Do you think pothos toxic to cats? Yes, this plant is toxic to cats and other pets; so, you should be careful about the place you keep the plant at home and work. The pothos plant is toxic for your cat, and if your cat chews or swallows the leaves or stems of this plant, it will get poisoned. This poisoning has specific symptoms that are described below.
Common Names | Pothos, Devil’s Ivy, Taro Vine, Ivy Arum |
Toxic Part | All parts, especially leaves |
Toxicity | Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats |
Severity of Toxicity | Mild to moderate (rarely life-threatening) |
Toxic Principles | Insoluble calcium oxalates |
Recommended Action if Ingested | Contact a veterinarian or poison control hotline for guidance |
When it comes to houseplants, few are as popular and loved as Pothos. This plant has many lovers because of the beautiful shape of its leaves as well as its charming color. On the other hand, the ease of caring for this plant and its high growth rate compared to other plants have doubled its popularity. Pothos plants can be seen in the houses of almost everyone who loves plants, but the question is whether people with cats can keep Pothos plants in their houses or not. In this article, our experts in TheHplants team have answered this question and tried to address all the important points about whether Pothos are toxic to pets. Stay with us and don’t forget to check the article on pothos care.
pothos toxic to cats
According to the ASPCA, all species of pothos are dangerous for cats, and if your cat ingests the leaves and stems of the pothos plant, it will be poisoned. The pothos plant contains calcium oxalate crystals, the presence of which make pothos toxic to cats. When your cat chews the leaves or stems of the pothos plant, the calcium oxalate crystals in the leaves and stems are released and can result in a burning sensation or oral irritation for your feline friend. The most important symptoms that appear in your cat after eating the pothos plant are as follows:
- Intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue, and lips
- Excessive secretion of saliva
- Vomiting
- difficulty swallowing
- Skin itching
- Loss of appetite
- pain
You should pay attention to this point; since cats are excellent at hiding their pain and discomfort, you may not be able to notice all the mentioned symptoms at first. However, if your cat is near the pothos plant and you notice any of the mentioned symptoms in your cat, call your local veterinarian right away to get them checked out.
Note that just touching and sleeping the cat next to the pothos will not cause poisoning and problems for it. So make sure your cat has chewed or swallowed this plant, and then call the vet.
Why do cats eat pothos?
Cats are playful animals for whom this trailing plant has a special attraction. In addition to the attractiveness of this plant for them, sometimes cats swallow the leaves and stems of this plant to help digest the food they have eaten or provide the nutrients their body needs. Sometimes, cats also eat plants or grass due to the mass of hair in their stomach because eating grass causes them to vomit and remove the mass of hair in their stomach.
What should you do if your cat chews or swallows pothos?
If you see that your cat starts to show any of the symptoms mentioned above, you should first make sure that the cause of these symptoms is due to eating the pothos plant. For this purpose, if you or someone at home did not see that your cat ate the pothos plant, the first thing you should do is Check your pothos plant to see if any part of the plant has been damaged by the cat or not, or carefully check inside or around your cat’s mouth and you will see remnants of pothos leaves or stems.
It is very important to check whether the pothos plant causes the symptoms in your cat or if there is another reason. In case of a wrong diagnosis, the medical treatment done on the cat will be wrong and may cause irreparable risks. If you are sure that symptoms occur as a result of chewing or swallowing the pothos plant, contact a veterinarian and share the symptoms and the reason for the occurrence of symptoms with the veterinarian So that the vet can help you with basic instructions to relieve the cat’s pain to some extent, or the vet may ask you to take the cat to the vet immediately. Usually, the guidance is different depending on whether the plant is swallowed or chewed. If the severity of the symptoms in your cat is high, take the cat to the veterinarian immediately to avoid possible risks.
pothos toxic to cats; home treatment
Prescriptions that veterinarians usually give to relieve cat pain at home include:
- Thoroughly wash the inside and around the cat’s mouth to clean these parts from the crystal released from the Pothos plant
- Use of oral antihistamine if available at home
- Giving cottage cheese to the cat, which reduces the cat’s pain to a great extent
- Give the cat plenty of water
- Administering painkillers to reduce and relieve the cat’s pain
Coexistence of cat and pothos plant
If you use cat and pothos plant at the same time in your home, you will face many problems, and that is because pothos is poisonous for cats and all pets. Cats like to touch everything forbidden; on the other hand, they also need plants. According to this article, in my opinion, if you love your cat, it is better to collect all poisonous plants for cats, including the pothos plant, from your home. But if this is not possible for you, you can also put your plant in a place in the house where your cat cannot reach it. For example, you can use pot hangers to hang your pothos plant, although cats are agile enough to get anywhere, they like. Another option for you is to use a special spray. These sprays have a special smell that cats hate, and at the same time, these sprays do not harm the plant. Therefore, when you apply this spray on the plant, your cat will not get close to the plant, and as a result, they will be safe from the risk of poisoning.
pothos toxic to cats in conclusion
In response to whether pothos toxic to cats, it should be said that this plant is poisonous for cats and dogs, but touching the plant cannot cause harm. You will have a problem only when your cat chews or swallows the leaves or stems of this plant and then gets poisoned, which has certain symptoms that have been explained. If your cat is poisoned by swallowing or chewing the pothos plant, contact the veterinarian immediately and get the necessary advice. To prevent the cat from eating the pothos plant, the best option is to collect this plant from home; otherwise, placing the plant away from the cat or using special cat repellent sprays are other options. There are many plants whose leaves are not dangerous for cats to eat, and it is suggested that if you are very fond of plants, take care of them in your home so your cat is not harmed.
Certainly. And I have faced it. We can communicate on this theme.
Thank you, it was a good article, but I have a question: What should I do if I suspect my cat has eaten Pothos leaves?
First, you should check the symptoms that we mentioned in the article or contact your veterinarian immediately for guidance and possible treatment options.
It is the amusing answer
Are all parts of the Pothos plant harmful to cats?
It can be said yes, all parts of the Pothos plant contain compounds that are toxic to cats if ingested.
I have a cat at home, what do you suggest for How can I keep my cat safe from Pothos plants?
The only thing I can suggest to you is to keep Pothos plants out of reach or consider choosing pet-friendly houseplants instead.
I am very worried that What happens if my cat eats Pothos leaves? please guide me
Eating leaves can be dangerous for your cat, Ingesting Pothos leaves can cause vomiting, excessive drooling, and difficulty swallowing in cats.