Pet Articles
Safe Plants and Poisonous Plants for Cats
Good plants
These are all common houseplants that are non-toxic to cats.
- African violet (Saintpaulia)
- Aluminum plant
- Any of the true ferns (Boston fern, maidenhair, etc.)
- Cacti (but make sure they are real cacti, not just a succulent)
- Catnip
- Common geranium (Pelargonium)
- Gloxinia (Sinningia)
- Goldfish plant (Hypoestes)
- Grape ivy (Cissus)
- Hanging African Violet (Episcia)
- Lipstick vine (Aeschynanthus)
- Miniature roses
- Pepperomia
- Prayer plant (Maranta)
- Shrimp plant (Beleperone guttata)
- Spider plant (Chlorophytum)
- Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus)
- Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea)
- Variegated philodendron leaf peperomia
- Wandering jew (Zebrina)
- Wax begonias (Begonia semperflorens)
Toxic plants
These plants are toxic to cats. If your cat eats one of these, rush it to the veterinarian immediately.
- Aloe Vera
- Arrowhead Vine (all parts)
- Asparagus Fern
- Azalea
- Bird of Paradise (fruit, seeds)
- Boston Ivy (all parts)
- Caladium (all parts)
- Calla Lily
- Christmas Rose
- Chrysanthemum
- Creeping Charlie (all parts)
- Creeping Fig
- Crown of Thorns
- Daffodil
- Dieffenbachia
- Dumbcane (all parts)
- Easter lily
- Elephant Ears
- Emerald Duke (all parts)
- English Holly
- English and Glacier Ivy (leaves, berries)
- Heartleaf (all parts)
- Ivy (Hedera)
- Jerusalem Cherry
- Lily of the Valley (all parts)
- Majesty (all parts)
- Marble Queen (all parts)
- Mistletoe
- Nephthytis (all parts)
- Parlor Ivy (all parts)
- Philodendron (all parts)
- Poinsettia (leaves, flowers)
- Pothos (all parts)
- Pot Mum
- Red Princess (all parts)
- Saddleleaf (all parts)
- Schefflera
- Spider Mum
- Sprengeri Fern
- Swiss Cheese Plant
- Tulip (bulbs)
- Umbrella Plant (all parts)
- Weeping Fig (Ficus)
If you suspect your cat has eaten a toxic plant, rush it to a vet immediately. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear. Some symptoms of poisoning include; vomiting, seizures, foaming, and coma.
A good tip is to keep all plants away from cats except really safe plants like catnip and wheat grass.
N.B. This list is not exhaustive. Consult your vet or nursery for plants not on this list.
Here is a good list from the ASPCA that helps differentiate between toxic and non toxic plants for cats.
31 Responses to this Article, So Far
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Zinnias are not on either list…are they toxic, or non toxic?? Thanks
According to this link by the ASPCA Zinnias are not toxic to cats or dogs http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/zinnia.html
are frosty jeaneette, small daisy’s toxic to cats?
You’ll need to ask an expert on that one but here is a general list from ASPCA http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/
I see Coleus is listed as non-toxic to cats, but the ASPCA lists it as toxic with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, depression and anorexia.
Sorry for the error, the correction has been made. Thanks for pointing it out!
Don’t cats know which to eat and not? I’ve never seen my cats munch on our lilies of the valley or chrysanthemums, for instance….
NO – they don’t always know. So they depend on us to keep our homes safe.
What about Mandavilla Vine?
Are Iris leaves 7 Blanket flower Leaves hazxardous. Our 15 year old has recently started nibbling on these.
No idea – The ASPCA is a good resource for these things – good luck! http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants.aspx?plant_toxicity=toxic-to-cats
Bought maiden grass (miscanthus sinesis). Nursery will not provide toxicity info. Liability issue. Told to call Poison Control. They charge $45 if it is pet related. Cannot find it in ASPCA’s list. No web site confirms or denies toxicity of this ornamental grass. Billons of pieces of info on web and I cant find the answer. Grrrrrrr.
If anyone knows the answer or has a great book or website to reference:
email:
bounderforsale@hotmail.com
EVEN IF IT IS MONTHS FROM NOW! I would love to have a toxicity encyclopedia type source.
Are strawberry plants toxic?
According to this link, they can cause skin reactions. http://www.fabcats.org/owners/poisons/plants.html
My cat was sick with vomiting and diarrhea. She may have chewed on some scaevola9a blooming plant with purple flowers) leaves?
Is it toxic or poisonous?
I do not see it on this list http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/plant-list-cats.aspx but call your vet to be sure especially if it’s not going away.
Good luck.
are spider plants and day lillies poisonous to cats?
Lilies are toxic to cats.
My beloved cat, Oreo ate some Goldfish plants, unbeknownst to me, and he began vomiting, foaming, off and on, and finally he got really bad tremors. I had to end his suffering. I feel horrible.
Well yo know what? I think I was given bad info abot the goldfish plant being toxic, as
I called the vet who cared for him early on pointed out the ASPC AND SEVERAL OTHER DIFFERENT SITES RECORD IT AS NON-TOXIC. NOW I AM UNSURE OF WHAT TOOK MY CAT, OREO’S LIFE. THESE SYMPTOMS SUGGEST POISIONING TO A INSIDE CAT WHO DOESN’T HAVE ACCESS TO ANY HARMFL CHEMICALS IN OUR BEDROOM OR THE REST OF THE HOUSE….
are airplane plants poisonous to cats?
Some people call airplane plants spider plants. On this list http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/plant-list-cats.aspx spider plants are listed as non toxic.
But I am not a vet nor a botanist, I’ve just taken the time to do a google search.
Good luck
I have an Ahoya plant or a Hoya plant, not sure of the name, does not flower and has dark green leaves 1 and 1/2 in. by 4 inches oblong rounded, very shiny,grows on a vine type with many leaves on the vine, grows very bushy, with a lot of shoots from one vine. Is this plant toxic or poisonous to cats?
Don’t mean to be smart about this but without the exact proper name, how can anyone on a pet site help?
That said – to try to be helpful, I did a google search for you and came up with this for hoya plant and cats. I hope it may help you. Good luck!
http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=6560
Here is another good list from the ASPCA – hope it may help http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants?plant_toxicity=toxic-to-cats
Marko,
Janet Smyth asked if spider plant is toxic for cats and you answered
Yes. However, spider plamts are on the Non-toxic list above.
Thanks so much Tom – I have corrected the answer.
My cat got a leaf that had fallen from a goldfish plant and she foamed at the mouth, threw up and got really out of it, but she did recover. I have to believe that goldfish plants are toxic and that your poor Oreo’s reactions were to having ingested part of that plant. My cat had chewed on part of a leaf and when I saw it and thought about what was going on with her, I KNOW that it was the culprit. She hadn’t gotten into anything else and is kept in the house constantly.
Would the autumn fern be considered a true fern? Is it toxic to cats?
My cat has eaten off my houseplant (looks like a nephthytis) repeatedly with no observed difference in behavior after. Does that mean it’s not a poisonous one, or that my cat is hardy?
Are pentas toxic to cats? Tag says “not for human or animal consumption” I brought this plant inside for the winter and put it up high, but I see my cat is now jumping up on the counter although she does no seem to bother it.