Are pothos toxic to cats? Yes, we consider pothos toxic to cats because of the harmful calcium oxalate crystals they have.
Knowing the possible problems connected to cats and pothos is crucial for cat owners.
Making sure your cat is safe and healthy at home is paramount because it creates a secure environment for us and our cat and dog.
To know how snake plants toxic to dogs, click here.
I have suffered the loss of cats because of pothos and snake plants, but now I know how to go around this.
I want to give you advice I got from veterinarians, plus my own experience on cat safety, including first aid and how to contact a veterinarian.
This piece of writing is to empower pet owners against potential hazards on cat So Keep reading
Are Pothos Toxic To Cats?
pothos are toxic to cats because of their toxic insoluble calcium oxalate crystals.
In my studies on how deadly pothos are to cats, I came across ASPCA.ORG, which is an authority in animal care.
They have made it known on their website that if a cat eats or chews any parts of pothos
it will result in severe irritation and swelling of the oral tissues as well as other regions of the gastrointestinal system.
the website made it clear that it is also toxic to both human beings as snake plants are toxic to cats.
To know how toxic snake plants are to cats, click here.
The harmful chemical substance known as pothos may irritate and pain a cat’s mouth,
throat, and digestive system when it chews or consumes it.
After chewing this plant, we start exhibiting changes in behavior because of the contained in pothos plants.
Sometimes, it might be difficult to notice changes in the behavior of your cat after ingesting pothos for the first few minutes or days.
Keep reading to learn why I explain why pothos plants are dangerous to cats in the following section.
Why Pothos Plants Are Toxic To Cats
As a matter of fact, we classify Pothos are toxic houseplants because it contains dangerous minerals known as calcium oxalate crystals within their leaves.
These chemical materials are usually in the SAP and may burn or cause extreme irritation when they come into contact with a mucous membrane.
These harmful chemical substances are difficult to digest. Instead, they pierce your cat’s sensitive areas, such as the stomach, throat, and mouth.
The body’s natural reaction to the discomfort brought on by the crystals may produce
irritation, increased drooling, and sensitivity in the mouth.
This might worsen the symptoms and create swelling and inflammation in the regions that are affected.
While the plant itself is not dangerous, the minerals in it can cut the cat’s soft tissues.
What Parts Of Pothos Are Toxic?
In pothos, the parts that contain the toxic substance are primarily the leaves because of the harmful calcium oxalate crystals present in them.
Whenever a cat chew pothos leaves, the insoluble calcium oxalate crystals are the cause of cat poison.
These microscopic crystals are sharp and needle-like, these causese irritation and discomfort in the mouth, throat, and digestive tract. of a cat
The symptoms of the microscopic crystals in pothos are drooling, vomiting, and oral irritation.
I told you that the leaves are the primary source of toxicity in pothos. It is also crucial to note that not only the leaves might contain toxicity but also other parts of the plant.
Why keep your cat away from the leaf? Also, bear in mind that the pothos plant may also have these crystals to a lesser degree in its stems and roots.
It is thus advisable to treat the plant as a whole as possibly harmful to cats and to take the necessary measures to avoid consumption.
My Cat Ate Pothos, But It Seems Fine.
Suppose your cat has eaten pothos leaves, and nothing seems to happen. In that case, it is understandable, but that doesn’t mean that pothos leaves are not poisonous.
Sometimes, nothing might happen to them because they consume a small quantity that might cause serious irrigation.
Sometimes, these symptoms might come as little diarrhea, which you might not notice at all.
In some cases, cats may not show immediate symptoms after eating pothos for a few hours or days.
You should always keep an eye on cats that eat pothos because it doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t have any reaction after.
As I said earlier, it is necessary to be vigilant, as some pothos’ toxicity varies from individual cat to individual cat depending on their health status, age, and quantity of consumption.
I will also advise you not to leave them freely but to always monitor their health for symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, drooling, fatigue, dyspnea, or behavioral abnormalities.
There are other symptoms, which I am going to list in the following section of this post.
First Aid Treatment: My Cat Ate A Pothos Leaf. What Should I Do?
If you have confirmed that your card has eaten the pothos plant, the following are some steps you should take:
Inspect the cat: remove any remaining leaves from the cat’s mouth if there are any leftovers.
Use your hand to open the door and remove any leftover material to prevent further irritation and a sore throat.
Contact a veterinarian for advice. Veterinary care is the best place to get any advice for situations like this.
Let your veterinarian know what has just happened and make it clear to them how your cat is.
But if there is no veterinarian around, follow the following instructions I provided:
Give your cat water to drink; ensure your cat drinks a lot of water to help dilute any poisonous substance that comes from the leaf.
The water itself will help flush out the toxicity in the throat and stomach, but it should not force them to drink if they are unwilling.
Bathe your cat: if your cat is at a high temperature due to toxicity, it is important to give them a warm shower to calm down their temperature.
Let your cat relax; be vigilant for any further symptoms such as vomiting, irrigation, running stomach weakness, and eyes turning.
If you notice further problems, contact a veterinarian immediately and take their advice.
Emergency Vet Care For Cat-Poisoning Cats By Pothos
It is important to send your cats to a veterinarian because they are specialists in animal care.
Contact One of the most recommended specialists, ASPCA, or look for your local veterinary care.
