Hi, you have all helped me in the past....and right now I need it.
My dear cat Huck has been sick this week. Last night I caught him chewing on my flower baskets of houseplants. I don't know what they are....or if they are poisoness.
These arrangements are special as they are from my Moms funeral....and I would hate to part with them.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Debbie
This is the second set of plants.
The ones we caught him actually chewing on are in photo I posted above, top left corner....but all have been mauled.
Debbie,
This article may ease your mind a little and give you a few ideas, besides.
http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=735&bhcd2=1224973957
There are numerous web pages describing the toxicity of most plants, where cats are concerned.
Your planters appear to be of the traditional florist variety, with 2 varieties of .
Draceanas, Prayer Plants (marantas), sheffelaras(umbrella plants), nephthytis(arrowhead plant).
Dr. Murphy ( on listed website link) mentioned giving your cat (Huck) a little milk or yogurt to sooth his stomach.
I don't mean to minimize your concerns in any respect, but suggest you check out a few websites on Poisonous houseplants for cats.
Hugs to you and Huck!
Sasha
Sasha, thank you so much.
I have looked at about 5,000 sites today it seems...and since I have no name of what I am looking for, and find so many similar...I am not doing well with a determination.
I have given Huck some milk, little bits at a time. I called the vet, she said without a definate name of the plant, she isn't much help....and doesn't know plants well.
DH is going to take the basket over to our neighbor for me and see if she can help out. They are on top of a six foot cabinet, didn't think he could get them....I was wrong! They are now upstairs in spare room behind closed door!
Debbie
Debbie,
This site is fantastic for anyone not knowing the names of common houseplants. Just hold your curser over the plant name and it shows a clear picture of the common variety.
Now that you have the common names (the one's I listed in parentheses), you can just go to those to assure yourself about them.
http://www.denverplants.com/foliage/html/Poisonous_Plants.htm
Sasha
Wow Debbie that's a lot of plant eating...it's difficult isn't it not knowing what you can keep and not..I'm not familiar with any household plant..I usually kill them off before the kitties do...am sure someone here is knowledgeable and will be able to help...
Hope kittie if fine....
Debbie: I hope your Huck is doing okay. I understand about kitters chewing plants! We have four cats in our household and one loves to eat my plants! I have hundreds of plants and have to watch her like a hawk because she likes to graze and thinks my plants are her own private salad bar! ^_^
If a cat ingests too much of a plant it will make them quite sick and there are many house plants, as well as outdoor plants that are poisonous to cats and dogs. I would watch your Huck closely and if he seems lethargic and really sick, I think you should get him to the vet as soon as possible. I know some signs of poison in animals is convulsions. Hopefully your kitty will be okay. You will have to move the plants out of his reach if at all possibly, or you can try getting a clean spray bottle and fill it with water and spray him whenever you see him going near one of your plants. I can't guarantee that will deter him though. We tried that with ours and she always thought it was a game and got so she would stand real still and squint her eyes waiting for the spray of water to get her! Pets are like kids and sometimes you just have to try to find ways to redirect their attention elsewhere.
I buy catnip plants in the produce department of my local supermarket whenever they have it. I have to keep it up out of the reach of the cats or they would devour it in five minutes. I give them each a leaf every other day or so ... they love it! They always want more, more, more but I don't want them to get sick. It won't hurt them but you know the old saying about too much of a good thing? LOL. I also dry some of the catnip leaves and rub it on their toys or a rug and they roll around and play like little kittens and they are all older cats (13, 14, 15 and 20 something). I also sometimes find the little bags of cat grass seed at Pet Smart that I pot up for them. I think it's a mixture of rye grass and some other (can't remember which) and sometimes Pet Smart sells it already growing but it's a lot cheaper to buy the pack of seeds and plant yourself, because you can sow a few seeds at a time. It germinates and sprouts quickly and the cats love it!
