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Home » Poisonous House Plants – Cats and Dogs

Poisonous House Plants – Cats and Dogs

by Elyssa Goins
This article was fact checked.
Helpful: 100%

Concerned about certain plants being toxic enough to cause harm to your Dog or Cat when ingested? Here’s an A-Z list of poisonous house plants for cats and dogs.

Various indoor plants are more toxic than others. While some will only cause discomfort for pets others can be seriously harmful. Watch out for these poisonous house plants.

TOXIC PLANTS

Aloe Vera poisonous houseplant

Aloe Vera
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate – Strong.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, tremors, change in urine color.

Amaryllis poisonous houseplant

Amaryllis
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate – Strong.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, tremors.

begonia poisonous houseplant

Angel Wing Begonia
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation and burning – any part of the mouth, drooling, vomiting.

arrowhead poisonous houseplant

Arrowhead
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation and burning – any part of mouth, drooling, vomiting.

lily poisonous houseplant

Belladonna Lily
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate – Strong.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors.

bird of paradise poisonous houseplant

Bird Of Paradise
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Mild nausea, vomiting, drowsiness.

poisonous houseplant

Chinese Evergreen
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation and burning, drooling, vomiting.

Corn Plant
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, depression, anorexia, hypersalivation.

coral cactus poisonous houseplant

Coral Cactus
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Irritating to the mouth and stomach, may cause vomiting.

lily poisonous houseplant

Calla Lily
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation and burning, drooling, vomiting.

cyclamen poisonous houseplant

Cyclamen
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Strong – Dangerous.
Signs of ingestion: Salivation, vomiting, diarrhea. Large amounts ingested can cause seizures and death.

dumb cane poisonous houseplant

Dumb Cane
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation and burning, excessive drooling, vomiting.

elephant ear poisonous houseplant

Elephant’s Ear
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation and burning, excessive drooling, vomiting.

false shamrock poisonous houseplant

False Shamrock
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Drooling, inappetance, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy.

flamingo poisonous houseplant

Flamingo Flower Plant
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation and burning, excessive drooling, vomiting.

fiddle leaf fig poisonous houseplant

Fiddle Leaf Fig
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation, salivation and vomiting.

flaming cathy poisonous houseplant

Flaming Katy
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, diarrhea.

golden pathos poisonous houseplant

Golden Pothos
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation, vomiting, drooling.

poisonous houseplant

Green Velvet Alocasia
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation and burning, excessive drooling, vomiting.

poisonous houseplant

Hawaiian Ti
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Strong.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, depression, anorexia, hypersalivation.

poisonous houseplant

Heart Of Jesus
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation and burning, excessive drooling, vomiting.

poisonous houseplant

Heart Leaf Philodendron
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Oral irritation and burning, excessive drooling, vomiting.

poisonous houseplant

Jade Plant
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting.

poisonous houseplant

Kaffir Lily Plant
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Very strong.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, salvation, diarrhea, large ingestions convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors and cardiac arrhythmias.

poisonous houseplant

Madagascar Dragon Tree
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, depression, inappetence, drooling, incoordination.

poisonous houseplant

Mother In Laws Tongue
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

poisonous houseplant

Ornamental Pepper Plant
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Strong.
Signs of ingestion: Gastrointestinal disturbances, seizures and others.

poisonous houseplant

Peace Lily
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Irritation, intense burning of mouth, drooling.

poisonous houseplant

Poinsettia
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Irritating to the mouth and stomach.

poisonous houseplant

Poison Primrose
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Mild vomiting.

poisonous houseplant

Panda Plant
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, diarrhea.

poisonous houseplant

Rubber Plant
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, diarrhea.

Sago Palm poisonous houseplant

Sago Palm
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Severely.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, increased thirst, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, bruising, coagulopathy, liver damage, liver failure, death.

Song of India poisonous houseplant

Song Of India Plant
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Moderate.
Signs of ingestion: Vomiting, anorexia, hypersalivation, dilated pupils (cats).

winter cherry poisonous houseplant

Winter Cherry
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Strong.
Signs of ingestion: Seizures, depression, respiratory, depression, and shock.

wandering jew poisonous houseplant

Wandering Jew
Toxic to: Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Dermatitis.

weeping fig poisonous houseplant

Weeping Fig Tree
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Dermatitis with skin contact. Oral irritation, salivation and vomiting.

zz plant poisonous houseplant

ZZ Plant
Toxic to: Cats and Dogs.
Toxicity: Mild.
Signs of ingestion: Irritation, burning of mouth, drooling.

Note: These are the most common species and some are less common, grown indoors. More poisonous house plants for dogs and cats will be added to the list within the near future.

Poisonous House Plant Advice & Information

To keep on the safe side I have included plants that the ASPCA include on their toxic list. If you don’t see a plant on the list above then it’s most likely not known to be poisonous to the ASPCA.

There are many discussions about plant toxicity and how harmful they’re, or how harmful they’re not (it’s suggested there are many that exaggerate). Toxic and poisonous just means an adverse reaction, which could be minor (i.e., mouth irritation) or extreme (rare).

It’s worth noting, some of the unwanted effects (e.g., depression or anorexia) are from consuming amounts over a period of time. This can be avoided. If you see a pet chewing one of the plants then move it before your pet comes back to chew more and consumes too much. Check plant leaves for signs that leaves have been chewed on.

If a cat or dog consumes some of a plant and experiences mouth irritation then it’s likely they won’t return again (but we all know our beloved pets can be daft at times).

In my own experience, we have never had a pet that has become sick from poisonous house plants. My family has always had pets (cats and dogs) and plants without any problems.

The damn cats are the worst offenders, as you if you’re a cat owner. With dogs, we can move the plants higher, but this does not stop cats. Any leaflet-type plants, such as palms or dracaenas have been chewed the most, and again, cats were the worst offenders.

Prevention – Poisonous House Plants

You can place cayenne pepper around the poisonous house plant area or lemon/lime pieces or peel. Animals have a strong sense of smell and will not be tempted if they can smell pepper or citrus. Some of these will work, including a spray named bitter apple that many people have success with.

Another option worth trying. Provide a cat grass patch that could deter them from eating indoor plants. Certain grass types can also provide nutrition. See some ideas here at Amazon.


If You Think Your Dog or Cat is Sick

The best action to take is to call your local veterinarian or one of the leading pet advisory services for your country (the US is ASPCA). The vet may advise you to just care for your pet while the negative effects clear, but it’s worth a quick call to be sure your pet is not seriously sick. Let’s protect our furry friends from poisonous house plants.

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