A–Z List of Houseplants That Are Poisonous to Your Cats

Author:
Cindy Lawson
Updated:
Mar 29, 2023

Many common houseplants can be poisonous to cats. Learn which ones to avoid to keep your pets safe.
Oleg Kukharuk/Unsplash

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.

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

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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

Fig

Common names: Weeping fig, Indian rubber plant
Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
Symptoms (ingestion): Oral irritation, salivation, vomiting
Symptoms (contact with skin): Dermatitis

Flamingo Flower

Common names: Flamingo lily, tail flower, oilcloth flower, pigtail plant, painter's pallet
Toxic to: Cats, dogs
Symptoms: Oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips; excessive drooling; vomiting; difficulty swallowing

Florida Beauty

Common names: Gold dust dracaena and spotted dracaena
Toxic to: Cats, dogs
Symptoms (cats): Dilated pupils, breathing difficulty, abdominal pain, increased heart rate, drooling
Symptoms (cats and dogs): Vomiting, depression, inappetence, drooling, incoordination, weakness

Hyacinth

Garden Hyacinth

Toxic to: Cats, dogs
Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, dermatitis, allergic reactions
Note: The bulbs are the most toxic part of the plant.

Giant Dracaena

Common names: Palm lily, grass palm
Toxic to: Cats
Symptoms: Vomiting (occasionally with blood), depression, anorexia, hypersalivation, dilated pupils

Gladiola

Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
Symptoms: Salivation, vomiting, drooling, lethargy, diarrhea
Note: The bulbs (corms) are the most toxic part of the plant.

Hellebore

Common names: Christmas rose, Lenten rose, Easter rose
Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
Symptoms: Drooling, abdominal pain, diarrhea, colic, depression

Hosta

Common names: Plantain lily, funkia
Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, depression

Indian Hemp

Common names: Marijuana, hashish
Toxic to: Cats, dogs, horses
Symptoms: Prolonged depression, vomiting, incoordination, sleepiness or excitation, hypersalivation, dilated pupils, low blood pressure, low body temperature, seizure, coma, death (rare)