Here is what I think you have in the way of plants pictured in your first photo:
Top Left: Dracaena Marginata: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/732/
Top Center: I can't make out what that one is
Top Right: Dracaena fragrans (possibly Warneckei): http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/119595/
Bottom Left: Dracaena Marginata
Large Center Photo: Calathea (possibly this one): http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/69483/
Bottom Right: Nepthytis/Syngonium (but I'm not sure of the cultivar/variety): http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/132365/
Aslo, here's a list from the Cat Fancier's Assn. for house plants poisonous to cats: http://www.cfa.org/articles/plants.html
Humane Society of U.S. list of plants that are poisonous to pets: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/protect_your_pet_from_common_household_dangers/common_poisonous_plants.html
Another list with fruits poisonous to pets: http://dogs.about.com/cs/disableddogs/l/blplants.htm
I don't know who's list this is but it is a long list of plants that should be kept away from cats: http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/plants.htm
Okay ... I'm done now, sorry if I've inundated you with too much information.
So far I have identified a caladium, .dumbcane/diffenbacia, pothos.....scheffera.
They all have a tox level of 3-4.
The plants are now in the back bedroom behind closed doors.
I gave him some milk three times today (lactose free) and his 3rd eyelids are still out. He is sleeping on DH (mr. no more cats) which he never does. And when he isn't doing that...he is crying and rubbing on the dog!
The dracenea is the one that was chewed the most and which was in his vomit.
Huck has grass trays to chew on, and also lots of catnip. We have fresh plant about 2 ft. tall right outside the back door and we collect the leaves for them all.
Thank you all so very very much. I am keeping a close eye on my boy.
Debbie
Your boy is a cutie!! I would probably be extra cautious with the dumbcane/diffenbacia (sp?).I am not positive,but I did not see a Caladium in your pictures.Hope your kitty is ok.
Lynn
Here's my ID--from about 25 years of working with Houseplants:
Picture #1.
Top left--Dracena marginata
Top center--Variagated Dracena Marginata and a small Neanthabella palm.
Top right--Dracena Warnackii
Bottom left--another Dracena marginata
Center (big picture) Prayer Plant (Maranta)
Bottom right--Nephtytis (Arrowhead Vine).
Picture #2.
Top left--Prayer Plant (Maranta)
Top center--Nephtytis, some chewed up Dracena marginata, and the Neanthabella palm
Top right--Looks like the "Ribbon Plant"--also a Dracena
Bottom left--Shefflera Arboricola
Bottom center (big one) A Calathea of some sort
Bottom right--same as in #1. Var. Dracena marginata and neanthabella palm.
ALL the above plants are commonly used in Dish gardens as they thrive on neglect and tight quarters and have similar watering and light requirements.....
To my knowledge--none of these are toxic, but DO check out all the links provided.
It is common for cats to want to chew on "grass-like" plants--pointy-leaved plants, like the Marginata. They do it so they CAN throw up hair balls and such. If you ever let a cat outside--you will see that, sometimes, they eat grass for the same reason.
Perhaps you need to change their food???????? Ask your Vet!
Gita
Oh, Huck is a handsome boy! What a great expression! Do I see more kitty paws to the right of him in that picture?
In your second photo I do see a Schefflera, hadn't noticed it in the first picture and earlier I didn't even look at the second photo, I guess I thought it was the same!
I do not see a Dieffenbachia (dumb cane): http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=dieffenbachia&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&searcher%5Bgrex%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search
Nor do I see a Caladium: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=caladium&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&searcher%5Bgrex%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search
No Pothos in the photo's either: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=pothos&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&searcher%5Bgrex%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search
How is he acting tonight? My Vet told us years ago never to give adult cats milk of any kind because it can cause irritation to their stomachs. Just like some humans, adult cats are lactose intolerant. But lactose free milk is okay ... it is the lactose in regular cows milk that cats cannot digest. There's a new product I've heard of called Catsip that is a lactose free milk substitute for cats. I saw it at Petsmart awhile back but I haven't tried it with my cats.
I always thought my cats were lacking something in their diet and that was why they like to eat my plants. While googling I found this: http://www.howtodothings.com/pets-and-animals/a4334-how-to-stop-your-cat-from-eating-houseplants.html that talks about it. But, our cats are old and all are on a high fiber RX cat food, have been for quite a few years. I know dogs like to eat grass in the yard and I've heard it helps their digestion.
I hope Huck is doing okay tonight. He isn't still throwing up, is he? When you say he is crying, is it a normal crying, kitty talking type thing or something unusual? You might have to call your vet on Monday, if not sooner, to see if they can check him out. I will keep good thoughts and prayers for your little guy!
I spoke with Palmbob via D-mail. He is our DG vet here, and also plant knowledgeable.
