When preparing your home for a pet, indoor plants are easy to overlook. Many common decorative plants are toxic to cats, so checking plant safety before purchase is essential.
Popular houseplants such as ivy and Benjamin's fig can cause diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and in severe cases, fatal poisoning. Even familiar flowers like daffodils can be dangerous.
Be aware of cut flowers: lilies, magnolias, sweet maries, and hydrangeas can also be harmful. Water that sits in pots and vases can become another risk, especially if your cat drinks from it. Take extra care when using fertilizer.
These Pot Plants and Cut Flowers Are a No-No
Always consult a veterinarian or plant expert when in doubt. The following plants are commonly reported as unsafe for cats:
- Agave, aloe, azalea, angel trumpet
- Benjamin's fig, boxwood, belladonna
- Cyclamen, philodendron, Christmas rose, chrysanthemum, cacti, crocus, Christmas flower, croton, calla
- Daphne
- Edelweiss
- Foxglove, fern
- Geranium, gorse
- Honeysuckle, hydrangea, hyacinth, holly
- Ivy
- Lilac, laurels, lily of the valley, laburnum
- Monkshood, monstera, mistletoe
- Narcissus
- Oleander, orchid
- Peace lily, privet, passionflower, primrose
- Spring snowflake, solanum, spindle
- Tobacco plant, tulip
- Yucca
Attention During Christmas Time
Christmas decoration plants are especially risky. The common Christmas flower and mistletoe can trigger vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, liver damage, and in severe cases, death if eaten by cats.
