Pet owners warned to avoid these 11 ‘harmful’ houseplants which could be lethal for cats and dogs
CARING for your pets can be tricky when something as innocuous as your house plants could be a danger to them.
Luckily, houseplant experts at Flowercard have shared the flora and fauna that is most harmful to your cats and dogs.
Aloe vera, tulips, peace lillies, jade plant, succulents, ZZ plant, snake plant, daffodils, spider plant, oleander and the caladium houseplant are all toxic and probably best not to have in your house if you have pets.
Flowercard explained: “Many common indoor plants can be harmful to pets, and while most won’t cause more than an upset stomach, some are lethal.”
B Well CBD found that over 700 plants and flowers can be toxic for humans as well as animals, so there may well be more.
Aloe vera and tulips made the most popular plants of 2022 list, however, tulips contain dangerous glycosides, which is also in all flowers from the lily family.
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Flowercard said: “The most toxic part of the plant is the bulb, and once eaten it can cause symptoms like vomiting and hyper salivation.”
The popular peace lily, which has stunning, delicate white flowers and strong, glossy leaves may look beautiful in the home, but is best avoided by pet owners.
If your pet eats the flower, it can irritate their mouth, and no one wants a pet who won’t eat or needs a trip to the vet.
As for soothing aloe vera, the experts said: “One of the most popular indoor plants, aloe vera can be harmful to cats and dogs…it can cause tremors and vomiting if eaten.”
This is because aloe plants contain anthraquinone glycosides.
When these are digested by your pet, they get metabolised by intestinal bacteria and then form compounds that increase mucus in your pets colon.
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As for the well-loved and easiest plants to care for, succulents are actually pretty dangerous for cats and dogs.
The jade [lant, which is also low-maintenance as they both need very little watering is also potentially lethal.
Succulents and the Jade plant are both part of the rubber tree family, which can be toxic for animals if they eat them.
Another plant which pet owners should avoid is the ZZ plant, which stands for Zamioculcas zamiifolia, is entirely poisonous.
As a plant that can thrive on its own, it is still a great houseplant for beginners.
However, Flowercard said: “The ZZ plant is mild to moderately toxic if ingested by pets. The toxins in the plant can cause symptoms including stomach aches and vomiting.”
The snake plant is also a low-maintenance plant but is toxic if ingested by pets, so best avoided or at least kept well away from your animals.
Daffodils, spider plant, oleander and caladium, which are all stunning and well loved were also found to be dangerous to humans and pets.
If you choose to own any of these toxic houseplants as a pet owner, you must always keep them out of reach.
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