As a lover of one or more velvet paws, you certainly know it: the cat grass bought especially for the animals goes unnoticed, instead the cat prefers to nibble on the indoor plants. Unfortunately, this can be quite dangerous for the purring roommates, because by no means everything that grows in our apartments is non-toxic. But do the attractive palm trees also count among those plants that are poisonous to pets?
Most palm trees do not pose a threat to cats
Most palm trees are non-toxic
Almost all "real" palm species are harmless to cats or are classified as "presumably non-toxic" because there are no known cases of serious poisoning. Despite the fact that the grass-like fronds, such as those of the Kentia palm or the Areca palm, like to be nibbled on by velvet paws, these plants do not pose any danger to the cat.
Special case mountain palm
The mountain palm, which is extremely attractive with its feathered fronds, is often classified as harmless, but cat lovers should do without this room decoration. It is not the leaves that are poisonous, but rather the very rare yellow flowers. However, in order not to take any risks, do not place these plants within the reach of the cat…
Be careful with "wrong" palm trees
Many plants that we call palm trees in German are not real palm trees at all. Among these are some plants that pose a great risk to cats. These are for example:
- Yucca palm (safflower): It contains saponins that can trigger inflammation and other ailments.
- Madagascar palm: The succulent belongs to the dogbane family and should therefore not be placed within the reach of animals.
- Cycads: The toxins in these houseplants cause cats to vomit and have bloody diarrhea.
tips
If you keep house cats, the following principle applies: Prevention is the best protection. Plants that are not known to contain toxins do not belong in a cat household.