Our first quiz question:
1 – You see your cat chewing on a poinsettia plant. What should you do?
A) Remove all poinsettia plants from the house immediately.
B) Rush your kitty to the nearest veterinary emergency center.
C) Call the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline while you dig out your credit card.
D) Move the plant out of your cat’s reach, and check your stock of paper towels for vomit clean-up.
Answer 1 – D) Poinsettia plants are really NOT toxic or poisonous!! They are considered an irritant. They do not completely agree with cats’ digestive tracts (what plant does, really?), and therefore often cause vomiting upon consumption. Sure, I wouldn’t suggest you feed them to your cat, but if your cat eats a leaf and pukes it up, no trip to the ER needed. Once your cat pukes on your light-colored couch and gets it out of his system, he’ll resume napping and be just fine. However, option C is never a bad idea when you catch your pet chewing anything concerning! The number for the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline is 888-426-4435. (Or you can save the $65 fee and just read my blog!)
It’s a myth that Poinsettia plants are toxic to cats!
