House Plants That Are Poisonous to Felines

Cats and houseplants can coexist peacefully with careful planning. A surprisingly large number of houseplants can, when eaten, make a cat sick. Avoiding these plants altogether may be the best solution. Keep houseplants out of reach in hanging baskets or on high, unreachable mantels and shelves. Spray the foliage of large floor plants with a solution that contains cayenne pepper to discourage cats from nibbling. Plant a container of ordinary grass seed for a cat to chew instead. If you suspect a cat has eaten a poisonous plant, take your pet and the plant (for identification) to the veterinarian immediately.

  1. Lily

    • All lilies are particularly poisonous to cats. The popular Easter lily, the calla lily, many day lilies, and most other lily varieties can cause kidney failure when ingested by a cat. The cat is in danger even if it only eats a small amount of the plant. Do not wait for symptoms to appear before taking your cat to the vet.

    Ivy

    • Many varieties of ivy are popular as houseplants. Some are more poisonous to cats than others. Ingesting the leaves is more dangerous than eating the berries, so pick up any fallen leaves from the floor. Vomiting, pain, hyper salivation and diarrhea may occur if the cat eats any ivy.

    Philodendron

    • The philodendron is likely the most popular houseplant in the world. Its foliage can cause irritation in a cat's mouth, excessive drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing.

    Amaryllis

    • The bulb portion of the amaryllis is poisonous to cats, causing vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and hyper salivation.

    Poinsettia

    • Poinsettias have a reputation of being poisonous to cats, but they have low toxicity and pose the mildest threat of the poisonous houseplants. Eating a poinsettia can cause irritation of the mouth and stomach, and may cause your cat to vomit.

    Ferns

    • The asparagus fern can sicken a cat, but most ferns are not poisonous.

    Bulbs and Corms

    • Forcing bulbs indoors is popular in winter, but keep the bulbs and corms stored away from your feline friends until they are ready for planting. Crocus and hyacinth bulbs, cyclamen bulbs, iris corms, narcissus and daffodil bulbs and caladium are all a danger to cats.