Cats are popular pets for a variety of reasons. When keeping pets, regardless of the type, care needs to be taken for its well-being. A common situation that cat owners encounter includes houseplants that are toxic to cats. Since cats like to chew on grass, they tend to also chew on houseplants. There are certain houseplants that can be toxic for cats that should not be kept in the home.
If you have a cat, you will need to avoid keeping the following houseplants in your home:
1. Daffodils
These are toxic houseplants for cats as they contain lycorine, which can easily trigger vomiting. Ingestion of this houseplant will cause severe symptoms in cats.
2. Asparagus fern
Though this plant might be favored in many households, it is toxic to cats.
3. English ivy
If you have a cat as a pet, you need to avoid this plant in your household as it is toxic for cats.
4. Lily
Ingestion of lilies causes severe symptoms like a drop in heart rate and cardiac arrhythmia.
5. Sago palm
This houseplant can be highly toxic to cats if ingested. Along with vomiting and diarrhea, it can also cause liver failure in some severe cases. Hence, the ingestion of any part of this plant can be fatal for cats.
Almost in all cases, the entire plant will be toxic to cats but in a few cases, only certain parts of the plant are toxic. Some houseplants can be extremely toxic and can be fatal when ingested by the cat. Cats and kittens like to chew on things in front of them. So, placing the above-mentioned plants in your home will be problematic for your cats.
6. Symptoms
The common symptoms to look out in your pets for toxicity are vomiting, diarrhea, redness, swelling, and itchiness in any part of the body. Vomiting and diarrhea occur in severe cases of toxicity. Immediate care should be given to the cat if it is exhibiting any of these symptoms; this can be done by locating if there is any of the plant material on its body. If any such material is noticed, it should be immediately removed. If the symptoms persist for a longer time, then do not delay in seeing a veterinarian. Preferably, take a sample of the plant to the veterinarian for a proper diagnosis to confirm if the plant was toxic.
There are hundreds of thousands of species of plants out of which a small number are toxic to cats. The level of toxicity will depend on the type of plant. Hence, as a pet owner, you need to do thorough research and ask your veterinarian as to which houseplants you can keep in your home.