10 non flowering houseplants that are toxic to cats

Image by Zarina Lukash on Adobe Stock.

​If you have houseplants AND pets, this information is for you! 

For most of my life, there has always been a cat or two in the home, and I can’t imagine life without them! Houseplants, on the other hand, are a far more recent phenomenon. 

A few years back (after our 14-year-old fur baby passed away), our household was blessed with two beautiful munchkin kittens. It’s been five years, and they have grown into such sweet cats! Suddenly, I’ve become aware that the house is full of luscious green plant babies that may not get along with my fur babies.

Smokey and the Bandit as kittens. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2017.

I’m only just learning the ins and outs of plant care, and one of the topics on my mind is plant toxicity. I finally carved out time to do some much-needed research on the subject.

This would be an actual book if I tried to list ALL the plants and flowers that could be toxic, so I decided to break up the list into several blogs featuring the most common houseplants. Today we will look at ten houseplants that are (more or less) NON-flowering that could be problematic for your cats. So, let’s get to it!

Aloe vera

Who doesn’t love an aloe plant? They are easy to maintain and look good in just about any pot.   Their simplicity and good looks, however, hide the fact that these plants can be harmful to your kitty if it should happen to take a nibble. Aloe plants contain toxins known as saponins (anthraquinone glycosides), so this plant is harmful if ingested, although on the more moderate end of the toxin spectrum. If your cat eats this plant, it may show symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy.

Image by Nattapol_Sritongcom on Adobe Stock.

Asparagus fern

Another mildly toxic plant that contains sapogenins is the wispy asparagus fern. This green plant looks like something out of a fairy forest, but what appeals to the fairies can make cats sick! Cats ingesting this plant may develop skin allergies, dermatitis, diarrhea, vomiting, and upset stomach.

Image by Studio Light & Shade on Adobe Stock.

Caladium

The caladium plant is a bit more serious when it comes to toxicity. This plant with incredibly striking leaves contains Insoluble calcium oxalates, and these toxins can be quite bad for cats. The toxic symptoms could include vomiting, swelling of the mouth, excessive drooling, and difficulty swallowing and will require--at the very least--an immediate call to your vet.

Image by meeboonstudio on Adobe Stock.

Castor bean

The castor bean is a plant that you should cross off your list. This is a very toxic plant containing ricin, and anyone who ingests this plant is in very real danger from the effects of the toxins. In cats, the toxins of the castor bean plant can cause damage to the nervous system, kidney failure, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, convulsions, and even death. 

Image by hjschneider on Adobe Stock.

Coleus

Coleus is another houseplant that flaunts striking leaves but contains toxins that are very harmful to pets and small children. If you have this plant, look for symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and changes in your cat’s mood.

Image by yvonneboylan on Pixabay.

Cutleaf philodendron

Also known as Monstera, Ceriman, split leaf philodendron, or Swiss Cheese plant, this popular plant contains Insoluble calcium oxalates, which—just as with the caladium—means they are toxic to cats. If one of these large trendy plants has found a home in a cozy corner of your living room, keep an eye on your kitty and look for symptoms such as mouth and tongue swelling, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, and vomiting.

Image by ArtBackground on Adobe Stock.

Dieffenbachia

This plant contains insoluble calcium oxalates that, as previously mentioned, can have terrible effects if ingested by your pets or small children. Also known as Dumb Cane or Charming Dieffenbachia, a proteolytic enzyme makes this plant a very toxic choice for a houseplant. The toxins negatively affect the gastrointestinal tract. These poisons also cause difficulty swallowing and swelling of the lips, tongue, and face.

Dieffenbachia leaves. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.

Dracaena

Also known as the Corn Plant, the dracaena contains saponins, which can cause vomiting, lack of appetite, drooling, and lethargy in your cat if ingested. Many different plants fall under the category of dracaena, so do your homework before bringing unknown plants home!

Image by Gabriele Lasser on Pixabay.

English ivy

One of my all-time favorite plants is English ivy, but unfortunately, this can never have a place inside my home. Ivy contains Triterpenoid saponins, making it very toxic and dangerous to animals, causing excessive drooling, diarrhea, and vomiting. And this may be the case for many types of ivy, so do your research!

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas on Pixabay.

Eucalyptus

The trendy eucalyptus plant—unfortunately—contains eucalyptol and harmful essential oils. Contact with this plant (or the essential oil) can cause excessive drooling, oral irritation, airway swelling, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and low mood in your cat. This may look gorgeous in wedding bouquets and on Instagram, but keep it away from your pets! I recently found out that essential oils can be harmful to pets, so use these oils wisely. It's best to keep them away from your dogs and cats.

Image by Denise Torres on Adobe Stock.

​It’s important to point out that certain plants only require minimum exposure to bring on symptoms, but others need quite a bit more ingestion. Your kitty's response to the toxicity also depends on their size and constitution, so this list is only meant to be a guide. I am also NOT a veterinarian, so please consult a vet if you believe your cat is reacting to any plant in your house. 

This article is meant to raise cat owners' awareness of hidden dangers in common houseplants. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have your favorite plant baby, but maybe place it somewhere out of reach of your other precious babies of the furry variety!

​Related blogs you may want to read:
8 flowering houseplants that are toxic to cats
​Eight tips for assessing natural light in your home
How to repot a bonsai ficus
How to repot a pothos plant
How to propagate bromeliad pups
Small houseplants that love bathroom humidity
Eight health benefits of decorating with plants
Let’s talk about houseplants

Sources:
https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/routine-care/house-plants-toxic-to-cats?lightboxfired=true#
https://www.thespruce.com/houseplants-toxic-to-cats-4775359
https://www.preventivevet.com/cats/common-household-plants-toxic-to-cats
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants?field_toxicity_value[]=02
https://www.marthastewart.com/8376743/houseplants-toxic-to-cats
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/toxic-houseplants-30149
https://pethelpful.com/cats/Houseplants-Poisonous-to-your-Cats
https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/health-care/cat-poisoning-toxins/plants-toxic-to-cats
https://pets.webmd.com/ss/slideshow-pets-poisonous-plants
https://www.sleepyhollowanimalhospital.com/the-houseplants-that-could-poison-your-cat/
https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/17-plants-poisonous-pets