What Should You Do If Your Cat Eats A Toxic Plant
Even though spider plants are not poisonous, your cat may show some symptoms after having these plants.
Its better to take steps without taking any risks. In fact, you dont want your little buddy to suffer.
You should take your cat directly to the veterinarian if any symptoms of toxicity show. Never try to induce puking without any professional help.
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Tips For Stopping Cats From Using Your Spider Plants As Litter Boxes
Although most people are more frustrated about cats eating their houseplants, some cats make life even harder by using indoor plants as litter boxes. Since this can cause a lot of mess and grief, here are some things to try to make your houseplants off limits:
- Make sure the litter box is clean. Cats are clean creatures and will look elsewhere if the litter box is too dirty. This means that you should clean your litter box at least once a day. If you have multiple cats, you should have at least one litter box per cat . Its also recommended to put the litter boxes in different areas of the house in case one cat becomes territorial. If you have a cat thats not allowed to use its own litter box because of a bully, the soil in your houseplant pots may be its only option!
- Consider changing the litter. Sometimes cats will look elsewhere to relieve themselves, like in your houseplants, when the litter bothers their paws. For example, pellets can be too uncomfortable to stand on and dusty brands can bother their eyes or lungs. If you have a declawed cat, it may be even more sensitive to what kind of litter you use and may look elsewhere to relieve itself.
- Cover the top layer of soil. To make your plants harder to dig around in, consider covering the top layer of soil with pebbles or mesh. Although the mesh may not look great, you can at least find pebbles to match your aesthetic!
Are Spider Plants Poisonous To Cats Or Dogs
Check out our list of poisonous plants to dogs and cats to ensure the safety of your pets. The attractive fleshy leaves of radiator plant Peperomia come in a myriad of shapes and patterns making this a versatile design choice as living decor from small tabletop accents to hanging plantersAll species are non-toxic to cats and dogs.
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How Toxic Are Spider Plants To Cats
Cats love to chew on some plants, especially their leaves. So, its a good thing that spider plants are safe and not at all toxic to your feline pet.
Spider plants, in general, do not contain any toxins that can poison your cat to death.
Unlike other indoor plants such as poinsettias and monstera, cats typically dont develop alarming immune responses after ingesting spider plant leaves.
However, despite being listed as non-toxic by ASPCA and generally deemed benign, having your cat feed on spider plants can still be disastrous.
For one, cats eating spider plant foliage, especially in high amounts, can experience digestive distress.
You may find your pet vomiting and experiencing stomach aches and diarrhea. This is because a cats digestive system is not built for digesting plants outside their tolerable limit.
Likewise, several resources claim that spider plants contain compounds similar to opium, a narcotic substance found in opium poppy. These compounds aggravate poor digestion among cats.
Are Spider Plants Toxic To Cats What You Need To Know
Chlorophytum Comosum, commonly known as spider plant or spider ivy, is a common household plant, popular due to its ease of care and beautiful appearance. Many cats are drawn to this plant and seem to have a unique affinity toward it, even to the point where they may start chewing on it! There are several household plants that are toxic to your feline, including the common Peace Lily, but what about spider plants? Are they toxic to cats?
Luckily, the answer is no. Spider plants are non-toxic and not harmful to cats in any way, and they are a perfect addition to cat-friendly households. Lets take a deeper look at the relationship between your cat and this unique plant.
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Houseplants That Are Toxic To Cats
Although spider plants are safe to keep in your home if you have cats, the list of toxic houseplants is extensive, so long I cannot possibly list them all here! However, here are some of the most popular houseplants that could cause harm to your feline.
Ideally, you should not keep these plants if you have cats. However, if you must, it is advisable you keep your plants away from your cat, either in a different room, on a high shelf, or in a hanging planter. You can also use the deterrent methods mentioned above, and provide a lot of other stimulation for your cat, especially if theyre an indoor cat.
Resembles Blades Of Grass
The most commonly acknowledged reason is the shape of the plants leaves, which are very similar to long, thick blades of grass. In the wild, cats eat grass to help promote good digestion. Wider blades are known for producing a mild laxative effect, whereas thin blades can settle an upset stomach. It is therefore possible that your cat is eating your spider plant for the same digestive benefits.
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How Do I Keep My Spider Plant Away From My Cat
As we know, cats are notorious climbers they love to climb on windowsills, tables, bookshelves, furniture, or anything climbable! You will need to be creative when figuring out how to keep your spider plant away from your cat. Here are some ideas:
- Hang your plant in a hanging basket on a pillar if you have one in your home The higher, the better, obviously.
