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Poinsettia plants and cats


Holiday Plants Poisonous to Cats

Many people decorate their homes with festive plants around the holidays. Others may give a plant or floral arrangement as a gift.

Although cats may see them as a treat, some of these decorations and gifts may be harmful. Before bringing any plants into your home, it’s essential to know which popular holiday plants are poisonous to your cat.

 

Which Holiday Plants Are Toxic for Cats?

Holiday Trees

While artificial trees are gaining popularity, many people still prefer getting a real tree for the holidays. If you’re one of those people and you own a cat, opt for a fir or spruce tree over a pine tree.

The oils in pine trees can be harmful to cats, potentially leading to liver damage and even death. Meanwhile, pine needles are sharp and can damage a cat’s internal organs if ingested. They also pose a hazard to paws if stepped on.

Cover the tree stand so your cat won’t drink the water. The water inside the plant stand could contain harmful bacteria and other pathogens.

Regardless of which tree you choose, be aware of the potential for the tree to tip over. Cats often get curious about decorations and will climb the tree to get a closer look.

To prevent an accident, secure the tree to the ceiling or wall using some fishing line to prevent the tree from falling over. Otherwise, try putting the tree in a location that can be closed off so your cat can’t get to it when you’re not home.

Poinsettias

“Are poinsettias poisonous to cats?” These eye-catching red holiday favorites have gained a bad reputation amongst cat owners. The bad news is that, yes, poinsettias are toxic to cats.

These festive plants contain a sap inside their leaves that can irritate a cat’s mouth and esophagus. If ingested, cats may experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or excessive drooling.

The good news is a cat would have to eat a large amount of poinsettia to get seriously ill. So, while poinsettias aren’t as toxic as some other plants, cat owners should leave them out of their holiday celebrations.

Amaryllis

Similar in appearance to the poinsettia plant, amaryllis is a popular flowering holiday plant that is a member of the lily family. Unfortunately, whether it’s the bulb, leaves, stem or flowers, this plant poses a threat to cats if ingested.

Amaryllis plants contain the chemical lycorine, which can cause adverse effects to cats such as vomiting, diarrhea and tremors.

Holly & Mistletoe

When it comes to poisonous house plants for cats, neither holly nor mistletoe comes to mind. After all, the holidays wouldn’t feel complete without holly decking the halls or kissing beneath the mistletoe. However, if you have pets, it’s best to go with the artificial route rather than risk it with these cat-unfriendly holiday plants.

Holly contains harmful chemicals that are toxic to cats. If ingested holly can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and drooling. This spiny leaved, berry-producing plant can be lethal to cats and should not deck the halls of your home during the holidays.

Like holly, avoid using mistletoe if you own cats. Mistletoe contains phoratoxins and lectins, which can cause similar reactions to holly. In larger amounts, severe reactions may occur, including a drop in blood pressure and heart rate, breathing problems, seizures and death.

Lilies

Another holiday plant cat owners should keep out of their homes are lilies. Unfortunately, the entire plant and even the water in the vase, can be toxic to cats and can cause serious harm or death. Even small amounts of this plant can cause arrhythmia or kidney failure.

Azaleas

Azaleas, which are also sometimes known as rhododendron or rosebay, are another holiday plant cat owners should never allow in their homes. However, be on the lookout because they often appear in holiday bouquets or floral arrangements.

Azaleas contain a toxin called grayanotoxin, which can adversely affect the sodium channels within a cat’s body. Azalea toxicity can cause a wide range of symptoms, including excessive drooling, decreased appetite, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea and even cardiac failure. Note that all parts of the azalea plant are toxic to cats.

 

What if Your Cat Ingests a Poisonous Plant?

The best way to keep your cat safe is to avoid bringing plants poisonous to cats into your home at all. If you do bring them into your home, keep them well out of reach. If you suspect your cat ingested any amount of a toxic plant, call your veterinarian immediately. You can also contact the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) at (888)426-4435.

Explore other pet safety tips for the holidays to find out which decorations and other festive items pose a risk. To get more information and advice from our pet experts, visit our Pet Expertise page.

