No I don't have any other reptiles, I'm just being cautious and figure that preventing any potential hitchhikers from becoming established is less of a headache than waiting to see if they show up a little later on (I'm thinking if there aren't visible adult mites on arrival). Though you're absolutely right, there's certainly a degree of risk/benefit that needs to be weighed against the use of chemicals. Could Reptile Spray, or another alternative product be applied to the inside of the cage instead? Or am I being paranoid over this and just need to monitor the first few weeks before taking any action? c:

Oh, what I meant by the garage part was whether the treated cage would be safe to bring back inside the home where the cat is after having been left in the garage to dry. In other applications of permethrin (like people spraying their clothes to ward off ticks, etc) I've read that once dry, it should be safe around cats...buuuut I've also read the opposite so I'm not confident in either answer.

Thank you!