Ant control that's safe for pets?

[msmerymac]

We've had ants in our cat food.

We figured out that placing the food bowls in a saucer of water keeps the ants from getting into them. Yay! But whenever the cat slobbers or drops food or leaves her treats on the floor - eventually the ants swarm that. So they're around, somewhere. (This is the only place we're having problems - and we've moved the food as well. Nothing in our kitchen or pantry or other places.)

I'd like to maybe put some an traps out, especially near our slider or a few feet from the food, but I don't know if they are safe for my cat (who is at risk for kidney problems) even if they say they're safe on the package. Any ideas?

[jennynumbers]

We use Terro. It is made of Borax (this soap) and corn syrup. The ants eat it, take it to the colony and share it and they all die. Because it is soap and only a few drops, it is safe for pets.
www.terro.com/faq-ants.php

[mala]

I second terro. Get the "liquid ant baits". My cats leave them alone.

[msmerymac]

Great! I'll look for Terro at the store tomorrow, or else I'll just do a borax mixture.

[captainmel]

You can get the little plastic ones that are totally enclosed and my kitty totally ignores them. I would actually just recommend trying windex. I use it to kill the ants instantly and wipe up their corpses. Mwahaha. It also destroys their scent trail so it is a lot harder for them to find their way back in. Just wipe it really well and then rinse it down with a little hot water if you are worried.

[momof2boys]

I have used baking soda to control ant issues and it worked pretty well. I had an issue by my back door so I put a line of the baking soda in front of the door and within a few days they were gone. I read that they carry it back to their colony (or whatever an ants home is called), eat it and it expands in their stomach killing them.

[DaisyCakes]

We use corn meal. The ants can't digest it and die. Safe for pets and has worked well for me.