Poinsettia Are Toxic To Pets

Poinsettia Are Toxic To Pets | Pet Poison Helpline

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plants

Alternate names

Euphorbia, lobster flower, flame leaf flower, Flower of the Holy Night, Flower of Christmas Eve, Crown of the Andes, Easter flower

During the holidays, poinsettias are a popular Christmas plant. Though they have a bad rap, poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) plants are only mildly toxic to cats and dogs. The milky white sap found in poinsettias contains chemicals called diterpenoid euphorbol esters and saponin-like detergents. While poinsettias are commonly “hyped” as poisonous plants, they rarely are, and the poisoning is greatly exaggerated. When ingested, mild signs of vomiting, drooling, or rarely, diarrhea may be seen. If the milky sap is exposed to skin, dermal irritation (including redness, swelling, and itchiness) may develop. Rarely, eye exposure can result in mild irritation. Signs are generally self-limiting and typically don’t require medical treatment unless severe and persistent. There is no antidote for poinsettia poisoning. That said, due to the low level of toxicity seen with poinsettia ingestion, medical treatment is rarely necessary unless clinical signs are severe.

Common signs to watch for:

 

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Dogs

Toxicity Level

Mild

Cats

Toxicity Level

Mild

Disclaimer

The content of this page is not veterinary advice. A number of factors (amount of substance ingested, size of the animal, allergies, etc.) determine what is toxic to a particular pet. If you think your pet has eaten something potentially toxic, call Pet Poison Helpline or seek immediate veterinary treatment.

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Is the beautiful poinsettia poisonous and can it poison you and your cat?

Useful information

Admin, November 23, 2018 - 17:00

Poinsettia, also known as the Star of Bethlehem, is without a doubt a flower loved by many. It has entered the "canon" of obligatory holiday decorations, almost like a traditional New Year and Christmas tree. Although the plant beautifully decorates our homes, many fear that the poinsettia is a poisonous plant and can cause allergies.

A lot of negative opinions have accumulated around her, which, however, do not always correspond to reality. Find out if the poinsettia is poisonous or not, in whom it can cause allergies, and what threatens contact with the juice flowing from the shoots of the flower.

Poinsettia - Christmas star - poisonous to humans or not?

The tissues of the poinsettia contain a poisonous white milky juice - as, indeed, in all other members of the family. This juice contains euphorbic acid, euphorbin and cyanogenic compounds, which can painfully burn the skin, cause inflammation, and if it gets into the eyes, even temporarily blind a person.

Poisonous juices are found in the root, leaves and stems. It is also worth knowing that the bracts that delight us (those that turn so beautifully red) owe their color to dyes belonging to anthocyanins.

All this sounds menacing. And so much so that some believe that the name of the plant comes from the English. the word poison, meaning "poison". But this is just complete nonsense! The name "poinsettia" comes from the surname Poinsett of a man named Joel Roberts who brought the Star of Bethlehem from Mexico to the United States.

In practice, as it turns out, information about the strong toxic effect and poisonousness of poinsettia is greatly exaggerated. Although the Star of Bethlehem can cause gastrointestinal distress, nausea, and vomiting after ingestion, in practice, this accounts for less than 10% of human consumption of the plant. The ailment is usually very mild and rare.

However, if a poinsettia flower has appeared in the house, it is worth placing it in a place inaccessible to small children, and while caring for the plant, avoid direct contact with juices that can leak out, for example, when breaking a branch. But there is no need to exaggerate. The sheer number of indoor plants grown in our apartments can be far more poisonous than the Star of Bethlehem.

Can poinsettias cause allergies?

Growing poinsettias should be avoided by people who are allergic to latex. Almost every second person with this type of it has symptoms of sensitization upon direct contact with the Star. The result of such contact can be inflammation of the skin, mucous membranes, and much less often - an attack of allergic asthma.

In this regard, the damaged parts of the plant, from which the juice flows, should be handled with care, try not to get dirty, and even more so - do not rub the eye with milk. Wash your hands thoroughly after work, just in case.

Will the Christmas star be poison to your cat or dog?

Poinsettia is not very toxic to pets. So, for example, in the case of cats, the risk can generally be defined as small. Plants such as azalea, oleander, clivia, Persian cyclamen or the very popular ficus benjamin are much more dangerous for a cat.

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However, it is worth knowing that if the juices of the Christmas star get on the mucous membranes of the animal, they can cause severe irritation and pain. And if swallowed, severe diarrhea and vomiting can occur, eventually leading to dehydration of the pet.

What should I do if my cat or dog manages to get poisoned by poinsettia? First aid is to treat irritated eyes or mouth with clean, warm water. Then you should contact the veterinarian, who will give antiemetic drugs, coal and, if necessary, take measures to hydrate the animal's body and give him painkillers.

Thus, the poisonousness of the poinsettia plant is sometimes greatly exaggerated. But having this beautiful "Christmas" flower in the house, it would be wise to exercise some caution.

