# What plants should we keep away from the Cat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 23, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682 "2004-02-23T15:41:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/1 "2004-02-23T15:41:20Z")
Does anyone know of, or have a list for the plants that we should keep away from our cats? Obviously cactus should not be trifled with in low lying areas…but what about english ivy, palms, ferns, pothos etc…etc… Does anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/2 "2004-02-23T15:48:20Z")
[Here you go](http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html). Wow, there’s a lot of them. I only knew about poinsettias and ferns. ---
**Author:** ![Achilles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dc4da7/32.png) [@Achilles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achilles)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/3 "2004-02-23T16:14:46Z")
Yes, those, and the “Venus Cat-Trap” ---
**Author:** ![jellytoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@jellytoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellytoes)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/4 "2004-02-23T17:36:42Z")
If Cat likes to nibble on plants, you can buy cat-friendly substitues for the house-plant gnawing. I’ve had some success with “cat grass” (basically oat grass) and catnip or catmint. I’ve noticed that once kitty has her own stuff to chomp, she tends to ignore the other houseplants. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/5 "2004-02-23T22:17:31Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > [Here you go](http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html). Wow, there’s a lot of them. I only knew about poinsettias and ferns. I question the poinsettia. I thought that had been debunked (although not widely known). ---
**Author:** ![guiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ab097/32.png) [@guiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guiness)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/6 "2004-02-23T22:53:17Z")
If it’s the incessant meowing, I would try _Dieffenbachia spp._ . On the other hand if it is the introverted behaviour the air of self importance I would try the non-vegetative method of a cat, a sack, a brick and a river. ---
**Author:** ![guiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ab097/32.png) [@guiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guiness)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/7 "2004-02-23T22:55:26Z")
Ooops! You want to keep the cat? Can’t help there. Seems I misread the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/8 "2004-02-23T23:16:56Z")
Mars, and definitely Neptune. I’ve heard Pluto is toxic during its springtime. -Sorry, just popped in from the Bad Astronomer’s site. Need to reset eyes. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/9 "2004-02-24T00:08:43Z")
Has anyone here ever had a cat get sick from eating houseplants? I’ve never avoided poisonous plants, but my cats do: they seem to know which ones to chew on and which ones not to chew on. I’d be interested to hear if I’ve just been lucky, or if anyone else has found this to be the case. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/10 "2004-02-24T11:36:47Z")
If ever you needed proof of the difference between cats and dogs, it’s right there in the OP. The cat gets its own **capital letter**? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/11 "2004-02-24T11:42:46Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Has anyone here ever had a cat get sick from eating houseplants? Yes. Last year Cookie Monster ate one of the leaves from a daffodil, then barfed all over the kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![richardb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/96bed5/32.png) [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-plants-should-we-keep-away-from-the-cat/230682/12 "2004-02-26T01:50:41Z")
Here’s a list of safe plants: [Safe Gardening](http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1217) And from Cornell University, UNsafe plants: [Poisonous Plants Informational Database](http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/) Good luck!