Because cacti and succulents are high light tolerant and easy to care forβ¦
β¦ they are extremely popular as houseplants.
They also grow very easily and do not require daily wateringβ¦
A succulent plant can come in a variety of sizes and shapesβ¦
β¦ some of which are hard to find in another houseplant.
Hear it from Jessie!
Iβve been collecting succulents as a hobby for several months nowβ¦
And I put them outside my house, since I have pets insideβ¦
I am afraid that my pets will chew on them and got poisonedβ¦
β¦ because I donβt know whether they are safe for my pets or not.
Nonetheless, I love having succulents for their easy care and appealing looks!
And I just hope they are safe around indoors so I can enjoy my plant babies and pet babies togetherβ¦
Well, you can! At least for the most partβ¦
Well, thereβs one question for pet ownersβ¦
β¦ are succulents safe for cats and dogs (and other pets)?
It seems that some pets love to nibble on houseplants, so the last thing we want is troubleβ¦
Discover succulent toxicity along with some of the more popular succulents that are toxic to petsβ¦
Are Succulents Poisonous For Cats And Dogs?
IN THIS ARTICLE:
The good news is that most succulents arenβtβ¦
Some of these species arenβt deadlyβ¦
However, it is important to remember that βnon-toxicβ does not mean βno problemβ. Some pets may develop mild stomach upset ingesting any type of plant, since it is not part of their regular diet.Β Itβs also a good idea to keep a list of the scientific names of the plants in your house, as many common names overlap with different species and toxicity can vary between species.Β
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Although they cause your pet great discomfortβ¦
β¦ they can also have potentially dangerous side effects like diarrhea.
When deciding whether to grow potentially toxic succulents or notβ¦
β¦ youβll have to consider your petβs personality.
Thereβs a good chance your pets wonβt eat houseplants when you have a lot of petsβ¦
In particular, succulents donβt seem to be as appealing to themβ¦
β¦ theyβd much rather munch on something tastier like cat grass.
Providing your pet doesnβt have a history of eating houseplantsβ¦
β¦ youβll probably want to go for it, although you will need to remember that it is also risky for the plant.
The powerful paw of a playful cat or the clumsy tail of a dog can easily knock a succulent overβ¦
β¦ potentially breaking its leaves and stems.
Because of this, it is best to keep the rarer types away from petsβ¦
The best policy is to be safe than sorry in cases where you donβt knowβ¦
Plants that are toxin-producing should be placed out of reach of your petsβ¦
There are a number of ways to do this, from hanging planters to high, inaccessible shelvingβ¦
In the spots where your pet can reach, choose succulents that are safe for cats and dogsβ¦
Succulents That Are Toxic To Cats And Dogs
Itβs unfortunate that many of the most common and hardy succulent speciesβ¦
β¦ can be toxic to pets but in varying degrees.
Thatβs a bummer for those of us who would rather have an easy-care houseplantβ¦
β¦ but protecting our feathered, scaled and furry friends is probably the most important thing.
Genus Crassula (Jade plant)
Crassula is one of the most popular succulent genera, which contains many houseplant classicsβ¦
Jade plant (Crassula ovata) is one of them, along with string of buttons (Crassula perforata)β¦
β¦ and the quirky cultivar Crassula βBuddhaβs Templeβ.
Unluckily, Crassula is also one of the most dangerous succulents to keep away from petsβ¦
Because of an unknown component in its sapβ¦
β¦ the South African succulent is toxic to pets (and human beings) in all of its components.
Some light irritation from a small amount of it is likely to be the worst that it can doβ¦
If your pet has eaten more than a leaf or two, you might want to bring it to the vetβ¦
There are a number of symptoms of jade plant toxicity, including nausea, vomitingβ¦
β¦ diarrhea, and loss of coordination, as well as lethargy and, in very unlucky cases, more severe problems.
Genus Euphorbia
A genus of very large succulents, Euphorbia is commonly grown as houseplantsβ¦
Unfortunately, the sap of the plant (including non-succulent types) is an irritantβ¦
β¦ so we have to put all of them out of service.
There are a large variety of looks within this genusβ¦
β¦ so make sure to make sure you donβt accidentally buy one from an unlabeled batch of succulents.
There are lots of popular species of Euphorbia in your local plant storeβ¦
β¦ some of which you might see include the candelabra treeβ¦
β¦ coral cactus, African milk tree, baseball plant and many, many more.
Neverthelessβ¦
Euphorbia plant sap can really irritate your petβs mouth, tongue, and throatβ¦
β¦ if it gets into the plant and chews on the stem and leaves of the plant.
Vomiting may also occur due to stomach upset, along with possible swellingβ¦
Genus Kalanchoe
This one gets crushedβ¦ Kalanchoes are among the most popular succulentsβ¦
β¦ but unfortunately they are poisonous to cats and dogs.