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Dangerous and poisonous indoor plants, flowers for cats in your home

Nursery

Articles about cats

Indoor plants for cats

Have you thought about how safe your home is for a cat?

Perhaps every person in the house has indoor plants, our beautiful and such different green friends - large or miniature, familiar to the eye or exotic, they all make our home more beautiful and comfortable.

But now, at one fine moment, a tailed four-legged friend appears in your house, and it's time to take measures to ensure the safety of your pet, because even if your cat does not have free walking on the street, it can still be in danger in the form of poisonous and harmful plants in your house. It is important to know which plants can be poisonous to your pet and which ones do not pose a threat, because cats are very interested in some indoor plants, they can often sniff, touch, and chew them.

Let's see which indoor plants are dangerous for cats

Plants causing dermatitis and swelling of the oral cavity This beautiful flower causes irritation on the mucous membrane of the mouth, stomach and intestines.

Signs of poisoning:

Ficus (Dwarf Benjamin)

Causes irritation on the mucous membrane of the mouth, stomach and intestines.

Signs of poisoning:

Aloe Vera

The juice of this plant helps in the treatment of burns, but is poisonous to cats. Better make sure the cat can't get to the flower.

Signs of poisoning:

Chrysanthemum

Causes irritation of the oral mucosa, diarrhea, convulsions, pulmonary, cardiac and renal failure, allergic dermatitis.

Signs of poisoning:

Gypsophila or "Baby's Breath"

This small-flowered plant is often used to decorate bouquets, but despite its delicate appearance, this plant can be quite dangerous for a cat.

Signs of poisoning:

Houseplants causing: oral edema, incoordination and acute heart failure

Dieffenbachia

This plant is extremely poisonous to cats, if a cat licks its juice, laryngeal edema will occur, and breathing may stop. Juice that gets on the mucous membrane of the eye can cause blindness.

Signs of poisoning:

Bicolor Caladium

This plant is extremely poisonous to cats, if a cat licks its juice, laryngeal edema will occur, and breathing may stop.

Signs of poisoning:

Spathiphyllum

Causes irritation of the oral mucosa, diarrhea, convulsions, pulmonary, cardiac and renal failure, allergic dermatitis.

Signs of poisoning:

Lily (white, "Red Princess")

Causes irritation of the oral mucosa, diarrhea, convulsions, pulmonary, cardiac and renal failure, allergic dermatitis.

Signs of poisoning:

Piperomia

Causes impaired coordination of movements, laryngeal edema, acute heart failure.

Signs of poisoning:

Philodendron

Causes irritation on the oral mucosa, tongue and lips.

Signs of poisoning:

Plants causing vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, abdominal pain, heart, lung and kidney failure

Azalea (Rhododendron)

This beautiful plant is very poisonous not only for cats and dogs, but also dangerous for other animals and humans if parts of the plant enter the digestive tract.

Signs of poisoning:

The suffering continues for two or more days. Without timely professional help, death can occur.

Amaralis

The flowers of this plant are especially toxic, they contain the largest amount of poison and are more likely to attract cats with a sweet taste and smell.

Signs of poisoning:

Begonia

The whole plant is poisonous to cats due to the content of oxalic acid - it causes burns of the oral mucosa, swelling of the larynx.

Signs of poisoning:

Geranium

Causes irritation and upset stomach

Signs of poisoning:

Dracaena

Highly toxic plant for pets. Saponins, which are part of its juice, are an active chemical compound that can cause very strong irritation of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract.

Signs of poisoning:

Death can occur from respiratory arrest.

Asparagus

The toxic agent of this plant is sapogenin, a plant steroid found in the leaves and stems of the plant, especially in the berries.

Signs of poisoning:

Cyclamen

These beautiful flowers are popular both in the garden and in pots, but they are quite toxic to cats and dogs. The highest concentration of the toxic component is usually found in the root part of the plant.

Signs of poisoning:

Animal deaths have been reported.

Not only indoor plants, but also water from a vase can be dangerous for a cat. In order for the flowers not to fade longer, in flower shops, special preparations are added to the water where the green goods are stored. A cat can get seriously poisoned by drinking water from a vase with a festive bouquet. Even ordinary aspirin, which is usually added to water with flowers, can cause poisoning.
Balcony flower arrangements can bring trouble if they are made up of honey plants and attract bees. The cat preys on everything that moves, making no distinction between a fly and a bee, and their bites are very dangerous for cats.

However, there are ways to reduce feline interest in your ornamental flora without getting rid of the flowers entirely.

Learn more