Is Ingesting Gerber Daisies Harmful to Cats?

Cats that live outdoors often eat grass and other plants to aid their digestive tracts. Indoor cats might look to your houseplants and floral arrangements to fill their appetite. This can be dangerous, though, as many common plants and flowers are poisonous to cats.

  1. Toxicity

    • The Gerber daisy, like its relative the sunflower, is not poisonous to cats, although you might not want to encourage your pets to eat the flowers--it can make for an unsightly centerpiece.

    Keeping Your Cat Away

    • To keep your Gerber daisies or other plants uneaten, put them where cats cannot get to them. Buy grass specially designed for cats so that they won't be tempted by your decorative foliage. PetPlace.com also recommends spraying plants with an odorous spray designed to repel cats.

    What Will Harm Cats

    • Just because Gerber daisies don't harm cats doesn't mean other common flowers are safe. Easter lilies are quite toxic, as is oleander. Other common plants toxic to cats include aloe, azaleas, carnations, regular daisies, eucalyptus, peonies, poinsettias and tulips. A complete list is available at the website of the ASPCA.

    Treatment

    • If your cat eats a poisonous plant, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

    Symptoms

    • If your cat has seizures, falls unconscious or has problems breathing, take her to your vet or an animal emergency center immediately. Call ahead to let them know your cat's age, weight, gender and what she ate.