8 Toxic Plants for Cats

8 Toxic Plants for Cats

There’s nothing quite like colorful flowers and lush green plants in and around your house. They offer a soothing touch, calm the mind, and promote a sense of positivity, but you may want to reconsider buying your favorite plants if you have a cat at home.

Many plants are downright toxic for cats and cause several health ailments. In extreme cases, they can also cause death, so you must familiarize yourself with the common plants that are toxic plants for cats if you’re a cat parent:

Oleander
Nerium Oleander is a popular home plant that blooms in warm climates. The bulb of this flower contains cardiac glycoside that attacks the heart muscles in cats. Your cat may show signs of vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, tremors, seizures due to poisoning, and it may even cause death in severe cases. All the parts of this plant are toxic, including its water content, the vase, and the tips.

Dieffenbachia
This houseplant is one of the common plants that are toxic plants for cats and contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that cause oral irritation in cats. Your cat will experience a severe burning sensation in the mouth, which is accompanied by drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. While it’s not life-threatening, this plant can cause severe pain and discomfort in felines.

Chrysanthemum
These flowers are captivating perennials that showcase a lovely burst of colors. They are highly poisonous to cats and can cause vomiting, drooling, and diarrhea when ingested. Your cat will show strong signs of depression, and their appetite will be tremendously affected if they ingest this plant.

Hydrangea
This beautiful and elegant flower adds oomph to your home environment, but the chemical compounds cause adverse results in the stomach of cats, manifesting in the form of vomiting and diarrhea. The flower heads are the most poisonous and can have life-threatening effects if ingested.

Narcissus
These flowering perennials are attractive and colorful additions to your home, but all parts of this plant contain a deadly poisonous agent called lycorine. If ingested, cats start drooling and vomiting and experience diarrhea and severe abdominal pain. If the dose increases, your cat might also show signs of cardiac arrhythmias and experience extremely low blood pressure, along with breathing difficulties.

Iris bulbs
Another one on the list of common plants that are toxic plants for cats, this flower’s creeping stalks cause abdominal and gastrointestinal symptoms. These include excessive diarrhea, gas and bloating, stomach cramps, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing.

Wisteria
This is a natural vine, and its seeds and pods are highly toxic. If your cat ingests this plant, it will start throwing up excessively, and sometimes blood may accompany it. Diarrhea, dehydration, and depression are some common symptoms of poisoning in cats if they ingest this plant.

Marigold
These colorful flowers have a pungent aroma that drives away insects, but they cause mouth irritation and drooling if your cat eats them. You will see your cat behaving abnormally due to stomach pain, and this symptom is accompanied by diarrhea.