Toxic plants

Hi can someone help me with a question about toxic plants.

I havent brought a kitty home yet but am preparing everything ready !

I have been reading about which plants are not safe in homes with pets, but it turns out nearly all the plants we have here in Gran Canaria either in the home or garden are toxic, for example philodendron, peace lily, pathos etc.

What Im saying is how big is the danger exactly ? because I had no idea it was gonna be such a big list of plants ! I thought it would be the odd one or two.

I find it very strange that there arnt cats and dogs dropping like flies if these plants are so dangerous.

can someone please advise me on this, I can obviously remove plants from the house but the garden is a bit tricky !

Thanks for your help

Here's a link to a lot of information from different websites on this topic

Meowhoo

Plants Poisonous to Cats

Alfalfa
Almond (Pits of)
Aloe Vera
Alocasia
Amaryllis
Apple (seeds)
Apple Leaf Croton
Apricot (Pits of)
Arrowgrass
Asparagus Fern
Autumn Crocus
Avacado (fuit and pit)
Azalea
Baby's Breath
Baneberry
Bayonet
Beargrass
Beech
Belladonna
Bird of Paradise
Bittersweet
Black-eyed Susan
Black Locust
Bleeding Heart
Bloodroot
Bluebonnet
Box
Boxwood
Branching Ivy
Buckeyes
Buddist Pine
Burning Bush
Buttercup

Cactus, Candelabra
Caladium
Calla Lily
Castor Bean
Ceriman
Charming Dieffenbachia
Cherry (pits, seeds & wilting leaves)
Cherry, most wild varieties
Cherry, ground
Cherry, Laurel
Chinaberry
Chinese Evergreen
Christmas Rose
Chrysanthemum
Cineria
Clematis
Cordatum
Coriaria
Cornflower
Corn Plant
Cornstalk Plant
Croton
Corydalis
Crocus, Autumn
Crown of Thorns
Cuban Laurel
Cutleaf Philodendron
Cycads
Cyclamen

Daffodil
Daphne
Datura
Deadly Nightshade
Death Camas
Devil's Ivy
Delphinium
Decentrea
Dieffenbachia
Dracaena Palm
Dragon Tree
Dumb Cane

Easter Lily *
Eggplant
Elaine
Elderberry
Elephant Ear
Emerald Feather
English Ivy
Eucalyptus
Euonymus
Evergreen

Ferns
Fiddle-leaf fig
Florida Beauty
Flax
Four O'Clock
Foxglove
Fruit Salad Plant

Geranium
German Ivy
Giant Dumb Cane
Glacier IvyGolden Chain
Gold Dieffenbachia
Gold Dust Dracaena
Golden Glow
Golden Pothos
Gopher Purge

Hahn's Self-Branching Ivy
Heartland Philodendron
Hellebore
Hemlock, Poison
Hemlock, Water
Henbane
Holly
Honeysuckle
Horsebeans
Horsebrush
Horse Chestnuts
Hurricane Plant
Hyacinth
Hydrangea

Indian Rubber Plant
Indian Tobacco
Iris
Iris Ivy

Jack in the Pulpit
Janet Craig Dracaena
Japanese Show Lily *
Java Beans
Jessamine
Jerusalem Cherry
Jimson Weed
Jonquil
Jungle Trumpets

Kalanchoe

Lacy Tree Philodendron
Lantana
Larkspur
Laurel
Lily
Lily Spider
Lily of the Valley
Locoweed
Lupine

Madagascar Dragon Tree
Marble Queen
Marigold
Marijuana
Mescal Bean
Mexican Breadfruit
Miniature Croton
Mistletoe
Mock Orange
Monkshood
Moonseed
Morning Glory
Mother-in Law's Tongue
Morning Glory
Mountain Laurel
Mushrooms
Narcissus
Needlepoint Ivy
Nephytis
Nightshade

