When it comes to plants, let’s keep our kitties safe
As you’ve probably noticed, the days are becoming a little bit shorter as we head into autumn. Your thoughts may soon turn to cleaning up and putting away the accoutrements of summer living: covering up patio furniture, tidying up and covering flower and vegetable beds, and perhaps even bringing potted plants indoors for the cold weather months. You may even be considering the purchase of new houseplants to keep the green going inside now that the leaves are beginning to turn yellow and orange outside.
Because so many of our households have feline family members, we thought it would be helpful to share a list of plants that are poisonous to these beloved four-leggeds. The list of 17 plants that we are including in this post is from the ASPCAPro website (see below for the link) but there are any number of good resources available with just a little online searching.
Here is the list: Lilies, marijuana, sago palm, tulip/narcissus bulbs, azalea/rhododendron, oleander, castor bean, cyclamen, kalanchoe, amaryllis, autumn crocus, chrysanthemum, English ivy, peace lily, pothos, and schefflera. Other plants that commonly appear in poisonous plant lists are geraniums, jade plant, and rubber tree.
A more extensive list of toxic plants, as well as a list of those that are non-toxic, can be found on the ASPCA website here: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/cats-plant-list
You might also want to revisit our website article regarding foxtails, “Foxtails – A cute name for a dangerous plant”: https://longmontfriendsofcats.org/articles/
Consider keeping this information handy, as well as the telephone numbers of your regular veterinarian and an emergency vet, just in case your curious kitty decides to sample a plant that is not kitty-friendly. The ASPCA also has a Poison Control Center that can be reached at 1-888-426-4435.
Here’s to keeping our fabulous felines out of harm’s way!
Additional sites with useful information:
https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/17-plants-poisonous-pets
https://be.chewy.com/which-plants-are-poisonous-to-cats-a-complete-guide/
https://www.rd.com/list/houseplants-cat-owners-should-avoid/
Photo credit: Linnea Sandbakk on stocksnap.io