Top 10 Houseplants Toxic to Cats Post-Pet Ownership: Pa
A Guide to Toxic Plants: Understanding Their Risks and Symptoms
Arisaema Family
Toxicity: Highly toxic
Toxic Principle: Insoluble calcium oxalate
Clinical Symptoms: Oral irritation, pain and swelling in the mouth, tongue, and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing
Common Plants:
1. Dripping Raft Fern
2. Red Anthurium
3. White Anthurium
4. Cast Iron Plant
5. Calla Lily
6. Evergreen
7. Spider Plant
8. Alocasia
Ricinus Family
Toxicity: Extremely toxic
Toxic Principle: Ricin
Clinical Symptoms: Loss of appetite, thirst, weakness, cramps, tremors, sweating, loss of coordination, difficulty breathing, depression, bloody diarrhea, seizures, and death
Common Plant: Castor Bean
Liliaceae Family
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Saponins, anthraquinones
Clinical Symptoms: Vomiting, drowsiness, diarrhea
Common Plant: Aloe Vera (only the gel of the Curaçao Aloe is edible)
Amaryllidaceae Family
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Solanine
Clinical Symptoms: Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, excessive saliva, anorexia, tremors
Common Plants:
1. Red Spider Lily
2. Narcissus (not a true lily, but often mistaken for one as the real culprit of lily toxicity for cats)
Lamiaceae Family
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Saponins
Clinical Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, and depression
Common Plant: American Holly (commonly used as a cut flower in winter)
Taxus Family
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Taxine A and B, volatile oils
Clinical Symptoms: Tremors, difficulty breathing, vomiting, acute heart failure, and sudden death
Common Plant: Eastern Hemlock
Liliaceae (Again)
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Narcissine and other alkaloids
Clinical Symptoms:
1. Narcissus poisoning: Vomiting, loss of appetite, drowsiness, kidney failure, and death
2. Asparagus: Repeated skin contact can cause allergic dermatitis. Eating the berries can cause stomach upset (vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea)
3. Colchicum: Vomiting, diarrhea, shock, multiple organ damage, and bone marrow suppression
Common Plants:
1. Asian Lily
2. Asparagus
3. Colchicum
Ericaceae Family
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Anthocyanins
Clinical Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and heart failure
Common Plant: Rhododendron
Fabaceae (Clouds of Flowers)
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Gastrointestinal irritants, tannins
Clinical Symptoms: Vomiting and diarrhea
Common Plant: Golden Shower (also known as Red Butterfly or Peacock Flower)
Begoniaceae Family
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Soluble calcium oxalate
Clinical Symptoms: Vomiting, drooling. The most toxic part is the underground rhizome
Common Plant: Begonia (with a wide variety of flower and leaf colors, it's important to be able to identify them)
Rutaceae Family
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Essential oils and psoralens
Clinical Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, depression; potential phototoxicity (dermatitis)
Common Plants: Citrus, bitter orange, oranges, etc.
Rosaceae Fruit
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Cyanogenic glycosides, cyanogenic glucosides found in some species
Clinical Symptoms: Cyanide is present in the stems, leaves, and seeds, especially toxic when wilted: brickred mucous membranes, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, asthma, and shock
Common Fruits: Apples, apricots, plums, peaches, cherries
Strelitziaceae Family
Toxicity: Toxic
Toxic Principle: Gastrointestinal irritants
Clinical Symptoms: Mild nausea, vomiting, drowsiness; mainly caused by fruits and seeds
Common Plant: Bird of Paradise (also known as Strelitzia, not a true orchid)
