Cats that are regularly outdoors eat a few grasses and herbs every now and then during their forays. The reason for this is very simple: intensive grooming causes countless hairs to end up in the gastrointestinal tract. These cannot always be digested, so a cat gets rid of the hairballs (so-called bezoars) by regurgitating them. Animal experts believe that the intake of plant fiber is intended to facilitate the process. But what if a house cat has no opportunity to follow its natural instincts? In this case, he simply nibbles on houseplants that resemble grass. However, the animals do not stop at non-poisonous specimens. It is all the more important for all owners to know which houseplants are not poisonous to cats – and which symptoms are typical of poisoning.
House cats like to nibble on houseplants that are similar to grass. For this reason, you can provide your pet with safe specimens to try, such as a spider plant or indoor bamboo. Alternatively, you can sow fast-growing sweet grasses yourself – for example wheat, oats, rye, barley or millet. Or you can buy ready-made cat grass or seeds directly from an online pet supplies shop.
Of course, these are not all of the houseplants that are suitable for cats. Below we list further examples.
Non-toxic green plants:
If you would also like to place flowering houseplants in your apartment, examples such as these are ideal:
Cat-friendly flowering plants:
There are even a variety of aromatic herbs that cats (sometimes) like to eat:
Non-toxic culinary herbs:
Unfortunately, particularly popular houseplants are on the list of poisonous specimens for cats, including the following plants:
Important note about seasonal plants and cut flowers: During Advent, special house plants are often set up for decoration, such as an amaryllis or a poinsettia – unfortunately, these two specimens are highly toxic to cats and should not be used in any pet-friendly household. The same also applies to tulips and daffodils: the typical spring bloomers delight millions of households every year, but are also taboo for cats.
If there are poisonous houseplants in your home because you were not aware of the danger until now (or your cat has shown no interest in them), you should know the main symptoms of possible poisoning. Depending on how toxic a plant is, your cat or tomcat will exhibit different behaviors. Since the poison spreads through the gastrointestinal tract, the most common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. Other symptoms of poisoning to watch out for include:
Important: In the event of poisoning, it is important that you act immediately: In other words, take your pet to the vet immediately. Even if you have only observed your cat eating a poisonous plant but is not showing any noticeable symptoms (yet). It’s best to take a photo of the affected specimen in advance or take the houseplant straight into the practice so that the vet knows immediately what he is dealing with. If no vet is open, you can also contact the local animal emergency service or emergency help. If you act too late, poisoning can, in the worst case scenario, lead to death. And of course every pet owner wants to avoid that.
Source: Fressnapf, A Heart for Animals
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