A–Z List of Houseplants That Are Poisonous to Your Cats
Cindy is a conscientious cat mom who loves sharing pet expertise with others through writing.
Many common houseplants can be poisonous to cats. Learn which ones to avoid to keep your pets safe.
What Plants Are Toxic to Cats?
Many pet owners keep common plants in their homes without realising that they are poisonous to cats. Not all of them will prove fatal if chewed or eaten, but some can definitely kill your much-loved feline friend. Never assume a cat will instinctively try not to eat a poisonous plant—all too often, cats end up being rushed to the vet suffering from poisoning as a direct result of chewing on or eating toxic houseplants.
In this article, I hope to list many of the most common indoor plants that pose health risks to cats so that you can ensure you don't bring them into your home. If you already have any of these in your home, it may be a good idea to remove them. Many of these species are commonly kept as houseplants, so I am guessing that some will come as surprises to unsuspecting cat owners.
Aloe Vera
- Common names: Aloe
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, anorexia, tremors, change in urine color
Amaryllis
- Common names: Belladonna lily, Saint Joseph lily, cape belladonna, naked lady
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, anorexia, tremors
Arum Lily
- Common names: Calla lily, pig lily, white arum, trumpet lily, florist's calla, and garden calla
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty swallowing
Asian Lily
- Common names: Asiatic lily
- Toxic to: Cats
- Symptoms: Vomiting, inappetence, lethargy, kidney failure, death
Asparagus Fern
- Common names: Asparagus, emerald feather, emerald fern, Sprenger's fern, plumosa fern, lace fern, racemose asparagus, shatavari
- Toxic to: Cats and dogs
- Symptoms: Allergic dermatitis with repeated dermal exposure (berry ingestion could result in gastric upset, including vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea)
Azalea
- Common names: Rosebay, rhododendron
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses.
- Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, hypersalivation, weakness, coma, hypotension, CNS depression, cardiovascular collapse, death
Baby's Breath
- Common names: Maiden's breath
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea
Barbados Lily
- Common names: Amaryllis, fire lily, lily of the palace, ridderstjerne
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Vomiting, salvation, diarrhea (large quantities can cause convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors and cardiac arrhythmias)
- Note: The bulbs are the most poisonous part of this plant.
Begonia
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Oral irritation; intense burning of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty swallowing
- Note: The tubers are the most toxic part of the plant.
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Bird of Paradise Flower
- Common names: Crane flower, bird's tongue flower
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
- Symptoms: mild nausea, vomiting, drowsiness
- Note: Poisoning is caused mainly by the fruit and seeds. This species should not be confused with Caesalpinia or Poinciana gilliesii, both of which are also known as bird of paradise and are more toxic.
Branching Ivy
- Common names: English ivy, glacier ivy, needlepoint ivy, sweetheart ivy, California ivy
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
- Symptoms: Vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, diarrhea
- Note: The foliage is more toxic than the berries.
Caladium
- Common names: Malanga, elephant's ear, stoplight, seagull, mother-in-law plant, pink cloud, Texas wonder, angel wing, exposition, candidum, fancy-leaved caladium
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Oral irritation; intense burning of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty swallowing
Cardboard Palm
- Common names: Cycad, zamia
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
- Symptoms: Vomiting, melena, icterus, increased thirst, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, bruising, coagulopathy, liver damage, liver failure, death
Carnation
- Common names: Pink, wild carnation, sweet William
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Mild gastrointestinal discomfort, mild dermatitis
Ceriman
- Common names: Swiss cheese plant, cut-leaf philodendron, hurricane plant, Mexican breadfruit
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty swallowing
Charming Dieffenbachia
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty swallowing
Chinese Jade
- Common names: Silver jade plant, silver dollar
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Nausea, retching
Chrysanthemum
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
- Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, hypersalivation, incoordination, dermatitis
Clivia Lily
- Common names: Clivy, caffre lily, cape clivia, klivia
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Vomiting, salvation, diarrhea; large ingestions cause convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors, cardiac arrhythmias
- Note: The bulbs are the most poisonous part of the plant.
Coleus
- Common names: Indian borage, bread and butter plant, Spanish thyme, East Indian thyme, stinging thyme, country boarage
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
- Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea (occasionally bloody), depression, anorexia.
Corn Plant
- Common names: Cornstalk plant, dracaena, dragon tree, ribbon plant
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: vomiting (occasionally with blood), depression, anorexia, hypersalivation, dilated pupils (in cats)
Cyclamen
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Salivation, vomiting, diarrhea
- Note: Following the ingestion of large amounts of tubers, heart rhythm abnormalities, seizures and death may occur.
Daffodil
- Common names: Narcissus, jonquil, paper white
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
- Symptoms: Vomiting, salvation, diarrhea, low blood pressure, convulsions (when consumed in large amounts), tremors, cardiac arrhythmias
- Note: The bulbs are the most poisonous part of the plant.
Dahlia
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Mild gastrointestinal signs, mild dermatitis
Desert Azalea
- Common names: Desert rose, mock azalea, Sabi star, impala lily, kudu lily
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
- Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, depression, irregular heart beat, death
Devils Ivy
- Common names: Pothos, golden pothos, taro vine, ivy arum
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Oral irritation: intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty swallowing
Dieffenbachia
- Common names: Charming dieffenbachia, giant dumb cane, tropic snow, dumbcane, exotica, spotted dumb cane, exotica perfection
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs
- Symptoms: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty swallowing
Easter Lily
- Toxic to: Cats
- Symptoms: Vomiting, inappetence, lethargy, kidney failure, death
Everlasting Pea
- Common names: Sweet pea, perennial pea
- Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
- Symptoms: Weakness, lethargy, pacing, head pressing, tremors, seizures, death