Herbs poisonous to cats?

[Angela]

I've got some herbs growing indoors - I can't grow them outdoors because I live in a flat.:(

The other day someone mentioned herbs -particularly chives -being poisonous to cats. I know some houseplants are poisonous and I've checked my plants are OK, but my cat Tiggy shows no interest in these anyway.

She does like to have a nibble at the herbs tho' -are there any that are bad for her and that I should avoid having in the house? :confused

I'd welcome any advice -thanks! :)

[Sage]

I dont know if this will help....

I've had a look in a couple of my books and they dont mention herbs at all, but these are the plants they note as toxic to cats. I've had cats for ages and have a lot of these either in the house or in the garden - I think on the whole cats avoid what is bad for them, but I know one of my old cats did chew on chives and it never did her any harm (although she was a bit mental to start with :lol: )

quick edit.....the only one I've found mentioned is garlic and onion, so as chives are form the onion family perhaps thats where it came from. Cant find anywhere that notes any other herbs that you would grow.


Anyway here's the list, Im not a vet or anything and they should be able to advise if you ask them:

least irritating (cause drooling and swelling of membranes)
elephant-ear (?), philodendron, Jack-in-the-pulpit and skink-cabbage

mildly irritating (cause stomach irritation and vomiting)
amaryllis, daffodils, wisteria & mushrooms

irritating (cause intestinal cramps, vomiting and diarrhea)
ivy, iris, pokeweed, Japanese Yew, clematis & bird-of-paradise

severly irritating (like above but also central nervous system disorders)
Christmas-candle, box bush, holly, honeysuckle, poinsetta and privet hedge

Toxic (vomitng, abdo pains and can cause cardiac arrest)
foxglove, lily-of-the-valley, oleaner, larkspur, hemlock and taxus yew

very toxic (extreme difficulty in breathing)
apricot, cherry and peach (danger of cyanide poisoning)

hallucinogens
apparently cats are very sensitive to marijuana and if ingested or inhaled they can get extremely hyperactive and often leads to death.


oh and here are two good website with more plants..
http://www.moggies.co.uk/plants.html
http://www.cpnewcastle.co.uk/plantstoxictocats.htm

it seems that we should just live somewhere where nothing green grows!

[Angela]

Thanks a lot, Sage! :D That's given me plenty to chew on ...... so to speak!

With a username like Sage you should know all about herbs lol ;) or does it just mean that you're a very, very wise person? :)

[Liz]

Good question Angela and one I honestly don't know the answer to but don't think there would be a problem as herbs are added to cat food.

It may be worth contacting Denes to see whether they can help.www.denes.co.uk

[Sage]

both :lol: but no one I know would say that!

[nightowl]

It's worth knowing that lilies, all parts, even the pollen, are very poisonous for cats.
They seem to come in lots of bouquets and make a gorgeous show but can apparently kill a cat even with prompt treatment.
http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html

[Angela]

Thank you all for your help.:) Luckily I really, really don't like lilies, nightowl - I was once given a giant bouquet featuring them very prominently and it had go straight in the bin!

Daffodils, however, I just love. I'm sure I've often combined vases of daffs with cats (No, not in the vase lol) before, without any ill effects to the cat.

I don't think I have anything in my flat that's truly toxic to them -phew! :D

It's a while since I last had a feline companion and I know I'm being over anxious! :roll:

[Sage]

I love daffys and have them in the house when there are loads in the garden. Ive never had a cat who's even mildly interested in them so I wouldnt worry. Most of the plants will just give a little upset tummy anyway and I think cats are intelligent enough to stay clear if they eat something that doesnt agree with them....well unless it was trying to run away from them at the time!