He sent me this:
"you have there several Dracaenas, Calatheas, palms, and Syngonium. I think all but the palms are somewhat toxic, but I don't know how toxic. They probably mostly cause gastrointestinal upset (hence the drawn third eyelids). "
Huck is very talkative, but the last two days it is more of a whiney kind, I can tell he doen't feel well. As I said, he had some vomiting the last two days....and I just found out today it was from the plants.
The milk Huck had was the cat milk...we have little cartons of it. It is lactose free. They don't get it often, but I was hoping it would coat his tummy.
Now that I know some of the plant species.....I will call our vet Monday and ask what she thinks if he is not better then.
I didn't post the pics of the caladium type (small elephants ear?) & dumbcane as those are the only two I actually knew what they were.
You have all been such a great help. I will keep you posted on how my boy is doing. Thank you so very much!
And yes, more kitty paws....they find me. I think the words "sucker lives here" is over my door outside.
Debbie
Debbie, I hope this Sunday morning is finding Mr. Huck back to his normal self (minus the plant grazing.) ^_^
I know what you mean about kittie's just "finding" you! We have four in our family, it was five but lost one of our old gal's a year or so ago. At one time I was feeding thirteen (our five indoor cats) and a couple of feral strays outside! My husband has always said I'm a cat magnet. A friend gave me a tee shirt once that showed a crazy cat lady with dozens of cats all over and it said something like "Cats are like potato chips, you can't have just one!"
I actually have that magnet on my refridge!
I thought Mr. Huck was doing better, I came down stairs this morning and he and his partners in crime shredded an entire box of tissues!
Then after breakfast, he vomited again. I called our Vet, she said only thing I could do today is take him up to the emergency clinic (just over an hour away) and let them do testing....which is a $300 deposit just to walk in. Ugh. I will try and hold off until tomorrow and take him to his own vet closer and not stress him out.
We have seven of the little furbags now. Five were dumped on my porch, three in a four month period! Huck was one of them and has just stollen my heart. Is is a very special guy...different from the others.
Debbie
Debbie, dear little Huck is in my prayers, as are you. I want for you to have a stress FREE day, week, month, year, lifetime!!!! Our pets mean so much to us and offer us such comfort when other things go wrong - having one of them ill hurts us so badly! Lots of love to you.
Debbie, Huck is a good looking boy and I sure hope he's feeling better. I don't blame you for holding off. If he isn't worse, he'll get better. Breaks your heart to hear them cry.
When people find out you feed strays, they do appear on your doorstep. My downfall is a pregnant female. I want to keep every one of them.
Right now, our neighbor's two cats are living and eating over here :o)
Billy, I so know what you mean. I am so thankful, and knocking wood here...but no pregnant females. I have the hardest time parting with kittens at all, that is why I have these seven.
I have had Dexter since he was 10 days old. I eye dropper fed him, then bottle fed when he was stronger. He and his sister were my babies...but we lost her to cancer when she was 3 years. Dex is now about 6...and 17 lbs!
We had a neighbor that wasn't the best, and well, Franky came from there. He literally ran away from home. We thought he was a black tiger stripe but it was his ribs. And he was full of motor oil. The vet thought he had been burried alive. We gave him baths in dawn detergent....just like environmentalist do to birds...to get the oil out of him. He is about 7 1/2 now...and has severe neurological damage from his prior home. He is the sweetest boy.
Toby is almost 4...and was dumped at a barn in March of 2005 during a very very cold spell. Of the 20 cats at the barn, my now SIL said "mom this one needs a home, can you come look?" So, off I go....and ended up with him in my coat.
Two months later, Daisy arrived on the front porch at Midnight. But she was a bundle to catch....wanted in but not touched. She is still pretty much "I will let you knw when you can touch me" but right now is at my side up here at the computer desk.
And in Sept. of that year, I heard a loud ruckus on the front porch...again at Midnight...opened the door...and in walks this little orange bundle. He ran straight through the house...into the dining room and started eating. Just like he owned the place and knew where everything was! That was my boy Huck. I found out two years later....the teenager next door brought him home and his Dad threw the cat out. Well, Randy knew he couldn't be alone....so brought him over to my porch....that was the loud noise...Randy running away. LOL
That brings us to the two "babies". Lexi was actually adopted by my teenage daughter. She saw this cat at the shelter, and just had a total meltdown...she had to have her. Well, I figured "they will NEVER give us the cat, we have five...and we can try...and the shelter can say No!" Well, the shelter didn't say NO! So we adopted Lexi in June of last year....she is 2 1/2. And then there is
Rori. Rori was dumped at the ice cream store my DD (same one) worked at. She was all black...and gonna get hit. I brought her home with all intentions of finding her a home. Yeah right. The good thing was...she was already spayed!
