The anthurium is an evergreen on the windowsill and can be found in many households. Anyone who shares a home with house cats should pay attention when choosing house plants to whether they are poisonous to the animals. Cats in particular often prefer to nibble on the ornamental plants rather than the cat grass provided and, unfortunately also with the flamingo flower, could become ill from eating them.
Is the anthurium poisonous to cats?
Anthurium is poisonous to cats because it contains calcium oxalate crystals and oxalic acid, which can irritate and damage the mucous membranes in the cat's digestive system. Symptoms of poisoning include salivation, difficulty swallowing, vomiting and diarrhea.
Be careful of arum plants
Like all plants in this genus, the anthurium is poisonous. The leaves contain calcium oxalate crystals and oxalic acid. If accidentally consumed, these substances irritate and damage the cat's mucous membranes.
Signs of poisoning can include:
- Excessive salivation
- Difficulty swallowing
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Severe poisoning can even cause bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. You can recognize this by traces of blood in the stool. The feces may be unusually dark, almost black in color.
What to do if the cat ate the flamingo flower?
Give the cat plenty to drink immediately. Unfortunately, cats do not absorb fluids as readily as dogs. For example, you can mix plenty of water into the food to create a mushy consistency. This is relatively well received by cats.
Watch your animal. If it shows symptoms of poisoning despite this immediate measure, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian.
Caution is better than cure
You often hear the sentence: “Cats already know what they can eat, they don’t go for poisonous plants.” This is definitely wrong, curious velvet paws in particular prefer to snack on things that are not good for them. In a cat household, plants that are dangerous or even poisonous for cats should be placed out of reach of four-legged friends.
Tip
The anthurium can also cause skin irritation in humans upon contact, so wear gloves when working on the plant. If children unintentionally snack on the leaves, this will also cause them difficulty swallowing, diarrhea and vomiting.