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This book discusses how to take care of your pet’s health, monitor their behavior, and how a pet company should care for your animals.
How Many Pothos Leaves Can Make Cats Sick?
Even small pothos ingestion by our cat may lead to symptoms such as drooling, vomiting, oral irritation, and gastrointestinal upset in sensitive individuals.
Since pothos plants are harmful to cats, the quantity of pothos that can make cats fall sick depends on several factors, including the following:
- the size of the cat
- their sensitivity to the toxins in the plan.
- Their current health status.
- The quantity ingested.
I can’t predict the amount of Pothos leaf that can make your cat sick, but remember, pothos are bad for cats, so be vigilant with your cat.
Sometimes, the body’s defense mechanism might help reduce the level of toxicity in the cat, which might make it feel as if nothing happened.
Sometimes, a cat might experience some symptoms of poison after consuming little leaves because they are so sensitive to toxicity.
Meanwhile, the size of the cat matters a lot because a large, grown-up cat may endure
ingesting a greater quantity of pothos leaves compared to a smaller cat.
In the following section, I will explain to you how you can keep your cat away from pothos plants to avoid incidents of poison.
Can My Cat Die After Eating A Pothos Plant?
After some days, Some cats can die after eating the pothos plants because of the calcium oxalate crystals contained in them.
Occasionally, cats do die after consuming toxic pothos, but it does not always happen. This could happen for some reason.
For example, if a cat is too small or is very ill and consumes toxic plants, this would lead to his death because the body’s defense mechanism is low.
In some cases, after a cat has ingested poisonous pothos, they can’t suffer physical symptoms such as drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea.
I will also repeat it again and again: it is better to keep them safe and avoid event line poisoning.
How Long Does It Take Pothos To Make A Cat Sick?
These symptoms of poisoning after a cat has finished consuming pothos will begin after 20 to 1 hour, depending on the cat’s age, health, and quantity eaten.
At first, their throat will begin to scratch them and irritate them, and they will also have difficulty Breathing before other symptoms, such as sneezing, arise.
These symptoms can include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, oral irritation, pawing at the mouth, and lethargy
Symptoms Of Pothos Poisoning In Cats
The signs that may arise after a cat finishes consuming pothos leaves are listed below.
- Excessive drooling
- Vomiting
- Oral irritation (pawing at the mouth, licking lips excessively)
- Gastrointestinal upset (diarrhea, abdominal pain, decreased appetite)
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling (lips, tongue, and throat)
How To Keep Cats Away From Pothos
It is important to keep cats away from a poisonous plant or to introduce non-toxic plants for them to live with.
Place the plant out of the cat’s reach. A cat is a curious animal that always likes to play around with green plants, including toxic plants like monsters.
Sometimes, it is better to keep the plant in a separate room than to keep the cat in another separate room.
Hang your pothos plants: it is important to provide a hanging planter for any toxic plant, such as pothos.
In our garden craft home, we have a written article on how to make a beautiful, easy, and nice-looking hanging planter using rope and ceramic plates that everyone can do.
If you are interested in learning how to make a beautiful hanging planter with rope and ceramics, click here.
If you prefer to use a wooden hanging planter, we’ve got you covered. To learn how to make your custom wood hanging planter, click here.
Use organic plants to chase them out; the cat hates citric fruit, so using citric fruit such as Orange peel to scare the cat away is a great idea because you can’t hate citric smell.
Create a physical barrier; use a chicken net or decorative fence to run around the pothos to prevent the cat from entering the toxic environment.
Provide alternative plants; there are lots of alternative plants to pothos. The alternative plant I’m talking about is non-toxic.
Train your cat: whenever your cat goes close to that plant, always chase them away, making them scared and uncomfortable with your pothos.
To learn more about how to prevent a cat from consuming toxic plants, I have a full article concerning how to prevent a cat from consuming toxic monster plants.
Both methods are applicable to any toxic plant. If interested, click here to read.
Why Do Cats Love Pothos?
Although cats usually eat meat, they do sometimes eat veggies like grass to help their stomachs and make up for any vitamins or minerals they are missing.
However, there are other reasons a cat may love to play around pothos, which are mentioned below.
- Curiosity
- Pica
- Chewing Behavior
- Dietary Supplement
- Scent Attraction
- Texture and Appearance
- Environmental Enrichment
Can Pothos Plants Blind My Cat’s Eyes?
Although pothos are dangerous to cats, there is no clear evidence to show that Pothos can blind a cat’s eyes. I have never seen it before.
The only toxicity to cats is when ingested. Still, for other body contacts, nothing can happen to your cat.
What Happens If A Cat Eats Pothos?
Cats who consume pothos plants may have severe problems including drooling, trouble swallowing, vomiting, and irritation of the mouth.
Sometimes death might follow if proper care is not taken, so avoid this at all because it is not a beautiful experience.
Conclusion
Now you know Pothos are Deadly To Cats; toxicity occurs when your cat ingests the leaf or any part of pothos.
Mainly, the reason pothos is toxic is that it contains toxic insoluble calcium oxalate crystals and this substance is mainly found in the leaves as a sap.
Never try your cat on a pothos because that may lead to their death or cause harm to their throat, making them feel uncomfortable.
It is better to be vigilant with this plant or to separate it from your cat with a hanging planter.
To know how toxic Monstera is to cats, click here.
