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PAWS & POISON - A Guide to Toxic Plants for your Feline Friends

Updated: Mar 22

There are many plants that are poisonous to cats. They vary in their toxicity. Many are irritant rather than poisonous. Below is a list of houseplants that can be harmful or fatal depending on the quantity swallowed. Also, remember that cats that chew plants are exposed to any chemical pesticides or fertilizers that may have been applied directly to the plants or through the soil. If you have any doubt at all as to whether something is harmful or not, your best course of action is to call your veterinarian or your 24-hour emergency clinic.


 

POISONOUS PLANTS

Alfalfa

Azalea Bloodroot

Almond (Pits) Aloe Vera Alocasia Amaryllis Apple (seeds)

Apple Leaf Croton Apricot (Pits)

Arrowgrass

Asparagus Fern Autumn Crocus Avocade (fruit & pip)

Baby’s Breath Baneberry Bayonet Beargrass Beech Belladonna

Bird of Paradise Bittersweet

Black-eyed Susan Black Locust

Bleeding Heart

Bluebonnet Box Boxwood

Branching Ivy

Buckeyes

Buddist Pine

Burning Bush

Buttercup

Cactus, Candelabra Caladium

Calla Lily

Castor Bean Golden Pothos Peach (pits and wilting

Ceriman Gopher’s Purge leaves)

Charming Dieffenbachia Hahn's Self- Pencil Cactus

Cherry (pits, seeds & Branching Ivy Peony

wilting leaves) Heartland Philodendron Periwinkle

Cherry, most wild varieties Hellebore Philodendron

Cherry, ground Hemlock, Poison Pimpernel

Cherry, Laurel Hemlock, Water Plumosa Fern

Chinaberry Henbane Poinciana

Chinese Evergreen Holly Poinsettia (low toxicity)

Christmas Rose Honeysuckle Poison Hemlock

Chrysanthemum Horsebeans Poison Ivy

Cineria Horsebrush Poison Oak

Clematis Horse Chestnuts Pokeweed

Cordatum Hurricane Plant Poppy

Coriaria Hyacinth Potato

Cornflower Hydrangea Pothos

Corn Plant Indian Rubber Plant Precatory Bean

Cornstalk Plant Indian Tobacco Primrose

Croton Iris Privet, Common

Corydalis Iris Ivy Red Emerald

Crocus, Autumn Jack in the Pulpit Red Princess

Crown of Thorns Janet Craig Dracaena Red-Margined Dracaena

Cuban Laurel Japanese Show Lily Rhododendron

Cutleaf Philodendron Java Beans Rhubarb

Cycads Jessamine Ribbon Plant

Cyclamen Jerusalem Cherry Rosemary Pea

Daffodil Jimson Weed Rubber Plant

Daphne Jonquil Saddle Leaf

Datura Jungle Trumpets Philodendron

Deadly Nightshade Kalanchoe Sago Palm

Death Camas Lacy Tree Philodendron Satin Pothos

Devil's Ivy Lantana Schefflera

Delphinium Larkspur Scotch Broom

Decentrea Laurel Silver Pothos

Dieffenbachia Lily Skunk Cabbage

Dracaena Palm Lily Spider Snowdrops

Dragon Tree Lily of the Valley Snow on the Mountain

Dumb Cane Locoweed Spotted Dumb Cane

Easter Lily Lupine Staggerweed

Eggplant Madagascar Dragon Tree Star of Bethlehem

Elaine Marble Queen String of Pearls

Elderberry Marigold Striped Dracaena

Elephant Ear Marijuana Sweetheart Ivy

Emerald Feather Mescal Bean Sweetpea

English Ivy Mexican Breadfruit Swiss Cheese plant

Eucalyptus Miniature Croton Tansy Mustard

Euonymus Mistletoe Taro Vine

Evergreen Mock Orange Tiger Lily

Ferns Monkshood Tobacco

Fiddle-leaf fig Moonseed Tomato Plant (green fruit,

Florida Beauty Morning Glory stem and leaves)

Flax Mother-in Law's Tongue Tree Philodendron

Four O'Clock Morning Glory Tropic Snow Dieffenbachia

Foxglove Mountain Laurel Tulip

Fruit Salad Plant Mushrooms Tung Tree

Geranium Narcissus Virginia Creeper

German Ivy Needlepoint Ivy Water Hemlock

Giant Dumb Cane Nephytis Weeping Fig

Glacier Ivy Golden Chain Nightshade Wild Call

Gold Dieffenbachia OleanderOnion Wisteria

Gold Dust Dracaena Oriental Lily Yews

Golden Glow Peace Lily

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The signs of poisoning can vary - drooling, repeated vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, sudden collapse, and excessive irritation (red, swollen blistering or raw) of the skin, mouth or throat. It is more common for plants to cause skin irritation in cats than to poison them.


Contact with the leaves, stems or sap of certain plants can cause rashes and hypersensitivity to sunlight resulting in sunburn. In cats, these plants can cause blistering or itching of the mouth and gums. Sneezing and eye problems can also be caused by contact with these plants.


You should contact your veterinarian immediately if your cat is showing signs of poisoning. If you see your cat eating something you suspect may be poisonous, don’t attempt to make your cat vomit. Take your cat to the vet with a sample of the plant or even better a plant label. Make a note of the time of eating and any symptoms. Several days may pass between ingesting and the effects.


You can prevent your cat from chewing on plants by misting the leaves and then sprinkling them with cayenne pepper.


You might also want to consider planting a container of grass (regular grass, not the drug) for your cat. If your cats are digging in your pots, go to your local hobby/craft store and buy a few pieces of plastic needlepoint canvas. Trim it to the shape of the pot, cut a slit in it, and then a hole in the center for the plant. Rest it on top of the soil and your cat will be unable to dig.

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