I gave it to my doctor. He does not have any plants. So done deal..
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Opinions on toxic house plants
- Thread starter Meg142!
- Start Date
I'm very heavily in favour of only having plants that are pet safe. I have caletheas, a pepperomia, a hanging birds nest fern, and an areca palm. I checked multiple sites and searched high and low to make sure none of those are in any way toxic to cats. I know some people have cats who leave their plants alone, but I would much rather be safe than sorry.
More than ninety percent of houseplants are not harmful to cats. Of the ones that are harmful, most of those only cause harm if more than a small amount is eaten. Most of those are distasteful to cats. Generally, a cat that tries to eat one of those kinds of plants will shy away from a second attempt. Bad tastes and vomiting are usually enough of a deterrent.
Many cats just don't pay attention to houseplants. Those that do often just nibble on them. (Our cats like to "floss their teeth" on our Ponytail Palms but, otherwise, leave them alone.) In all my years, I haven't met many cats that bite, chew, swallow or tear up any plants in their environment. Catnip and related plants are the sole exception that I know of.
I found a link to a good site that explains the "Top Ten" toxic houseplants for cats:
vcahospitals.com
Except for a few (e.g. lilies, daffodils and oleander) a good solution might be to move "bad" plants to a place where cats can't access them. Place them on a high shelf. Put them in a room where cats aren't allowed. Move them outside, to the back porch. IMO, plants like lilies, daffodils and oleander belong outdoors, anyhow.
I think it's a shame that so many people think that they can't have ANY plants in the house just because they have a cat. Most plants are not harmful. Most cats just don't care. What's left, which can be harmful, are a small minority. If people would have a little understanding about what plants are harmful and avoid keeping those, there would be a lot less worry.
Many cats just don't pay attention to houseplants. Those that do often just nibble on them. (Our cats like to "floss their teeth" on our Ponytail Palms but, otherwise, leave them alone.) In all my years, I haven't met many cats that bite, chew, swallow or tear up any plants in their environment. Catnip and related plants are the sole exception that I know of.
I found a link to a good site that explains the "Top Ten" toxic houseplants for cats:
Top 10 toxic household plants for pets
Except for a few (e.g. lilies, daffodils and oleander) a good solution might be to move "bad" plants to a place where cats can't access them. Place them on a high shelf. Put them in a room where cats aren't allowed. Move them outside, to the back porch. IMO, plants like lilies, daffodils and oleander belong outdoors, anyhow.
I think it's a shame that so many people think that they can't have ANY plants in the house just because they have a cat. Most plants are not harmful. Most cats just don't care. What's left, which can be harmful, are a small minority. If people would have a little understanding about what plants are harmful and avoid keeping those, there would be a lot less worry.
I buy Lilly flowers, put them in a vase & never had a cat go for them. I cut the pollen pods off to keep the petals looking clean but knowing the pollen is bad for cats,I’m glad I do it!
Never had a cat go for the poinsettia either.
Never had a cat go for the poinsettia either.
