Poisonous House Plants to protect your Cats and Dogs A

Table of Contents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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Elyssa Goins

Elyssa Goins is an experienced house plant hobbyist who maintains over a hundred plants. She is a gardener, beekeeper, and a proud mother of four. She is a member of the American Horticultural Society, has a published study in the National Social Science Association, and loves to talk about her love of plants. For the past twenty years, she’s been all about growing and caring for various fruits, veggies, herbs, livestock, kids, and houseplants. Managing a big garden to feed four growing kids and raising dairy goats has taught her so much about being an excellent plant parent and now is her time to share with you.

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