plants to avoid if you have a cat in your home

Decorating your home with houseplants is a common practice. They are an addition of beauty and nature in your living space, and they can have some health benefits. However, if you have a feline friend living with you, it’s important to be aware that there are a lot of toxic plants that are dangerous to your cat.

Here are some plants to avoid if you have a cat in your home:

Peace Lilies

These plants are super popular, especially around Spring time, thanks to their low maintenance routine and pretty, white flowers. But they contain calcium oxalates, which are toxic to cats if ingested.

Aloe Vera

This trendy plant can be found in many homes around the world thanks to its minimal style and medicinal properties. If you have cats in your home, avoid this plant though. If ingested, it can be extremely toxic.

Jade Plant

This succulent is a gorgeous addition to any home. However, with cats around, things can turn dangerous. If your cat ingests this, it can be very poisonous.

Snake Plant

This long-leafed plant is a widespread piece of greenery found in many homes, but for cats it can be toxic if ingested. It causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea due to the saponins in it.

Hydrangea

This flowering plant comes in many different colors and is a site to see. Nonetheless, with a cat in your home, it’s best to avoid it because of the cyanogenic glycoside in it that is poisonous to cats when they ingest it.

Azalea

This bright and flowery plant is sometimes displayed indoors or in flower arrangements, which can be dangerous to your cat if they eat any part of it. It contains grayantoxin which when ingested causes diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, and in some cases, heart failure in cats.

There are plenty of alternatives to these toxic plants. You can even swap them out for artificial versions if you really like the way they look in your home. If your cat ingests any plant, even if it’s not known to be toxic, do consult your vet right away. Vet knows best - book a virtual appointment with our vets through our VetConnect page!