Of all the house pets, cats are more prone to fall prey to mishaps thanks to their innate curiosity. So the onus of ensuring that plants in the house do not have any adverse impact on your feline friend rests with you.
A growing fad in the realty zone is decorating one’s house with attractive foliage because there are a lot of health pluses to the same besides the freshness and colour which they add to one’s interiors. But pet owners need to double-check if any of these seemingly innocuous plants have a serious or sometimes even a fatal effect on their feline friend.
Common Poisonous Plants to Cats
Gharpedia shares with you an alphabetical list of toxic plants for catsalong with their adverse effects.
01. Aloe Vera:
Common names: Aloe
Adverse effects: Vomiting; depression; diarrhoea; anorexia; tremors; change in urine colour
02. Amaryllis:
Common names: Belladonna lily, Saint Joseph lily, cape belladonna, naked lady
Adverse effects: Vomiting; depression; diarrhoea; abdominal pain; hyper-salivation; anorexia; tremors
03. Arum Lily:
Common names: Calla lily, pig lily, white arum, trumpet lily, florist’s calla, and garden calla
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing
04. Asian Lily:
Common names: Asiatic lily
Adverse effects: Vomiting; lack of appetite; lethargy; kidney failure; death
05. Asparagus Fern:
Common names: Asparagus, emerald feather, emerald fern, Sprenger’s fern, plumosa fern, lace fern, racemose asparagus, shatavari
Adverse effects: Allergic dermatitis with repeated dermal exposure; ingestion of the berry could lead to – gastric upset (including vomiting, abdominal pain or diarrhoea)
06. Azalea:
Common names: Rosebay, rhododendron
Adverse effects: Vomiting; diarrhoea; hyper-salivation; weakness; coma; hypotension; CNS depression; cardiovascular collapse; death
07. Baby’s Breath:
Common names: Maiden’s breath
Adverse effects: Vomiting; diarrhoea
08. Barbados Lily:
Common names: Amaryllis, fire lily, lily of the palace, ridderstjerne
Adverse effects: Vomiting; salvation; diarrhoea; ingestion of large quantities can lead to – convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors and cardiac arrhythmias
Important tip: Most poisonous part for felines is the bulb
09. Begonia:
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing
Important tip: Most toxic part for cats is the tubers
10. Bird of Paradise Flower:
Common names: Crane flower, bird’s tongue flower
Adverse effects: Mild nausea; vomiting; drowsiness
Important tip: Most poisonous parts are the seeds and the fruit
11. Branching Ivy:
Common names: English ivy, glacier ivy, needlepoint ivy, sweetheart ivy, California ivy
Adverse effects: Vomiting; abdominal pain; hyper-salivation; diarrhoea
Important tip: Most poisonous part is the foliage
12. Caladium:
Common names: Malanga, elephant’s ear, stoplight, seagull, mother-in-law plant, pink cloud, Texas wonder, angel wing, exposition, candidum, fancy-leaved caladium
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing
13. Cardboard Palm:
Common names: Cycad, zamia
Adverse effects: Vomiting; melena; icterus; increased thirst; haemorrhagic gastroenteritis; bruising; coagulopathy; liver damage; liver failure; death
14. Carnation:
Common names: Pink, wild carnation, sweet William
Adverse effects: Mild gastrointestinal discomfort; mild dermatitis
15. Ceriman:
Common names: Swiss cheese plant, cut-leaf philodendron, hurricane plant, Mexican breadfruit
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing
16. Charming Dieffenbachia:
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing.
17. Chinese Jade:
Common names: Silver jade plant, silver dollar
Adverse effects: Nausea; retching
18. Chrysanthemum:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; diarrhoea; hyper-salivation; incoordination; dermatitis
19. Clivia Lily:
Common names: Clivy, caffre lily, cape clivia, klivia
Adverse effects: Vomiting; salvation; diarrhoea. Large ingestions cause convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors and cardiac arrhythmias
Important tip: Most toxic portion is the bulb
20. Coleus:
Common names: Indian borage, bread and butter plant, Spanish thyme, East Indian thyme, stinging thyme, country boarage
Adverse effects: Vomiting; diarrhoea (occasionally bloody); depression; anorexia
21. Corn Plant:
Common names: Cornstalk plant, dracaena, dragon tree, ribbon plant
Adverse effects: vomiting (occasionally with blood); depression; anorexia; hyper-salivation; dilated pupils
22. Cyclamen:
Adverse effects: Hyper-salivation; vomiting; diarrhoea
Important tip: Ingestion of excess amount of tubers may lead to – heart rhythm abnormalities, seizures and even death
23. Daffodil:
Common names: Narcissus, jonquil, paper white
Adverse effects: Vomiting; hyper-salvation; diarrhoea; low blood pressure; convulsions (when consumed in large amounts); tremors; cardiac arrhythmias
Important tip: Most poisonous part is the bulb
24. Dahlia:
Adverse effects: Mild gastrointestinal disturbance; mild dermatitis
25. Desert Azalea:
Common names: Desert rose, mock azalea, Sabi star, impala lily, kudu lily
Adverse effects: Vomiting; diarrhoea; anorexia; depression; irregular heartbeat; death
26. Devils Ivy:
Common names: Pothos, golden pothos, taro vine, ivy arum
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing.