- Buy a high plant stand that would be hard for your cat to climb and keep the spider plant on the top.
- Keep the dangling leaves of the spider plant pruned so they wont attract your cat as much.
- Put the plant outside on your porch or patio.
- Plant cat grass inside, to distract your cat from the spider plant. Simply plant the grass in a flowerpot!
Keep Your Cats Well Engaged
One of the reasons cats damage your spider houseplant is being bored. Therefore, you should try engaging your cat by providing lots of toys and creating some time to play with him. A well-entertained cat is less likely to munch on plant leaves meaningless knocked over spider plants. In a situation where you still find your cat eating spider plant foliage, you should closely monitor the kittys behavior because you are the one who understands what is normal for your cat. If it begins to display some unusual symptoms or is particularly severe, consult your vet as fast as possible.
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Are Spider Plants Toxic To Hamsters
These rodents are cute and popular pets thanks to their small size and minimal needs. While they spend most of their rather short lifetime in a cage, there are times youll let them run free.
When you do, they may nibble on some of your low-hanging pet safe plants.
Spider plants are generally non-toxic for pet hamsters, but there are instances where youll have to exercise caution.
Specifically, youll want to ensure they dont nibble on the seeds and the flowers from the plants occasional bloom. Thats because they arent non-toxic like the leaves.
Furthermore, youll have to monitor how much of the spider plant the adorable critter eats. If they bite off more than they can chew, they can suffer from an upset stomach.
Do Spider Plant Leaves Grow Back When Eaten By Cats
Yes, spider plant leaves can grow back even after being eaten by cats.
Spider plant leaves will continue to grow despite some damage. Endurance is one of the many qualities of spider plants that make them the ideal indoor plant.
On the other hand, if your cats fixation with spider plant leaves does not stop, it may be high time to relocate the poor plant.
While spider plants will grow strong and healthy despite the chew marks, your cats incessant attraction to the plant ruins the ornamental aesthetic.
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Why Do Cats Like Spider Plants
Some people believe that cats may be attracted to spider plants because the long leaves resemble grass, which cats eat to help settle their stomachs.
Others claim that it has to do with spider plants producing compounds similar to opium, which causes the cats to get a high like they do with catnip! Whatever causes the fascination, cats just cant get enough of spider plants.
Other Houseplants That Aren’t Toxic For Cats
If you would like to add a little more green into your indoor spot, the best thing to do is to get plants. Just like the spider plant, there are many non-toxic plants like calathea, true ferns like the bird’s nest fern, and even the popular prayer plant that are completely safe for your kitty.
One of the best plant groups that have beautiful foliage and are safe for pets is the true ferns. This includes the bird’s nest fern, Boston fern, maidenhair fern, staghorn fern, and many more. These plants love moist soil and are easy to grow. However, the asparagus fern that’s also known as the emerald fern, isn’t safe for cats and dogs. It isn’t even a true fern and is rather named so because it looks similar to the other true ferns. If your kitty happens to eat the leaves, make sure to consult a vet as soon as possible.
If you like plants that look like trees, think about going for palms. We especially like the date palm, but you can go for other variants present in the Arecaceae family. Even the usual bamboo is safe to keep at your house. One of the tips we can give you is to visit the website of the ASPCA to find a list of plants that are safe and not safe for cats and dogs.
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Keeping Cats From Spider Plants
If your cat has a penchant for eating plants, there are steps you can take for keeping cats from spider plants.
- Since spider plants are often found in hanging baskets, simply keep them up high and out of reach from your cats. This means keeping them away from areas where cats are prone to climb, like windowsills or furniture.
- If you do not have anywhere to hang your plant or a suitable location out of reach, try spraying the leaves with a bitter-tasting repellent. While not foolproof, it could help in that cats tend to avoid plants that taste bad.
- If you have an abundance of foliage growth on your spider plants, so much so that the spiderettes hang down within reach of the cat, it may be necessary to prune the spider plants back or divide the plants.
- Finally, if your cats feel the need to munch on some greenery, try planting some indoor grass for their own personal enjoyment.
In the likelihood that its too late and you find your cat eating spider plant foliage, monitor the animals behavior , and take a trip to the veterinarian if any symptoms seem to linger or are particularly severe.
Is Spider Plant Poisonous Or Toxic
Fortunately, spider plants are NOT poisonous or toxic.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or ASPCA, spider plants are not toxic to cats and dogs.
While these plants have shown no signs of poisoning, they have hallucinogenic properties.
Felines love to chew on the spider plants foliage because it is mildly hallucinogenic.
