8 flowering houseplants that are toxic to cats

But if you have cats (or other pets) or even small children in your home, you must be selective about which flowers you use and purposeful about where those plants are placed. In some cases, it could mean the difference between life and death!

So here are a few flowering plants you should avoid (or monitor) if you have cats…

The entire amaryllis plant is toxic, but the bulb is the most toxic, containing raphide oxalate crystals. The rest of the plant contains phenanthridine alkaloid and lycorine. Symptoms of toxic poisoning from this plant may be breathing problems, drop in blood pressure, vomiting, irritation of the mouth, drooling, pawing at the face, diarrhea, and tremors. It’s best to keep this plant out of the reach of your cats!

The azalea is not typically an indoor plant, but it’s worth noting due to its popularity and use in some floral arrangements. Azaleas contain grayanotoxin, which affects the heart and can cause diarrhea and vomiting. The whole plant is toxic to cats, so watch your outdoor cats!

Begonias are one of the most popular potted plants but are not the safest flowering plant for cats. The whole plant is toxic, but the roots contain soluble calcium oxalates, which can cause vomiting, drooling, and kidney failure. This one may be better off as a hanging plant!

Carnations–while not as bad for your cat as some other flowering plants–are still mildly toxic. Signs that your cat has ingested this plant might be upset stomach and dermatitis. So be careful with those flower arrangements!

Commonly known as mum, this pretty but hazardous plant contains pyrethrins, sesquiterpene, and lactones–toxins found in pesticides and certain flea and tick meds and can be very bad if ingested by your cat. Some toxic symptoms might include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin issues.

This is a whimsical plant with colorful pinwheel petals reaching toward the sky, but make no mistake, Cyclamen is extremely toxic–if not deadly–to your cats! The toxins it contains include  Terpenoid saponins, also known as triterpene glycosides. The entire plant, including the tubers, is toxic, and ingesting any part of the plant can cause vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, heart problems, seizures, and possibly death for your cat.

Also called Narcissus, the whole plant is toxic—flowers, leaves, and especially the bulbs. Daffodils contain lycorine, phenanthridine alkaloids, and calcium oxalate crystals, which even in small quantities can result in diarrhea, stomach upset, vomiting, tremors, drooling, drop in blood pressure, and cardiac issues. Be very careful with this flower around your cats!

Like most bulb plants, hyacinths are dangerous for cats. The hyacinth plant contains alkaloids like lycorine and calcium oxalate raphides, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, dermatitis, and tremors. So, if you receive one of these aromatic flowering plants for Easter or Mother’s Day, it may be best to keep it outside, away from your indoor cats!

Please remember I am NOT a vet, so if you are at all concerned that your cat has ingested part of your plants, please consult a veterinarian immediately. Also, remember to do your own research so you can properly care for your plants while keeping your pets and small children safe.