There are people who prefer cats over dogs. It’s not a competition, there’s just something magnificent about them that others prefer. If you’re one of those, then you know that almost all plants and flowers are toxic to felines. Similar to dogs, there are blooms that are harmful to your cat’s health. Here are the most common kinds:
Meadow saffron
Meadow saffron, also known as naked lady, usually blooms in the fall. It is especially toxic to cats because of its alkaloid cochine content. When cats ingest a part of this plant, they may show gastrointestinal signs like drooling, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. They can also show breathing difficulties. Symptoms will be evident shortly after their ingestion or may take days to show up.
There are more than a thousand species in this plant family and the degree of toxicity varies. The toxin is called grayanotoxins and even small ingestion is highly poisonous. It can cause heart arrhythmias, tremors, weakness, seizures, and coma.
Also known as Persian violet or sowbread is a perennial flowering plant that is often kept indoors. It contains a toxic component called saponins that can cause drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. Large ingestions can cause abnormal heart rate, seizures, and death.
Narcissus are flowering perennial plants that include daffodils. It contains a poisonous agent called lycorine. Bulbs are its most toxic part that causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, and breathing difficulties when ingested by felines.
Also known as the mother-in-law plant, this flowering houseplant contains toxins called bufadienolides. When ingested, this causes gastrointestinal signs.
Certain species of lilies are more dangerous to cats such as Asiatic lilies, Japanese lilies, stargazer lilies, and daylilies. Ingestion even in small amounts can lead to kidney failure.
Oleanders are popular flowering shrubs found in places with warm climates. It contains cardiac glycoside toxins that affect cats’ heart muscle. All parts are toxic when ingested causing vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures, and fatal heart abnormalities.
Tulips and hyacinths are popular in bouquets and other floral arrangements. Tulips contain tulipalin A and tulipalin B, while hyacinths contain narcissus-like alkaloids. All of these cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and tremors when ingested.
Flowers make people happy, however, if you’re also a cat owner, safety precautions should be observed. Avoid keeping flowers inside your home when they are toxic to your cats. When keeping a floral garden outside, ensure that barriers are in place so your feline babies won’t reach the flowers.