Toxic Plants For Cats

 

 

Lilly
Easter Lily

This past Easter season is celebrated by many people. To add some color to the early spring and brighten up the home new houseplants may be brought into the home. Some of these plants while being very pretty can be lethal to our cats. I read one horror story this weekend of a persons cat that ate a Lily and died in 24 hours. This prompted me to refresh every one on the toxic plants that can harm our cats.

The Easter Lily

Lily Poisoning in cats is a serious and lethal condition. The toxins in the plant will cause kidney shut down with the cat dying in as little in three days if left untreated. If a cat eats any part of the plant it will poison the kitty. Treatment must be immediate. Even the pollen is dangerous as the cat will ingest the pollen as the kitty grooms themselves.

If your cat has eaten a Lily things to watch for are drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite increased peeing followed by a lack of peeing if left unattended and dehydration.

If your cat has eaten a Lilly call your veterinarian immediately to see if you should induce vomiting. When you go to the vet bring in a sample of the plant and also a sample of the vomit to confirm diagnosis. The toxins in the Lily attack the kidneys, blood and urine tests will be necessary to evaluate the kidney function.

Treatment consists of induced vomiting. Activated charcoal will be give to absorb any toxins in the gut and high volumes of intravenous fluids will be given to prevent kidney shut down. Fluids are administered for several days and urine output is monitored. A lack of urine is a sign that the treatment is unsuccessful. If the treatment is successful there seems to be no long term consequences.

The Lily that are of the greatest interest to the cat owner are : Easter Lilly, Asiatic Lily and Tiger Lily plus day Lily.

Calla or Arum Lily contain crystals that irritate the mouth and cause drooling, diarrhea and vomiting, but do not affect the kidneys.

Lily of the Valley will affect the heart causing low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat. This could progress to coma or seizures.

To prevent all any problems with Lily just don’t bring them into the house.

Poisonous Plants for Cats

Here is a list of Non Pet Friendly plants. Norfolk Pine, House Pine, Croton, Jade Plant, Dwarf Rubber Plant, Azalea, Geranium, Aloe, Dracaena, Corn Plant, Ribbon Plant, Dieffenbachia, Giant Dumb Cane, Daffodil, Paper White, Calla Lily, Trumpet Lily, Yucca, Caladium, Elephant Ears, Cutleaf Philodendron, Hurricane Plant, Golden Pothos, Devils Ivy, English Holy, Amaryllis, Belladonna Lily, Tulip & Tulip Bulb, Peace Lily, Horsehead, Heartleaf Philodendron, Chrysanthemum, Daisy, Mum, English Ivy, Sweetheart Ivy, Snake Plant, Mother-In-Law’s Tongue, Anthurium.

Here is a list of Pet Friendly Plants

FlowerPony Tail Plant, Golden Cane Palm, Parlour Palm, American Rubber Plant, Zebra Haworthia(Cactus), African Violet, Baby’s Tears, Polka Dot Plant, Pink Splash, SpiderPlant, Ribbon Plant, Feather Palm, Swedish Ivy, Creeping Charlie, Sweet Alyssum, Boston Fern, Impatience Plant, Busy Lizzy, Maranta, Prayer Plant, Aluminum Plant, Gloxinia, Porcelain Flower, WaxPlant, Hens and Chickens, Climbing Begonia, Rex Begonia, Burrows Tail, Tahitian Bridal Vail, Cliff Brake, Button Fern.

An answer to your cats wanting to chew your plants is to purchase a Cat Grass Growing Kit. This will be a healthy alternative to chewing your houseplants. Here is an example from Amazon.

Please click on the picture.

I do not guarantee that these lists are accurate. They came from a credible source, however when ever you bring a new plant into the house please do a Google Search on the toxicity of the plant in relation to your pets.

Cat Declawing

Declawing
Declawing

I was recently involved in a chat room where one person was asking questions about how to keep a newly adopted cat from wanting to go outside. One suggestion from one of the readers was to have the cat declawed.

I was shocked and immediately posted my opinion. I am shocked that this procedure is still being done. Everyone who is considering declawing should first have one of their own toes or fingers removed to get an appreciation of what the cat is going through.

Cats that are declawed develop emotional and physical issues due to tender and altered paws. Using the litter box is difficult due to sore paws and then kitty is looking for a softer place to litter, like your bed or coat. Declawed cats can be more prone to aggressive behavior due to sore paws.

Cat declawing is a CRUEL and unnecessary procedure. Please click on this link to take you for a more complete discussion on Cat Declawing.

Adopting Older and Senior Cats

Alexis
Alexis

As I browse Twitter I see lots of senior and older cats going to shelters. Some of these cats came from happy homes and through no fault of their own end up at the shelter. The latest one I read the owner passed away and no one wanted these two beautiful kitties.

A solution to this is to have a will in place so that all pets are provided for. I personally have family members that can easily out live me. I think it is necessary to prepare while a person still has time.

So if you are looking for a cat from the shelter please consider the senior cats. They deserve to retire properly too. How long is Cat Care? ITS FOREVER

 

That’s my story for today. Remember to check your plants for toxicity and think about adopting a senior cat. Please check My Cat Care Products Page for items to assist with caring for your cat. It is possible to shop the whole Amazon store from my page.

No amount of internet advice is better than the advice from a Qualified Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

Don’t forget to use the Search Bar on the home page to look for topics you might be interested in. Now hug a kitty and do something green for the environment.

Trevor

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