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Home Page
Buying A Kitten
Caring For Your Kitten
Introducing A New Cat
Soiling & Spraying
Cat Litter & Training
Eating & Drinking
Cat Bonding
Cat Aggression
Timid Cats
Keeping Your Cat Safe 1
Keeping Your Cat Safe 2
In or Out?
Play Time
Multi-Cat Households
Elderly Cats
Cat Ailments & Symptoms
Persian Cats
British Shorthair Cats
Cat Care Tips, Advice & Products for the life of your Cat
Although you may think that your cat or kitten is safe from potentially harmful substances, particularly if you keep him/her indoors, you may be wrong.
Many plants and indeed other items which most people would consider completely harmless can literally be lethal to cats.
Only last year I came home to find my cat, Jack lying in the garden in a hunched up position. He was clearly in a great deal of pain and from the outset I originally believed that he had a chicken bone stuck down his throat, or something similar.
He was rasping as if he was desperate to get his breath and howling in pain, it was such an awful sight to see.
Of course I rushed the cat straight down to the vets whose diagnosis was not good. I never expected it but I was told that Jack had probably been the victim of poisoning; possibly even deliberate as there had been known cases in our area of antifreeze being left out for cats.
Antifreeze? I was confused, why would a cat drink this? Well apparently, so my vet told me, cats find it irresistible and they lap it up like milk. It has a certain taste to it which cats love – it also shuts their kidneys down and kills them slowly and painfully.
So with great sadness I had to ask the vet to put my cat to sleep, I couldn’t watch him suffer anymore. I also didn’t have pet insurance to cover bills which could have run into hundreds of pounds just to diagnose the exact problem. Oh how I wish I had got pet insurance that day. I was so angry for him, what a terrible thing for someone to do! A week later we found out that a neighbour two doors down had also lost her cat to some kind of poisoning. Obviously we were both fuming and called the police, who put out posters and leaflets. There didn’t appear to be any more poisonings after that, but the truth is we will never know what exactly killed Jack or the neighbour’s cat. It could have been something as innocent as a plant. There are so many which people do not realize are highly dangerous to cats.
Even house plants can be harmful to cats and kittens. All lillies are potentially lethal to cats. As little as one leaf can kill a cat if they eat it, and any part of the plant is dangerous, including the pollen, flowers and leaves.
Along with these, a list of plants which you should ensure your cats steer clear of are available readily from your vet or from a quick search on the internet.
It is imperative that you look these up in order to keep your cat safe, and if in doubt, keep the plants out!
Obviously it is very difficult to keep cats away from all of these plants, but luckily the majority of cats are so busy stalking or causing trouble somewhere else that they don’t generally sit around and chew on greenery. However, if they do, they could become ill very quickly so do be aware of where your cat is and take note of whether they are a ‘chewer’ or not.
Lillies appear to be the most dangerous house plant any cat owner can keep in their house and I would advise all cat owners to steer well clear of this plant.
If your cat is harmed by any substance, they will likely first begin to vomit, get diarrhea and seem listless. Eventually the cat will become dehydrated and eventually have trouble breathing. Generally if left for too long untreated, the cats kidneys will begin to fail and dialysis may be required if you are to save the cats life. It’s also important to remember though that this may cause lasting damage to the kidneys and in some cases it may be kinder to end the cats suffering rather than try to see if they pull through. As my vet explained to me with Jack, kidney failure can never be reversed and you are only delaying the inevitable. It’s the sad truth but sometimes we have to put our cat’s feelings above our own and do what’s best for their welfare.
If by chance you do decide to go ahead with treatment, you will have large veterinary bills to pay out for, so one of the best ways to keep your cat safe is to ensure your pet insurance is up to date so that you have that option. Don’t make the mistake I did when I let my pet insurance expire.
Obviously the best course of action in all this is to do your best to keep any harmful substances well out of your cat’s way.
Try to see your house and garden from your cat’s point of view. Get down onto their level, but also remember that they can jump! Cat proof your home by ensuring poisons and cleaning fluids are kept away in a cupboard. Young cats are particularly curious and will think nothing of jumping up onto the table to get to those lillies – so don’t risk having them in the house! If you must have lillies, get artificial ones.
Along with some plants, another type of danger to cats include household cleaning products. Do ask your vet for a full list of these items, or again do a Google search.
If you notice any unusual behavior in your cat such as salivating, apparent pain in his/her abdomen, violent vomiting/diarrhea, swollen mouth or throat, or fitting take your cat to the vets immediately. Do not try to push or pull anything from its throat but just get to that vets as quickly as possible, and if you have someone with you ask them to call the vet and warn them you are on your way and why before you get there so they are prepared for your arrival.
On a final note, many people don’t realize that garlic, onion and chocolate are also dangerous to a cat's health. Their bodies cannot break down the chemicals contained in these items, so don’t ever try to feed your cat anything containing these.
Also, one of the most common reasons vets see for cats being poisoned is by ‘spot on’ flea treatments being used on cats which are intended for use on dogs. Whether intentionally or by accident, this happens a lot. The chemicals in dog spot on (permethrin) is highly dangerous to cats, and for this reason you should always check the label on your spot on flea treatment to check it is for cat and not dog use, both when you buy it and before applying it, especially if you treat cats and dogs at the same time in your household. Permethrin has been known to kill many cats.
Many plants and indeed other items which most people would consider completely harmless can literally be lethal to cats.