This creates a euphoric sensation similar to the one caused by Catnip plants and is the reason behind your furry friends obsession and fascination with the plant.
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How To Protect Your Pets From Spider Plant Ingestion
Keep plants out of reach from curious pets, especially if they are children and prone to putting things in their mouth.
Spider plant is a natural source for potassium that could be harmful or fatal when ingested by cats in large quantities.
Cats need only half the amount of potassium humans do too much can lead to fatal heart arrhythmia.
If you grow spider plant, be sure not to fertilize with potassium fertilizer and avoid watering the plants in warm weather when cats are most active.
Also, spider plants are usually found in hanging baskets in most homes hence, another way of keeping them away from your pets is to keep them as high as possible so it becomes out of reach from your cats.
In other words, keep them away from places where cats can easily climb, such as furniture or windowsills. You also want to do the same with any other potentially threatening plant such as philodendron.
Keeping Your Cat Safe From Plants
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has a list of plants that are safe for cats as well as a list of dangerous plants for your pets. You may even want to print out a list of pet-safe plants to make sure you can enjoy your plants while also keeping your kitties safe.
While spider plant toxicity is not something you have to worry about too much, you still dont want your cat to eat the plants you love and put work into. You can keep your beloved houseplant safe and your cat safe as well with just a bit of research and knowledge.
Even non-toxic plants are not great for your cats to eat because they can give them an upset stomach. Instead, you might get your plant-loving cat some cat grass they can enjoy and this will also help deter them from your houseplants.
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What Do Spider Plants Do To Cats
Unlike peace lilies and pothos, Chlorophytum comosum is one houseplant that can be safely nibbled by your kitties without requiring a trip to the emergency animal hospital. According to both the ASPCA and the National Capital Poison Center, aka Poison Control, spider plants are non-toxic to both cats and dogs.
Why Do Cats Love Them
Its not because of the scent. Sorry, but the spider plant isnt like the usual flower it doesnt give off a huge smell. It does hang in all sorts of directions, providing the perfect source of entertainment for a bored house pet. The real reason cats love them though is actually because they are hallucinogenic. I didnt see that coming either!
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No, they wont affect you in any way, but spider plants are a little like catnip to cats since they produce some chemicals that trigger that intense fascination. Catnip isnt toxic to cats, although the spider plant might be a different story.
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Why Cats Like Spider Plants
When our feline friends are allowed access to the outdoors, they frequently nibble on grass.
But for housecats with no outside roaming privileges, houseplants may be the closest thing they can get to scratching that itch for fresh greens.
And spider ivy in particular, looks a lot like grass.
But if felines are natural born carnivores, why do they want to eat grass or our beloved houseplants?
Pet parents arent the only ones asking this question scientific researchers are looking into it too.
Research presented in 2019 suggests that domestic cats eat vegetation as a holdover from when their ancestors had to deal with frequent infestations of parasitic worms. The indigestible fiber in the grass or other vegetable matter helped to purge parasites from their digestive tracts.
This research also suggests that younger animals may eat more grass than older ones, possibly because of their still-developing immune systems.
If you have a multi-feline household like I do, you may notice that your younger kitties are more interested in sampling your houseplants than the older ones.
This may give us plant lovers some hope that our feline companions will outgrow their vegetation eating phase or at least lose some interest in treating our houseplant collection like their own personal salad bar.
This is certainly the case among my cats Louie seems to have outgrown his penchant for fresh greens.
Popular Indoor Plants Pet Owners Should Avoid
There are a handful of beloved houseplants that are known to be toxic to pets, including devil’s ivy , snake plants , Swiss cheese plants , and fiddle leaf figs . While pothos are vining plants and can be placed high up or in a hanging planter to keep out of a pet’s reach, it’s always safer for your pet’s health not to have these around.
Quick tip: If you’d like to confirm the toxicity of any plants you already own, the ASPCA’s non-toxic houseplant database is a useful resource.
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Keeping Your Plant Away From Your Cat
While the spider plant and cats have a non-fatal relationship, you may arrive home to find bite marks and scratches on the plants leaves thanks to the cats fascination.
To safeguard your plant baby, youll need to keep it out of reach or make it undesirable to your pet.
One of the best ways to do that is getting a plant hanging basket. If this doesnt work, there are other solutions.
Cats have a great sense of smell, and you can use that against them. Place things that smell bad to cats, such as citrus fruit peels or cayenne pepper, near or on these cat safe houseplants.
Alternatively, provide your fur baby with cat friendly plants such as cat grass to nibble on it actually has many benefits like improving digestion, fewer hair balls, and more.