Kalanchoe has been blamed for livestock deaths in South Africa where it grows naturallyβ¦
All parts of Kalanchoe contain cardiac toxins called cardenolides and bufadienolidesβ¦
Do you need to panic now?
Honestly, your pet will be fine if it just consumes a leaf or twoβ¦
Vomiting and diarrhea are more likely to be mildβ¦
Heavy symptoms, such as sedation and abnormal heart rhythm, occur in more severe cases onlyβ¦
The Kalanchoe genus includes an array of attractive speciesβ¦
β¦ that are known for their vibrant blooms including the flaming Katyβ¦
β¦ panda plant, the paddle plant, the thyrsiflora, and the felt bush.
Keep your furry friends away from your lovely houseplants!
Genus Sansevieria
Now that we know that Dracaenas are now referred to in the United States as a Dracaenaβ¦
β¦ we will refer to them as such.
The Sansevieria is well-loved by cats and dogs, so for us, it is the same Sansevieriaβ¦
Sansevieria plants contain saponins which give the leaves their waxy protective coatingβ¦
β¦ but which can also cause upset stomachs (vomiting, diarrhea).
It has also been reported that the plantβs sap causes an itchy skin rashβ¦
β¦ which can also cause issues if it appears in the mouth or throat.
Sansevieria ingestion can result in excessive droolingβ¦
Mother-in-lawβs tongue and African spear plantβ¦
β¦ (Sansevieria trifasciata, which comes in many cultivars and shapes depending on the cultivar)β¦
β¦ are the most common Sansevieria species.
Genus Aloe
Sure, Aloe vera is indeed beneficial to your skinβ¦
However, if the pet ingests it, it may be harmfulβ¦
Aloes should in fact be avoided by pet owners because they contain poisonous componentsβ¦
Glycosides such as anthraquinones show laxative and purgative effects, but saponins do notβ¦
Aloin, the bitter yellow sap or latex just below the leaf rind, has the greatest affectβ¦
Although itβs generally not available as a laxative anymoreβ¦
β¦ because itβs now suspected to be a carcinogen, this compound was once used as a laxative in humans.
The Aloe leaf wonβt kill your pet, but it will probably make him feel unwell for a couple of daysβ¦
Watch out for dehydration from vomiting and diarrheaβ¦
Cacti
Despite the fact that most cacti are non-toxic or at least non-lethalβ¦
β¦ they are still not the best choice for pets.
Itβs better if they have spines than no spines!
Many cactus spines have barbs that cause them to stick firmly into the fleshβ¦
Not something you want your pet to consumeβ¦
Even seemingly harmless plants such as bunny earsβ¦
β¦ have nasty glochids that cause severe irritation to the skin.
Additionally, there are some hallucinogenic cactiβ¦
There is peyote, a common name for numerous hallucinogenic speciesβ¦
β¦ as well as several species of Trichocereus.
So we donβt want our pets to trip, letβs just keep those away from them!
Stay with spineless cacti that donβt contain funky sapβ¦
Keeping Houseplants Away From Pets
If you ensure that your pets cannot reach poisonous succulents, you can keep them in your homeβ¦
Pets are pretty easy to secure since they donβt jump or reach things, but cats and birds can be tougherβ¦
Plants that are held in hanging planters are less likely to be destroyed by catsβ¦
You can hang them on a hook in the ceilingβ¦
β¦ if they arenβt too close to the jumping range.
It is also important to keep shelves out of reach of cats by sitting on them or jumping from other furnitureβ¦
To protect your pets if all else fails, you can always incorporate toxic plants into a room that they cannot accessβ¦
The plants in the greenhouse are kept away from danger thanks to my parrots, which love to chew on anythingβ¦
Safe succulents are the only ones that are out in the openβ¦
To sum it upβ¦
Succulents are a dearly loved kind of plant, at least for humans they areβ¦
But this may not be the case for your pets, because some succulents are toxicβ¦
β¦ ranging from mild to severe toxicity.
Nonetheless, the majority of succulents arenβt toxic so you still have a wide range of options!
Just take the precautions for your plants and pets so that the two of them wonβt clashβ¦
Conclusion
Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions regarding succulents and pet safetyβ¦
β¦ or if you have your own experience with succulents and pet safety. You can also contact us!
Check out more posts in our website like this one here!
Happy an amazing planting journey!
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I am a new gardener - from the covid generation. From gardening, I know how to be more patient and tend to other things besides myself.
I'm sure there are many new gardener like me. I hope I can give us helpful information through this All Things Gardener site (which is our lovely website, of course). Let's be better of taking care of our "green child" together!πππ
*My first friend is jade plant a.k.a money tree. It is true, we can make money from the tree. If you sell the tree, you get your money :3.
