Common Houseplants That Are Toxic to Cats

Are you planning to get some pretty house plants that look great indoors and right outside your windows and cool your house down in the warm summer months? Do you plan to have plants through the year in and around your house? If you have a cat at home, you might want to read up about common houseplants that are potentially toxic for your kitty.

• Aloe: Aloes are very common houseplants and can also be used as medicinal plants for humans. However, saponins, common chemical compounds found in most aloes including aloe vera, can be toxic for cats if they nibble of the leaves. Symptoms of aloe ingestion can include loss of appetite, diarrhea, reddish urine, among other symptoms in your cat. It could take many hours, or even several days, or the symptoms to appear, but you must rush to the vet if you see any of these symptoms in your kitty.
• Spanish thyme: This is a common medicinal houseplant, also known as Indian Borage, Country Borage, and Coleus, among others. This plant contains a lot of essential oils, which can be highly toxic to your cats. If you have this plant at home, ensure that it is out of reach of your kitty. Ingesting this plant and nibbling on the leaves can cause vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and other serious symptoms and will need immediate medical care.
• Jade plants: They are large plants, also called money trees at times. They used to be common houseplants, and it seems like they are making a comeback as houseplants now. If you are planning on getting one of these plants, ensure that your kitty does not have access to it. Nibbling on the leaves of this plant can be highly toxic for your cat and can even be fatal if not treated in time. Poisoning from this plant can lead to vomiting and poor muscle function in your cat.
• Monstera: This is commonly also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant because of the way its leaves look and is a very popular houseplant. However, if you have cats at home, it is best to avoid getting this plant home. The leaves of this plant can be extremely toxic for your cats and nibbling on them can leave your cat in extreme pain. Your cat may require emergency care if it ingests even a few bites of Monstera, although most cats usually stay away from this plant.

Cats are curious animals by nature and if there are any new things around, they will explore them, including plants. Even if they are plants cats would never eat, they might nibble just to get acquainted with the new object in their house, so you should be really careful about the plants you get at your place.