SO, that is how part of my menagarie got here...the feline part. Like I said "sucker lives here" over the doorway! LOL
I offered Huck some small meals all day today....and he did much better. So I hope and pray he is on the mend.
Thank you all so much for your help. I was truly scared and not knowing what I was dealing with.
This is Huck loving his puppy....this goes on all day.
Debbie
It sounds like Huck will be ok.Thank God!! I can only quess how much this frightened you.
Lynn
A much needed happy ending!!!!!!
Debbie, oh my gosh! I've never heard a sadder story. I have tears of sad and happy right now. You are so great to keep them all! Your story has warmed my heart, and puppy is beautiful!!
Billy, those furbabies have helped me much more than I have ever helped them. They are such wonderful therapy.
If you ever get bored, read the Huck & Souky threads on pets, they were started over two years ago about Huck and his love interest Souky (who owns Meezersfive).
Our "puppy" is Isabelle, she has quite a few threads of her antics and attempts at putting us in the poorhouse!
Huck is doing better today (knock wood) and ate his breakfast, keeping it down. He is still cuddly, which of course I love...but more playfull and eating well.
Debbie
I've lurked on Huck and Souky and haven't checked in for a while. I had so many threads going it was getting crazy! And yes, I forgot Isabelle! I got in on a few of her stories too!
He's going to pull thru!!! Yaaa!
Debbie,
I have to share this story with you.....
When my girls were still home, I had an assortment of cats to contend with. I think we had 7 or 8 over the years. My youngest daughter, Benita, was, and still is, such an animal lover. She always dragged a cat home and we kept it.
Anyway...what I want to tell you is about my favorite cat we ever had. He was MINE!
It was a big orange tabby--just like your Huck. They just have a "presence" about them.
This cat was a stray. You could tell that he had been surviving in the woods for some time. He was filthy--his ears were full of mites--his feet were full of sores....he was hungry....and all that.
He had started coming around--and, of course, my heart went out to him. We started leaving food out for him and that was it! He never left. He, basically, sat on my doorstep for 7 days. Finally--I gave up, but--before I would take this filthy thing into my house, I took him to the Vets for a shampoo, all his shots, treatment for his ear mites, and spaying. Only when I picked him up from these treatments did I bring him in the house.
Because it was obvious that he had been a "drifter" for a long time--we named him Hobo.
We already had a cat--so now it was a daily one-oneupmanship as to who was in charge.
Hobo was the "intruder"--but he was also more of an Alpha cat.
In out club room, we had a long, wool, RHEA shag rug. For 2 years Hobo never stepped on that rug. He would come running downstairs and then--walk around the edge of this rug as if it would hurt his feet if he ever stepped on it.
Soon, they both made peace.....but it was not too long afterwards that Hobo got injured. We came home one early morning from a Party to find him slumped over the lowest step to our front door--his hind legs paralyzed. I carried him inside and took him to the Vets the next day.
The diagnosis was some kind of a blockage in the nerve at the top of his tail--the nerve that controlled his hind legs. There was NO cure--and I left the Vet's empty-handed having agreed to euthanizing him. It was so sad and painful for me! He was MY cat!
When the both the girls moved out--I had NO desire to ever have any pets any more. I still do not. YES! They are a comfort and they do love you (when they so choose), but I just do not want to be tied down to caring for them.
When Benita left to move to Colorado, she left her black cat, Mina, here ans SWORE she would come back to get him! Yeah! Sure!!!! So, Mina lived here for 2 years. She was also a HUGE cat---Not cuddly and not liking to be held or petted. basically--she owned YOU!
Then I decided to go visit my daughter in CO and I promised her i would bring her cat back to her.....Well! It cost me bucks to have all the shots and all the health certificate and all that---PLUS--it cost me $50 to take her on the plane with me, in this small, cat-cage that had to fit under the seat in front of me.
