signs of a serious allergic reaction, and then head to the vet ASAP.

What Should You Do if Your Cat is Stung by a Wasp or Bee?

If your cat is stung, you'll want to first review the above and make sure it isn't serious. Beyond that, you can administer first aid. Here's what to do.

Step 0: Vacate the area if necessary

I'm putting this as a brief step zero because it's usually not necessary, but in some cases, it might be. Basically, if you and your fur baby are out exploring the yard, or you're hanging out in the garage, or something of the sort, you might encounter not just one stinging insect but a whole nest of them. If your cat has disturbed a hive insect that goes and brings its pals, it can go from an annoyance to extremely dangerous very quickly. Even cats that aren't allergic to insect stings can suffer extreme consequences if they're stung dozens of times!

So, if you happen to be in a place where you and your cat are at risk of disturbing a whole nest of stinging bugs, grab them and get out of there. Everything else comes after.

Step 1: See if you can recover the insect

Sometimes, whatever stung your cat will still be there. Some bees and wasps have barbed stingers that can stick in place, often with the whole insect still attached. Other times, a tenacious wasp might stick around to try to sting again. They can be surprisingly vindictive!

Locate the site of the sting and check to see if the insect is still there. You can use something like a credit card or other flat object to scrape the insect away (and potentially capture it in a cup if you think you need to) and make sure to check for a stinger left behind as well. If the insect isn't still there, you should still check for the stinger.

Note: don't use tweezers! For much the same reason you shouldn't use them on ticks, tweezers put pressure on the insect and can squeeze more venom or contaminants into your cat. Not only does this make it more painful, it can cause infections.

You don't need to keep the bee or wasp alive or even keep it. It's not really like spiders or snakes, where knowing the exact species can influence treatment or antivenom. It's more just so that if there happen to be extremely bad stinging wasps and less bad ones, you know what to expect.

The main goal is to get it away from you and your cat and out of the house if necessary. I don't really advocate for killing pollinators, but if that's what you need to do to keep yourself and your fur baby safe, so be it.

Step 2: Soothe the sting

Your next goal is to soothe the site of the sting as much as you can.

The biggest challenge here is wrangling your cat. In the initial aftermath of the sting – when it can do the most good – your cat probably won't want to be grabbed and hassled. Instead, you may be better off letting them settle a bit before you try to handle it. On the other hand, some cats will come right to you to make it better, so you never can tell.

There are a few ways you can soothe a bee or wasp sting.

One option is a cool to cold moist towel or washcloth. Cold can help numb and soothe the area, reduce immediate inflammation, and reduce any itching or pain that comes from the site of the sting. A damp, cold towel is the easiest option for a cat, but it can warm up relatively quickly. Ice can be more soothing and last longer, but a severe enough temperature difference can be shocking enough on its own to startle your cat and make them uncomfortable, which won't help.

If they won't sit still for the cold application, another option is to make a thick paste out of a little water and a bunch of baking soda. This is a home remedy with folklore that claims the baking soda can neutralize the venom of an insect sting. There hasn't been any real research to tell if this is true or not, but some people swear by it.

Step 3: Consider the cone

Or, well, not a cone, but an Elizabethan collar or another preventative measure. Since the site of the sting will be irritated, swollen, painful, and potentially itchy, you want to prevent your cat from scratching or biting themselves raw over it. If they're allowed to keep poking at it, they'll end up delaying the healing, which doesn't help anyone.

It depends on how bad the sting is, how reactive your cat is to it, and how effectively it can be soothed through other means. Some cats will just deal with it and will largely leave it alone, but others can't stop poking at it. So, a collar, a shirt, or another protective measure might be necessary.

Step 4: Evaluate if special feeding will be necessary

The two most common places where cats are stung are their paws and their face. This is because cats don't have a whole lot of ways they can interact with the world around them, so they'll paw at, pounce, sniff at, and even bite at things like bees and wasps, at least until they learn how to recognize it. These are also the areas with the thinnest fur; many bees and wasps might not even be able to penetrate through a cat's fur coat for a casual sting. They'd have to really work at it.

If your cat was stung on the face, even if it doesn't swell up in a way that hinders their breathing, it can still make it awkward for them to eat. So, if they have trouble eating (or drinking) due to a swollen cheek, lip, or other part of their face, you may need to hand-feed them for a day or two until the swelling goes down enough that they can eat on their own.

You might also consider adding water to soften up their kibble or dry food. It's not just a way to make it easier for them to eat, either. They may not want to drink as much as they should, so adding water to their food helps keep them hydrated.

Should you give your cat antihistamines?

Above, I mentioned the possibility of giving your cat something like Benadryl to help them deal with the reaction to the sting. Should you do so?

The answer here is probably not unless you have a good reason to do so. For a cat that doesn't have an allergic reaction to a bee sting, the irritation, pain, and swelling are just coming from the toxin, not so much from the histamine reaction. That means that something like Benadryl might help a little because it sedates your fur baby, but it's not going to do much more than that.

The antihistamine is primarily for either buying time to get to the vet in the case of a severe reaction or in the case where they do have an allergic reaction, but it's generally mild. Either way, you should consult with your vet to know whether or not you should give them any, and if so, how much of what.

It's also important to know that different antihistamines work differently, and some of them are dangerous for cats. Pet-friendly antihistamines are medications like chlorpheniramine, but they're generally very slow-acting, so they aren't good for a sudden sting.

Benadryl – diphenhydramine – is generally considered safe for pets, but some can be overly sensitive to it, and they don't need very much. It can cause toxicity, which has a variety of symptoms. Other antihistamines can also be bad for cats. You might also have a form of antihistamine that also includes pain medications or other compounds that can be dangerous.

It's usually best to talk to your vet before administering any medications. If your cat is suffering from a sting in a significant way, your vet can do more than just an antihistamine, too, like giving them IV fluids, corticosteroids, or a stronger medication like epinephrine.

Let it heal

Finally, all you can really do after the initial soothing is let it heal. Whether your cat needs a collar or just a day in a dark room away from annoyances, bee stings generally go away in 1-2 days as long as the symptoms are mild. All your fur baby needs is love, care, and time, as long as nothing dangerous is happening. You can give them that, right?

Fortunately, after a sting, cats often learn what a stinging insect looks like and will be able to avoid going after them again, as rare as they are to get inside in the first place.

As always, if you have any questions about anything I discussed in this article, please feel free to let me know. I always love helping my readers however I can!

Your Cat Deserves More Than Just Any Product

Have you ever wondered what’s really in your cat’s toys, beds, or treats? We did too—and that’s why we created toe beans. As cat parents, we refuse to settle for mass-produced, overseas-made products filled with hidden toxins. We believe our felines deserve better.

That’s why our cat toys and furniture are made with only the safest, third-party-certified raw materials. Unlike almost every cat supply retailer out there, we don’t just curate products—we design and manufacture them in-house and/or in close collaboration with trusted U.S. artisans, ensuring full supply chain control, transparency, and raw material integrity.

From our USDA certified organic catnip grown in US soil without harmful pesticides, to our cozy cat beds made with azo free dyed materials, every item in our cat collections is crafted with your cat’s well-being and longevity in mind. And because every cat parent deserves transparency, we provide detailed product anatomy datasheets for everything we make.

We’re proud to not an Amazon Brand because we prioritize quality, transparency, and ethics over mass distribution.

Give your cat a safer, healthier, and longer life. Explore our cat supplies collection today!