Poisonous plants for cats

Many plants are poisonous to cats. Since cats like to chew on plants, this is quite dangerous. We have an overview of the poisonous plants for you.

Cats like to chew on all kinds of plants. However, not all of these plants can be considered safe for cats. The poison contained in some plants can lead to diarrhea and even death in your cat. Therefore, as a cat owner, you should keep all poisonous plants away from your cat if possible.

Dangerous Houseplants

Many of the plants we have in our homes can be very dangerous for cats to chew on. In addition to the innocent-looking cyclamen, this also includes the exotic belladonna lily and orchids of all kinds, but also green plants such as the rubber tree or the Dieffenbachia. You should also be careful with bouquets of flowers. Lilies, for example, also pose a danger to cats as cut flowers.

Tip: You don't need to discard your existing plants if you keep them out of the cat's reach. Wall shelves that are not accessible or hanging baskets are suitable for this, for example. Or put the plants in a locked room where the cat won't be.

But not all indoor plants are harmful to your cat. So you can leave the money tree (or penny tree) without hesitation. And the indoor bamboo is also considered harmless for cats. However, you should first wash it off thoroughly after buying it, as it is usually heavily sprayed. Geraniums, for example, are ideal flowering plants.

Danger in the Christmas season

If you don't want to do without your Christmas tree during the Christmas season, you should look for an alternative to the real tree for the love of your cat. The needles are difficult for the animals to digest and thus cause immense damage to their he alth. In addition, most conifers contain toxic substances that are also found in the water of the tree, so that there is a great danger for the cat when drinking.

But not only the tree can be a danger for your cat. Also various plants that we enjoy during the Christmas seasonfetch the apartment are poisonous for cats. These include, for example, the poinsettia, which is so poisonous that it can kill your beloved cat.

Tip: The Christmas cactus is considered harmless to cats.

Poisonous plants in the garden and in nature

As mentioned earlier, there are a number of plants that are poisonous to cats. Therefore, pay close attention to which plants you bring into the garden. In addition to the tulip, early bloomers such as the crocus, the daffodil or the lily of the valley are also poisonous. The popular hyacinth or oleander can also harm your cat if it nibbles on it.

You should also be careful with trees, bushes and hedges. For example, a peach tree can be dangerous for your cat. In addition to the leaves, the bark and seeds are also poisonous. But arborvitae, privet or broom can also poison your cat if you nibble on them.

Tip: Chestnuts (green shell) and oaks (plant and acorns) also pose a poisoning hazard. Remove these rigorously from your property.

Overview of plants poisonous to cats

We have already mentioned some poisonous plants. In the following picture gallery we have put together these and other plants that can be dangerous for your cat.

Cyclamen (Cyclamen Persicum)
© Denis Kadatsky - Fotolia.com

Azalea (Azalea)
© Mny-Jhee - Fotolia.com

Begonia (Begonia)
© ninelittle - Fotolia.com

Belladonna (Amaryllis belladonna)
© Lauren O / stock.adobe.com

Boxwood
© maykal - Fotolia.com

Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia)
© vaitekune - Fotolia.com

Ivy(Hedera Helix)
© New Africa - Fotolia.com

Oak (Quercus)
© fabianammer / stock.adobe.com

Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia)
© Fotolyse - Fotolia.com

Fig tree (Ficus carica)
© Ocskay Mark / stock.adobe.com

Ginster (Genista)
© gpisano71 - Fotolia.com

Rubber tree (Ficus Elastica)
© bozhena_melnyk / stock.adobe.com

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus Officinalis)
© smspsy /stock.adobe.com

Chestnut (Castanea)
© M. Schuppich - Fotolia.com

Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
© Eileen Kumpf - Fotolia.com

Comb thread (Aglaonema commutatum)
© skymoon13 / stock.adobe.com

Crocus (Crocus)
© mirkograul / stock.adobe.com

Tree of Life (Thuja)
© Mariusz Blach - Fotolia.com

Privet (Ligustrum vulgare)
© PIXATERRA / stock.adobe.com

Laurel (Laurus Nobilis)
© simona / stock.adobe.com

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)
© rustamank / stock.adobe.com

Daffodil (Narcissus)
© amoerwald / stock.adobe.com

Oleander (Nerium oleander)
© Horváth Botond - Fotolia.com

Detect Poisonous Plants

We cannot guarantee the completeness of the list of plants poisonous to cats. Because many plants have not yet been adequately investigated with regard to their toxicity to cats. If you are unsure whether a plant is tolerable or poisonous, it is better to avoid plants with the following characteristics:

evergreen
contain essential oils
smellsuspiciously good
have bulbs/bulbs
contain milk in leaves and twigs

Plants with these properties are often poisonous.

3 tips to protect your cat from poisoning

1.Poisonous plants should be placed out of the cat's reach or banned altogether. It is better to use plants that you can safely classify as harmless.

2.Plants that you are unsure about as safe should not be left unattended within reach of your cat. However, it is best to place them in a locked room that is inaccessible to the cat.

3.Even non-poisonous plants can pose a hazard if consumed in excess. Therefore, observe how often your cat nibbles on the plants and put the affected plant away if necessary.