Mina weighed in at 17lbs at the Vets!!!! NO small cat! The Vet gave me a tranquilizer to give the cat one hour before I left for the Airport. I had a hard time getting him to take it--so I finally ground it up on s spoon-full of ice cream (which he loved) and that was that.....
I had called Super Shuttle to take me to the Airport at a certain hour. I gave the cat the pill one hour before i would depart. Well---they arrived 15 minutes early--and Mina was still following me up and down the stairs--staggering all the way.....
The carrier I had for her was like--17"x 8". And here was this 17lb. cat i was supposed to stuff in it?????? I was freaking out--but I did it--and he never blinked an eye!
The next big issue was that I was required to remove him from the carry-crate while going through the Airport screening. I was SOOOO scared that he would 'come to" and I would never be able to get him back in the crate! Well--everything ended up OK--and he was totally "out" under the set in front of me for the 4 hr. flight. He DID wake up before my daughter came to pick us up---and, of course, she brought her big dog with her.
Now--here was Mina--all awake in her tiny cage--and here she was in the back of the car with this strange dog right next to her.......
Anyway---all's well that ends well. My daughter got her beloved cat back.....I was a lot of $$$$ short for having brought him to her......but, everything had a happy ending......
I now have lived alone (divorced) for 16 years and I love my freedom. I don't want to clean a kitty-litter box! I don't want to have to pay bills for their health problems! I do not want to have to walk a dog twice a day so he can poop!........NOPE!!!!!
Love my life without any pets!!!!!
Gita
ROTFL over your story. That's a lot of love just to have no pets:o)
This is the kitten I loved more than any of my cats. There were four and someone took the other three. Mama Kitty/Martha, my second most loved cat, sort of gave her to me. I sat outside with her all winter at night, with her tucked into my coat for warmth. Me, her and Mama, would take walks down the RR tracks and in the little tree lines. I had them in the house one night because the neighbors pit bull was loose for a while. I let them out about 11:00 pm. Mama was a feral that adopted us and she came and went as she pleased. India never came for breakfast. but I didn't think much of it. We got busy. I realized that afternoon I hadn't seen her. I looked for her and bawled for a week. I can only guess that a hoot owl got her in that time frame.
Billy, your little one looks so very much like my Daisy May.
My dear DH knew when he met me I had a weekness in life...and it was for animals. MY SF had never let me have one for me. I had a dog when he married my DM...and made me get rid of her so he could keep his horrible doxie that bit me all the time. He would only allow Doxies...and they were his. He was...and still is...and evil man.
So, when I was single and on my own, I started feeding stray cats near my apartment. Never brought them inside...just fed and admired from afar. I had my first pet ever, for me, at age 21. A stray cat the neighbors had left when they moved.
Since my daughters illness...I have truly learned about what a healing touch animals can have. Our Clayton lived to be 16....but when DD was 3 and got leukemia....Clayton was the one that stayed by her. He alerted me if she awoke in the middle of the night...before I even heard her on the baby monitor. He layed on her legs when they hurt so bad....which she loved. His body heat made them feel better. DD is 17 now...and the cats still know when she is having a bad day.
Even now, since my Mom passed away four months now, the cats all know when I am feeling so down, and they are right there. They are such a oomfort and seem to read me better than any human I have ever encounterd.
I think this is how some animals are "service" animals, and can detect seizures, and help many others with disablities.
Debbie
Debbie, evil SF's shouldn't exist. I'm sorry about your Mom. I saw that she passed, on Murmer's thread. She was well loved and well taken care of.
I absolutely believe animals sense things and how lucky for your daughter to have such a companion at her worst times.
It sure isn't hard to take an animal in, or just feed them :o)
I think most of the plants are draceona varieties. The top photo has 2 dracaeona (maybe 3), if your cat didn't eat a lot and is being ok I'd just advise that you move the plants to somewhere he can't get to. If he has been sick, keep a close eye on him (as dogs are sick when they eat grass - and its natural) however if he is being sick a lot get him to the vets ASAP.
If you move them and your cat keeps eating them, you could maybe buy pond netting to put around them so you don't have to get rid of them :-)
Debbie.
You can also spray red pepper spray on these plants. They sell it in garden Centers. You can also make your own....
It doesn't hurt the plants nor the animals--but they will not be chewing on any of them....would YOU?
They even sell a red pepper (Cayene) powder to mix into bird seed so the squirrels will leave it alone.
G.
