15 Plants to Avoid If You Have Pets

Plants might be beautiful, smell nice, and make your home look better, but some of them can be dangerous to your pets. In fact, over 1,000 of them have been identified as toxic to cats, dogs, and other pets. That’s why we highly suggest you look up the plants you have in your house to see if they can be harmful to your pets.

Bright Side made a list of 15 of the most toxic plants to pets and we hope that we can help you keep yours safe and happy!

1. Tulips

Tulips are extremely dangerous to cats, dogs, and horses. They can cause vomiting, depression, diarrhea, and hypersalivation.

2. Daffodils

Daffodils may be pretty, but you must keep your cats, dogs, and horses away from them. This highly toxic flower can cause vomiting, salivation, and diarrhea. Ingesting large amounts of this flower can cause convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors, and cardiac arrhythmias. Their bulbs are the most toxic part.

3. Lilies

Lilies can be very harmful to cats as they can cause kidney failure. Dogs, however, are safe around them.

4. Hyacinths

Hyacinths are another beloved house plant, but they can also be very dangerous to cats, dogs, and horses. It could cause intense vomiting, diarrhea (occasionally with blood), depression, and tremors.

5. English Ivy

English Ivy may be a very popular home decoration, but it’s important to know that it can be dangerous to cats, dogs, and horses. They can cause gastrointestinal issues and more.

6. Hydrangeas

If you have hydrangeas at home, make sure to keep your dogs and cats away from the flower as they are very poisonous and can hurt them. They are also toxic to horses.

7. Azaleas

Azaleas may be beautiful but if you have a koi pond in your backyard, you need to be aware of them as every single part of the plant can be toxic to the fish living in the pond. They are also toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.

8. Aloe

Aloe is yet another very popular household plant but if you have a dog, cat, or horse, you should avoid it at all costs as it’s highly toxic to all 3 animals.

9. Begonias

Begonias are another house plant you’ve probably had in the past, but you should get rid of them if you have a cat, dog, or horse as they’re very toxic to them. They can cause vomiting, salivation and kidney failure.

10. Catnip

Catnip can be very toxic to cats. Some of them really love it but it could cause diarrhea and vomiting and could have a sedating effect on some felines. While some cats react differently to catnip, it could overstimulate them. It’s best to avoid letting your kittens anywhere near the stuff.

11. Split Leaf Philodendron

Split Leaf Philodendrons are one of the most popular houseplants ever. But they can also be highly toxic to our pets. They can cause intense burning and irritation on the mouth, tongue, and lips along with excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing.

12. Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums, when ingested by a cat, dog or horse, can cause diarrhea, vomiting, coordination, dermatitis, and hypersalivation.

13. Tomato plants

If tomato plants are consumed by a cat, dog, or horse it could cause hypersalivation, inappetence, severe gastrointestinal upset, depression, weakness, dilated pupils, and a slow heart rate. However, it’s important to know that the ripe fruit itself is non-toxic.

14. Carnations

Carnations are quite a surprising flower to make the list, but they indeed are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. If your pets ingest some, don’t be too alarmed — it can only cause a little stomach upset and mild dermatitis.

15. Amaryllises

As beautiful as Amaryllises are, they may cause vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, anorexia, and tremors in dogs, cats, and horses. Luckily, however, horses are safe from the vomiting side-effect.

A list of some plants that are safe for our pets

• Dill (be wary of prolonged contact with it, as it may cause dermatitis)
• Purple basil
• Thyme
• Pineapple sage
• Fennel (avoid concentrated oil)
• And, of course, cucumbers

What other plants do you know to be dangerous to pets? Please share your knowledge with everyone for the good of our favorite furry and not-so-furry friends.