5

Kind of the opposite of this question: What are safe plants to let my cat chew on?

I have some cat grass and plants for my cats, but now that I'm in a larger house, I want to keep some indoor houseplants for myself. Are there plants that I should avoid getting due to them being poisonous to cats or something?

2 Answers 2

7

The ASPCA website has an exhaustive list of toxic and non-toxic plants for dogs, cats, and horses.

The site identifies 399 different plant species that are toxic to cats. Most fruit trees appear to be on the list, along with pretty much every variety of lily and a number of other common flowers like iris, chrysanthemum, and hyacinth.

As written, the question is quite broad in scope, so I'm not sure what you're looking for in terms of an answer. All I can suggest is to go through the list and compare to the plants you are thinking about bringing into your home.

6

I would say, unless you know it is safe for cats assume it to be poisonous.

Most of the plants we can eat and are good for us are actually poisonous to cats. Moreover, cats have no defenses to plant born toxins.

I have LOTS of plants and I keep them all behind closed doors so as not to poison my "grrrls". It is not uncommon for indoor cats to want to chew on plant leaves and then get fatal poisoned by them, outdoor cats tend to go for grass (which helps them puke up hairballs and is not toxic) and typically avoid chewing on random stuff.

Cats and plants don't mix well- avoid it!

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.