Are Poinsettias Toxic for Cats? Poinsettias are common flowers during the holiday season. If you are a cat owner, you must be careful about the plants you are bringing home.
Learn more here about the Poinsettias and what you should do if your cat chews or bites these flowers.
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According to the ASPCA, poinsettias are not deadly but are toxic enough to make your cat slightly ill. The plant’s white sap can cause skin or digestive irritation.The bad taste should discourage eating more than a couple of bites, but it’s still worth taking precautions and keep these plants away from your cat.
Are Poinsettias Toxic for Cats?
SYMPTOM OF POINSSETIA INGESTION
- Drooling
- Licking lips
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Skin irritation (including redness, swelling, and itching)
- Eye irritation
Some cats can be more sensitive and have a more extreme reaction.
TREATMENT
If your cat has ingested a small number of poinsettia leaves, they do not require any treatment. If the symptoms are mild and your cat is improving quickly, you should be able to care of her at home.
Veterinary treatment is only necessary in extreme cases.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOUR CAT CHEW OR BITE POINSETTIA LEAVES:
- Remove food and water for a few hours. After that, you can introduce liquids with soft food.
- The milky sap can cause skin irritation. Wash irritated skin with soap and water.
- Remove the poinsettia to prevent your cat from chewing it again.
OTHER TOXIC HOLIDAY FLOWERS FOR CATS
Other festive plants like lilies, holly berries, and mistletoe are toxic to members of your feline family.
Every part of a lily is considered poisonous to cats, even pollen, and small amounts ingested by your cat can lead to kidney failure.
If you have a curious or plant-loving cat, it is probably not worth having these poisonous plants in your home.
For more information on plants poisonous to cats, you can visit the poison control website of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ASPCA.
If you have any health concerns about your cat the first thing I recommend is a trip to the vet.