Plants which are poisonous to pets

Plants which are poisonous to pets

Most people who love to care for and nuture plants, also have an all around caring and nuturing personality. And because of this, they often tend to be pet lovers and owners too. If you have a cat or dog though, and particularly if you do indoor gardening, you need to be aware that there are many different types of common household plants which are poisonous to your pets.

Some plants effect primarily cats while others cause more problems for dogs, and there are some which can make your beloved pet die while others may simply make them sick. So know what you’re growing in your home, and be very careful about placing these types of plants out of reach from your pets as much as possible.

Aloe vera for instance, is a popular succulent, cactus-style plant which many people grow indoors for both beauty and medicinal purposes. This plant can make a cat very sick if they eat it however.

Lilies are another popular plant to grow indoors during the colder months, and these too will make cats particularly sick.

The Poinsettia plant, which is often received as a gift during the holiday seasons, is not considered too toxic to pets but it does make them sick. Another holiday favorite is Mistletoe, and this too can be toxic to your pets.

Various types of ivy plants such as English and German ivy, plus multiple types of ferns are other popular indoor plants, and these too can make your pets sick if they’re chewed on.

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Garden Tip...

Perhaps the best soil for general potting purposes, and the kind most extensively used by florists, is a mixture of equal parts of decayed sods, and well-rotted stable manure, and occasionally, especially if the sod is clayey, a little sand is added.
~ James Sheehan
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Baby’s breath is a beautiful white flower often grown to be used in cut flower arrangements, and this too can be toxic to cats and dogs.

Other popular house plants which can be harmful to your pets include Elephant Ears, Philodendron, Holly plants, Caladium, Black Eyed Susans, and various types of cactus plants.

Some types of plants will only make your pet sick if they eat a certain part of it, such as the leaves, bark, or berries. Others however, may make the pet sick regardless of which part they’ve chewed on.

Please note too that this list is only a very small sampling of some popular houseplants which can make your cat or dog sick. There are a large number of other plants which may be hazardous too, so it’s best to do a bit of research on this topic just to be safe.
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Garden Tip...

The Calla Lily, or "The Lily of the Nile," is an old and popular favorite, and is found in window-garden collections everywhere. It is a native of the tropics, where it is said it grows to an enormous size; a single flower often measuring one to two feet in diameter. The Calla will attain its highest perfection if planted in a rich, mucky soil, obtained from a swamp or bog. It also requires an abundance of water during the growing season. Callas, like all other bulbous plants, must have a season of rest. If required to bloom during the winter or spring months, they must be rested in the summer season, if this is not done we must not expect to have any success in flowering them. The blooming season can be reversed if desired, by resting in winter. Without allowing them at least three months of rest, it is useless to expect to flower them successfully. By "resting," we mean to withhold water, and allow the leaves and stalks to die down completely to the bulb. Then turn the pot on its side under a tree or grape-arbor, and let the soil dry up completely; this will kill the stalk but not injure the bulb.
~ James Sheehan
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