27. Dieffenbachia:
Common names: Charming dieffenbachia, giant dumb cane, tropic snow, dumb cane, exotica, spotted dumb cane, exotica perfection
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing
28. Easter Lily:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; lack of appetite; lethargy; kidney failure; death
29. Everlasting Pea:
Common names: Sweet pea, perennial pea
Adverse effects: Weakness; lethargy; excessive pacing; tremors; seizures; death
30. Fig:
Common names: Weeping fig, Indian rubber plant
Adverse effects (ingestion): Oral irritation; hyper-salivation; vomiting
Adverse effects (contact with skin): Dermatitis
31. Flamingo Flower:
Common names: Flamingo lily, tail flower, oilcloth flower, pigtail plant, painter’s pallet
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing
32. Florida Beauty:
Common names: Gold dust dracaena and spotted dracaena
Adverse effects: Dilated pupils; breathing difficulty; abdominal pain; increased heart rate; drooling; vomiting, depression; fall in appetite; incoordination; weakness
33. Garden Hyacinth:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; diarrhoea; dermatitis; allergic reactions
Important tip: Most toxic part is the bulb
34. Giant Dracaena:
Common names: Palm lily, grass palm
Adverse effects: Vomiting (occasionally with blood); depression; anorexia; hyper-salivation; dilated pupils
35. Gladiola:
Adverse effects: Salivation; vomiting; drooling; lethargy; diarrhoea
Important tip: Most poisonous portion is the bulb
36. Hellebore:
Common names: Christmas rose, Lenten rose, Easter rose
Adverse effects: Drooling; abdominal pain; diarrhoea; colic; depression
37. Hosta:
Common names: Plantain lily; funkia
Adverse effects: Vomiting; diarrhoea; depression
38. Indian Hemp:
Common names: Marijuana, hashish
Adverse effects: Prolonged depression; vomiting; incoordination; sleepiness or excitation; hyper-salivation; dilated pupils; low blood pressure; low body temperature; seizure; coma; death (rare)
39. Jade Plant:
Common names: Baby jade, dwarf rubber plant, jade tree, Chinese rubber plant, Japanese rubber plant
Adverse effects: Vomiting; depression; ataxia; slow heart rate (rare)
40. Kiss-Me-Quick:
Common names: Yesterday, today, tomorrow, lady-of-the-night, morning-noon-and-night, Franciscan rain tree
Adverse effects: Tremors; seizures (for several days); diarrhoea; vomiting; hyper-salivation; lethargy; incoordination; coughing
41. Lacy Tree Philodendron:
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, lips, tongue; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing
42. Lily:
Adverse effects: Kidney failure
43. Lily of the Valley:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; irregular heartbeat; low blood pressure; disorientation; coma; seizure
44. Mistletoe:
Common names: American mistletoe
Adverse effects: Gastrointestinal disorders; cardiovascular collapse; dyspnea; bradycardia; erratic behaviour; vomiting; diarrhoea; low blood pressure (rare)
45. Nephthytis:
Common names: Arrowhead Vine, green gold naphthysis, African evergreen, trileaf wonder
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing
46. Orange:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; diarrhoea; depression; potential photosensitivity
47. Orange Day Lily:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; lack of appetite; lethargy; kidney failure; death (rare)
48. Pencil Cactus:
Common names: Crown of thorns
Adverse effects: Irritation to the mouth and stomach (sometimes causing vomiting)
49. Poinsettia:
Adverse effects: Irritation to the mouth and stomach (sometimes causing vomiting)
50. Primrose:
Adverse effects: Mild vomiting
51. Spring Parsley:
Adverse effects: Photosensitization (ulcerative and exudative dermatitis); ocular toxicity
52. Stargazer Lily:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; lack of appetite; lethargy; kidney failure; death (rare)
53. Sweetheart Ivy:
Common names: English ivy, glacier ivy, needlepoint ivy, branching ivy, California ivy
Adverse effects: Vomiting; abdominal pain; hyper-salivation; diarrhoea
Important tip: The foliage is more toxic than the berries
54. Taro:
Common names: Caladium, elephant ear, malanga
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing
55. Tiger Lily:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; lack of appetite; lethargy; kidney failure; death
56. Tomato:
Adverse effects: Hyper-salivation; lack of appetite; severe gastrointestinal upset; diarrhoea; drowsiness; CNS depression; confusion; behavioural change; weakness; dilated pupils; slow heart rate
57. Trumpet Lily:
Common names: Calla lily, pig lily, white arum, arum lily, florist’s calla, garden calla, arum lily
Adverse effects: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty in swallowing
58. Tulip:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; depression; diarrhoea; hyper-salivation
Important tip: Most toxic part is the bulb
59. Water Hyacinth:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; anorexia
60. Wood Lily:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; lack of appetite; lethargy; kidney failure; death (rare)
61. Yucca:
Adverse effects: Vomiting; diarrhoeaSome other houseplants which should not figure in your house if you share it with a cat include – milkweed, eucalyptus, onion, oleander, Christmas cherry, holly berries and mandrake.
In case if despite all precautions, your cat ingests a poisonous plant – perhaps at your neighbour’s house – then immediately call a vet. Unless the vet counsels you to – don’t try to induce your feline friend to puke.
Some safe and beautiful options for cat-owners in the houseplant segment comprise of – African violets, begonias and jasmine.
And before your go, don’t miss to read below articles:
Indoor Plant Care: Tips You Must Know!
Houseplants Toxic To Dogs
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.