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My yearly reminder about plant safety during the holidays:
Some Christmas plants can be toxic to cats. MISTLETOE can cause an upset stomach, difficulty breathing, and even heart failure if ingested by cats. Eating HOLLY can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. AMARYLLIS can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, lethargy, and tremors if eaten. It's best to avoid having these holiday plants in your home when you have cats.
Many think POINSETTIA plants are highly poisonous to cats. After reading up on it, it turns out they are only mildly toxic to cats. The milky white sap found in poinsettias contains chemicals that can bother them. These beautiful holiday plants are commonly hyped as poisonous plants, they rarely are, and the poisoning is greatly exaggerated. When ingested, mild signs of vomiting, drooling, and in rare cases, diarrhea can occur. If the milky sap is exposed to skin, some skin irritation (including redness, swelling, and itchiness) can develop. Eye exposure can result in mild conjunctivitis. There is no antidote for poinsettia “poisoning.” That being said, due to the low level of toxicity seen with poinsettia ingestion, medical treatment is rarely necessary unless clinical signs are severe. Keeping this plant out of the reach of your babies to avoid stomachs getting upset is still a good idea, but if your cat does eat some of it, it will not be fatal.
Happy Friday Lairians
