Dangerous House Plants

Although we think of cats as carnivores, in fact- Delphinium
many are fond of vegetables and other plant- Decentrea
material. Although food preferences vary with- Dieffenbachia
individual cats, many will sample a plot of grass- Dumb Cane
outdoors, the leaves of a potted houseplant- Easter Lily
indoors, or other common items like shoelaces.- Eggplant
Cats confuse their owners by ending- Elderberry
grass-grazing with regurgitation or vomiting. The- Elephant Ear
reason for this predictable behavior is unclear, but- English Ivy
it has been suggested that our pets eat grass, at- Euonymus
least sometimes, in order to stimulate vomiting.- Evergreen
Relief from hairball indigestion may be one motive- Ferns
for plant eating in cats. However, not all- Flax
plant-eating leads to getting "sick", so it is a good- Four O'Clock
idea to consult with your vet if the pattern- Foxglove
continues.- Golden Chain
Because of this tendency to seek and ingest- Golden Glow
vegetation, cats may naturally experiment with- Gopher Purge
the taste of houseplants. Such behavior can be- Hellebore
undesirable, at best, or dangerous when leaves or- Hemlock, Poison
other plant parts are toxic.- Hemlock, Water
To keep your cat safe, be sure all plants in your- Henbane
home are safe in case of ingestion, or place them- Holly
out of reach. Hanging pots, for example, usually- Honeysuckle
lose their appeal even to curious cats. Non-toxic,- Horsebeans
valued plants can be protected with a small- Horsebrush
amount of sprayed vinegar or black pepper- Horse Chestnuts
solution on leaves.- Hyacinth
As a gift to those cats that seem determined to- Hydrangea
eat plants, owners can offer treats of herbicide-- Indian Tobacco
and pesticide-free potted grass. Grass seeds or- Iris
even parakeet seeds can be sprouted in seedling- Iris Ivy
pots and offered occasionally, the empty pot then- Jack in the Pulpit
re-seeded for a new batch. In small amounts,- Java Beans
grass can be a welcome treat for any house cat.- Jessamine
Listed here are plants poisonous to cats that- Jerusalem Cherry
must be avoided if there are cats in your home.- Jimson Weed
While in some cases just parts of a plant bark,- Jonquil
leaves, seeds, berries, roots, tubers, spouts,- Jungle Trumpets
green shells might be poisonous, this list rules out- Lantana
the whole plant. If you must have any of them,- Larkspur
keep them safely out of reach. Should your feline- Laurel
friend eat part of a poisonous plant, rush the cat- Lily
to your veterinarian as soon as possible. If you- Lily Spider
can, take the plant with you for ease of- Lily of the Valley
identification.- Locoweed
Plants Poisonous To Cats- Lupine
- Alfalfa- Marigold
- Almond (Pits of)- Marijuana
- Alocasia- Mescal Bean
- Amaryllis- Mistletoe
- Apple (seeds)- Mock Orange
- Apricot (Pits of)- Monkshood
- Arrowgrass- Moonseed
- Avocado- Morning Glory
- Azalea- Mountain Laurel
- Baneberry- Mushrooms
- Bayonet- Narcissus
- Beargrass- Nightshade
- Beech- Oleander
- Belladonna- Peach (pits of)
- Bird of Paradise- Pencil Cactus
- Bittersweet- Peony
- Black-eyed Susan- Periwinkle
- Black Locust- Philodendron
- Bleeding Heart- Pimpernel
- Bloodroot- Poinciana
- Bluebonnet- Poinsettia
- Box- Poison Hemlock
- Boxwood- Poison Ivy
- Buckeyes- Poison Oak
- Burning Bush- Pokeweed
- Buttercup- Poppy
- Cactus- Potato Plant
- Candelabra- Precatory Bean
- Caladium- Primrose
- Castor Bean- Privet, Common
- Cherry (pits)- Rhododendron
- Cherry, wild varieties- Rhubarb
- Cherry, ground- Ribbon Plant
- Cherry, Laurel- Rosemary Pea
- Chinaberry- Rubber Plant
- Christmas Rose- Scotch Broom
- Chrysanthemum- Skunk Cabbage
- Clematis- Snowdrops
- Coriaria- Snow on the Mountain
- Cornflower- Staggerweed
- Corn Plant- Star of Bethlehem
- Cornstalk Plant- Sweetpea
- Croton- Tansy Mustard
- Corydalis- Tobacco
- Crocus, Autumn- Tomato Plant
- Crown of Thorns- Tulip
- Cuban Laurel- Tung Tree
- Cutleaf Philodendron- Virginia Creeper
- Cycads- Water Hemlock
- Cyclamen- Weeping Fig
- Daffodil Daphne- Wild Call
- Datura- Wisteria
- Deadly Nightshade- Yews --
- Death Camas- e.g.