Oleander
Onion
Oriental Lily *

Peace Lily
Peach (pits and wilting leaves)
Pencil Cactus
Peony
Periwinkle
Philodendron
Pimpernel
Plumosa Fern
Poinciana
Poinsettia (low toxicity)
Poison Hemlock
Poison Ivy
Poison Oak
Pokeweed
Poppy
Potato
Pothos
Precatory Bean
Primrose
Privet, Common

Red Emerald
Red Princess
Red-Margined Dracaena
Rhododendron
Rhubarb
Ribbon Plant
Rosemary Pea
Rubber Plant

Saddle Leaf Philodendron
Sago Palm
Satin Pothos
Schefflera
Scotch Broom
Silver Pothos
Skunk Cabbage
Snowdrops
Snow on the Mountain
Spotted Dumb Cane
Staggerweed
Star of Bethlehem
String of Pearls
Striped Dracaena
Sweetheart Ivy
Sweetpea
Swiss Cheese plant

Tansy Mustard
Taro Vine
Tiger Lily *
Tobacco
Tomato Plant (green fruit, stem and leaves)
Tree Philodendron
Tropic Snow Dieffenbachia
Tulip
Tung Tree

Virginia Creeper

Water Hemlock
Weeping Fig
Wild Call
Wisteria

Yews --
e.g. Japanese Yew
English Yew
Western Yew
American Yew

Plants Poisonous to Cats

In order for the plant to be harmful they must eat it! I would remove the harmful plants from the home and keep the kitty inside only. It is much safer for your pet to be indoors. Please take it into consideration. Best of luck!

There aren't cats or dogs dropping dead overly quickly because most toxic plants have some sort of deterrant about them that keeps most animals away. Leathery leaves, bad scent, thorns, etc. Take the Boxwood for example - has little scent, very tough stems, and tough little leaves. An extremely hearty outdoor plant that can withstand temperature change and variations in water - great bordering plant.

But, at the same time, not all animals catch onto these things as fast. A cat or a dog who is ill or seeking attention for instance will often chew on plants. That's generally when this becomes an issue. Most of the deadliest plants are outdoor plants. Your tropical foliage variates some.

Look at how it is toxic. That's what I would recommend. If it is toxic by ingestion then see if it has any qualities that would make a cat want to nibble on it. And I would avoid any plant that has toxic properties when broken or touched. There are a few pretty plants that cause irritation and worse if the stems are snapped. If you really like plants get some catnip or cat grass.

That was really informative,

I have decided that my kitty will definitley be an indoor only ! I am not taking any chances.

And I already have some cat grass growing nicely !

I do have 2 of the plants on the toxic list, so Ill just move them somewhere else, like downstairs in the hall, where the kitty wont have access to.

Thanks a lot everyone

Khadijah

i wanted to share a story of my kitty, blue. she developed a little red spot in the corner of her eye sometime in last october. then there was a little bump under the eye that eventually opened up and developed a lesion. it would dry up from time to time and then get weepy again, and sometimes it was quite bloody. in nov i took her to the vet who suspected an infected tooth and suggested teeth cleaning and an extraction. i declined but asked for antibiotics, she got convenia but it didn't help. then the vet suspected a herpes virus and gave her the antiviral medication. after two weeks - nothing. the lesion got bigger and something was forming on the other cheek. then the vet said it was probably cancer and suggested a biopsy ($450!)i declined and took her to a holistic vet instead. she suspected food allergies and told me to change the protein source- blue eats mostly raw diet with a little of the canned food. and also gave her a prednisone shot. the same day my coworker shared a story of her dog having a lesion like that that wouldn't heal but otherwise was perfectly fine, eating and playing like always, like my kitty. it turned out that it was an evergreen indoor plant that the dog was rubbing on when going to the kitchen. 

that got me thinking A-HA! in october i brought in a potted scented geranium plant and left it on the floor in the room where the kitty spends the night. what if she rubbed her face or eye on it? i quickly moved the plant and googled the geraniums. they are toxic to cats and could cause SKIN IRRITATIONS! it's been a month now and my blue is much better. the lesion has healed and dried up and her eyes are back to normal.

please share this story to warn people about seemingly safe plants - they can also be bad and toxic to cats!