Foods and Plants That Are Toxic to Cats

Quick answer

The most dangerous things for cats are lilies (every part, even pollen and vase water), onion, garlic and their relatives, paracetamol (acetaminophen) and other human medicines, dog flea products containing permethrin, and essential oils such as tea tree. Chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, raw dough, grapes and xylitol are also on the "never" list. If you think your cat has eaten or touched any of these, call a vet right away rather than waiting for symptoms.

Why cats are more at risk than you'd think

Cats are picky eaters, so owners often assume they won't touch anything harmful. The trouble is that cats groom. A cat brushing past a lily gets pollen on its coat, then licks it off. Oils, cleaning products and spilt medicine end up swallowed the same way. Cats also lack some of the liver pathways other animals use to break down certain chemicals, which is why a single tablet that a dog or person would cope with can be deadly to a cat.

Plants

Lilies: the one to remember

True lilies (Lilium, such as Easter, tiger, stargazer and Asiatic lilies) and day lilies (Hemerocallis) cause kidney failure in cats. International Cat Care warns that eating less than one leaf, a bit of flower, some pollen or vase water can be fatal. "Pollen-free" lilies are not safe either. The early signs are vomiting, drooling, going off food and lethargy, and kidney failure can follow within one to three days.

The only safe approach is no lilies in a home with cats, including in bouquets. Check flower deliveries before they come inside.

Other plants to keep away

• Sago palm (Cycas revoluta): all parts are toxic and the seeds are worst. It can cause liver failure.
• Oleander: affects the heart and can be fatal.
• Tulip, daffodil and hyacinth bulbs: vomiting, drooling and diarrhoea. The bulbs carry the most toxin.
• Azaleas and rhododendrons: vomiting, weakness and heart problems.
• Dieffenbachia (dumb cane), peace lily, philodendron and pothos: these contain calcium oxalate crystals that burn the mouth, causing drooling, pawing at the face and vomiting. Peace lilies are not true lilies and don't cause kidney failure, but they still hurt.

If you aren't sure about a houseplant, look it up on a poison control plant list before bringing it home, or keep it somewhere your cat truly can't reach. For many cats that means not in the house at all, because they climb. A pot of cat grass gives a plant-chewer something safe to nibble.

Foods

The cat care guide for beginners has a short "never feed" list. Here is why each item is on it.

A few other habits cause problems over time. Dog food lacks enough taurine and some other nutrients cats need, so it shouldn't be a regular meal. Tuna sold for people, given as a main diet, is unbalanced. Milk upsets most adult cats' stomachs.

Medicines and household products

This is where many serious cat poisonings come from.

• Paracetamol (acetaminophen): even part of a tablet can be fatal to a cat. It damages red blood cells and the liver. Signs include brown or bluish gums, a swollen face or paws and breathing trouble.
• Ibuprofen, aspirin and other human painkillers: can cause stomach ulcers and kidney failure. Never give a cat human medicine unless your vet has prescribed it.
• Permethrin: found in many dog spot-on flea treatments. In cats it causes twitching, tremors and seizures. Cats can be poisoned by grooming a dog that was just treated. Our guide to fleas on cats covers safe products.
• Essential oils: tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, citrus and others can be toxic, especially concentrated oil on fur or skin.
• Cleaning products: phenol-based disinfectants (some pine and coal-tar cleaners) are toxic to cats. Let floors dry before a cat walks on them.
• Antifreeze (ethylene glycol): sweet-tasting and rapidly damaging to the kidneys. A small lick from a puddle on a driveway can be fatal.
• Rodent and slug poisons: some cause internal bleeding, others neurological signs. A cat that eats a poisoned mouse can be affected too.

Signs of poisoning

Signs depend on the poison but often include:

• Vomiting or diarrhoea
• Drooling, pawing at the mouth, or a swollen face
• Wobbliness, twitching, tremors or seizures
• Breathing fast or with an open mouth
• Pale, brown, blue or yellow gums
• Weakness, hiding, collapse
• Drinking and urinating a lot more, or very little (kidney damage)

Some poisons, lilies and antifreeze among them, cause few signs at first while damage builds up. That's why you should act on what your cat may have eaten, not on how it looks.

What to do right away

1. Move your cat away from the source and stop any more access.
2. Don't make your cat vomit and don't give milk, oil or salt. Home remedies can make things worse.
3. If something is on the fur (oil, chemical, pollen), stop your cat grooming, and ask the vet whether to wash it off with mild washing-up liquid and lukewarm water.
4. Call your vet or the nearest emergency clinic. Have the packet, plant name or a photo ready, plus a rough idea of how much and when.
5. Bring the packaging or a piece of the plant if you go in.

When to see a vet

Go straight to a vet (emergency) if your cat:

• Has had any contact with a lily, including pollen on its fur or drinking vase water
• Has swallowed any human medicine, especially paracetamol or ibuprofen
• Has been treated with a permethrin product, or groomed a dog that was just treated with one, even before any twitching or trembling starts
• May have licked antifreeze or eaten rodent poison
• Is having seizures, struggling to breathe, or has collapsed
• Has pale, brown, blue or yellow gums

Call the vet the same day if your cat:

• Ate onion, garlic or chocolate, even if it seems fine
• Is drooling or vomiting after chewing a houseplant
• Keeps vomiting, won't eat, or seems unusually quiet (see cat not eating or vomiting)

Treatment depends on the poison. Vets may make your cat vomit safely, give activated charcoal, put it on a drip to protect the kidneys, or use a specific antidote. The sooner it starts, the better the outlook.