Only last year I came home to find my cat, Jack lying in the garden in a hunched up position. He was clearly in a great deal of pain and from the outset I originally believed that he had a chicken bone stuck down his throat, or something similar.
He was rasping as if he was desperate to get his breath and howling in pain, it was such an awful sight to see.
Of course I rushed the cat straight down to the vets whose diagnosis was not good. I never expected it but I was told that Jack had probably been the victim of poisoning; possibly even deliberate as there had been known cases in our area of antifreeze being left out for cats.
Antifreeze? I was confused, why would a cat drink this? Well apparently, so my vet told me, cats find it irresistible and they lap it up like milk. It has a certain taste to it which cats love – it also shuts their kidneys down and kills them slowly and painfully.
So with great sadness I had to ask the vet to put my cat to sleep, I couldn’t watch him suffer anymore. I also didn’t have pet insurance to cover bills which could have run into hundreds of pounds just to diagnose the exact problem. Oh how I wish I had got pet insurance that day. I was so angry for him, what a terrible thing for someone to do! A week later we found out that a neighbour two doors down had also lost her cat to some kind of poisoning. Obviously we were both fuming and called the police, who put out posters and leaflets. There didn’t appear to be any more poisonings after that, but the truth is we will never know what exactly killed Jack or the neighbour’s cat. It could have been something as innocent as a plant. There are so many which people do not realize are highly dangerous to cats.
Even house plants can be harmful to cats and kittens. All lillies are potentially lethal to cats. As little as one leaf can kill a cat if they eat it, and any part of the plant is dangerous, including the pollen, flowers and leaves.
Along with these, a list of plants which you should ensure your cats steer clear of are available readily from your vet or from a quick search on the internet.
It is imperative that you look these up in order to keep your cat safe, and if in doubt, keep the plants out!
Obviously it is very difficult to keep cats away from all of these plants, but luckily the majority of cats are so busy stalking or causing trouble somewhere else that they don’t generally sit around and chew on greenery. However, if they do, they could become ill very quickly so do be aware of where your cat is and take note of whether they are a ‘chewer’ or not.
Lillies appear to be the most dangerous house plant any cat owner can keep in their house and I would advise all cat owners to steer well clear of this plant.
If your cat is harmed by any substance, they will likely first begin to vomit, get diarrhea and seem listless. Eventually the cat will become dehydrated and eventually have trouble breathing. Generally if left for too long untreated, the cats kidneys will begin to fail and dialysis may be required if you are to save the cats life. It’s also important to remember though that this may cause lasting damage to the kidneys and in some cases it may be kinder to end the cats suffering rather than try to see if they pull through. As my vet explained to me with Jack, kidney failure can never be reversed and you are only delaying the inevitable. It’s the sad truth but sometimes we have to put our cat’s feelings above our own and do what’s best for their welfare.
If by chance you do decide to go ahead with treatment, you will have large veterinary bills to pay out for, so one of the best ways to keep your cat safe is to ensure your pet insurance is up to date so that you have that option. Don’t make the mistake I did when I let my pet insurance expire.
Obviously the best course of action in all this is to do your best to keep any harmful substances well out of your cat’s way.
Try to see your house and garden from your cat’s point of view. Get down onto their level, but also remember that they can jump! Cat proof your home by ensuring poisons and cleaning fluids are kept away in a cupboard. Young cats are particularly curious and will think nothing of jumping up onto the table to get to those lillies – so don’t risk having them in the house! If you must have lillies, get artificial ones.
Along with some plants, another type of danger to cats include household cleaning products. Do ask your vet for a full list of these items, or again do a Google search.
If you notice any unusual behavior in your cat such as salivating, apparent pain in his/her abdomen, violent vomiting/diarrhea, swollen mouth or throat, or fitting take your cat to the vets immediately. Do not try to push or pull anything from its throat but just get to that vets as quickly as possible, and if you have someone with you ask them to call the vet and warn them you are on your way and why before you get there so they are prepared for your arrival.
On a final note, many people don’t realize that garlic, onion and chocolate are also dangerous to a cat's health. Their bodies cannot break down the chemicals contained in these items, so don’t ever try to feed your cat anything containing these.
Also, one of the most common reasons vets see for cats being poisoned is by ‘spot on’ flea treatments being used on cats which are intended for use on dogs. Whether intentionally or by accident, this happens a lot. The chemicals in dog spot on (permethrin) is highly dangerous to cats, and for this reason you should always check the label on your spot on flea treatment to check it is for cat and not dog use, both when you buy it and before applying it, especially if you treat cats and dogs at the same time in your household. Permethrin has been known to kill many cats.
All advice given on this website is by expert cat owners. It is not in any way meant to be used in replacement to any vet or other professional advice. The owner takes no responsibility of any consequences due to any of the information held within the site. Privacy Policy
Keeping Your Cat Safe From Harm
Always remember, if your cat seems Ill and you are in doubt, call the vet. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to get the vet to check your cat over as quickly as possible. Another thing which I highly recommend is getting some good pet insurance for your cat. Pet insurance for your cat or kitten is a must in this day and age, with cats living longer, veterinary surgeries charging more and advances in veterinary medicine. For the small amount pet insurance costs per month, it is well worth signing up for in comparison to the huge vet’s fees you may have to fork out if you don’t have pet insurance. As a worst case scenario you could be even more unfortunate and, like me end up having to have your cat or kitten put to sleep simply because you didn’t have pet insurance and couldn’t afford those hefty vets bills.