Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: How does Spathiphyllum affect cats?
QUESTION:
It there any references I can check out for information on how the
Spathiphyllum might effect a house cat? Or more general information on
poisons in plants and animal?
ANSWER:
The Toxicity of Houseplants, by Spoerke and Smolinske is great for this.
I would expect the mouth might be irritated or swollen after a cat chewed on this
plant, since it contains Ca oxylate needles. I don't know if they are packaged
in the cells in such a way that this would occur, nor do I know of other toxins.
QUESTION:
I think my cat may have eaten some of my dieffenbachia plant (the excretions
from the leaves). How can I be sure and what should I do? I called my vet and
she didn't seem too concrened. He's vomited several times (total of 5 in the
6 years I've known him, he's 6).
ANSWER:
This is to be expected. Dieffenbachia has microscopic needles of calcium oxylate
that irritate the mouth and GI tract. It probably has some specific irritant
toxins, too. These won't kill the cat unless the swelling got so bad the
windpipe were closed, and that rearely happens. It should make the cat miserable
enough to train it not to bite house plants, but that depends somewhat on how
educatable your cat is...