Plant Toxicity Checker for Cats and Dogs

What this plant toxicity checker does

The checker answers a common question quickly: is my plant toxic to cats or dogs? Type a plant's common or botanical name, choose cats, dogs or both, and it shows whether that plant is listed as toxic or non-toxic, how serious poisoning tends to be, and the signs to look for. You can also filter the list to show only non-toxic plants when you're shopping, or only toxic plants when you're checking what you already own.

It covers 46 popular houseplants and seasonal plants. Toxicity status follows the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants list, the reference most vets and pet owners use. Severity notes are a plain-language summary of what the ASPCA and veterinary sources describe for each plant.

This tool is for planning and quick checks. It isn't a diagnosis. If your pet has eaten a plant and seems unwell, call your vet or a poison control line first and read later.

How to use the checker

1. Type part of the name. "Pothos", "ivy", "Dracaena" and "lily" all work. Botanical names and other common names are searched too.
2. Choose the pet. Some plants differ between species. True lilies are extremely dangerous to cats but listed as non-toxic to dogs.
3. Filter if you want. "Only non-toxic" gives a shopping list for a pet home. "Only toxic" helps you audit the plants you have.
4. Read the badge and signs. Each result shows Toxic, Severely toxic or Non-toxic, plus the usual symptoms.
5. Not listed? Check the full ASPCA database and assume a plant could be toxic until you know otherwise.

Severity levels explained

Even "mild" plants can cause more trouble in small pets, young or old animals, or pets with other health problems. Always ask your vet.

The most common toxic houseplants

Plants with calcium oxalate crystals

Many popular aroids contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals: pothos, philodendron, monstera, peace lily, Chinese evergreen, dieffenbachia, arrowhead plant, elephant ear, anthurium and schefflera. When a pet bites the leaf, needle-shaped crystals pierce the mouth, causing pain, drooling, pawing at the mouth, foaming, vomiting and sometimes swelling. Signs usually start right away. Because chewing hurts, most pets stop after one bite, which limits how much they eat. Severe swelling that affects breathing is rare but needs urgent care.

Plants with saponins

Snake plant and aloe vera contain saponins, which mainly cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Aloe also contains anthraquinones. Effects are usually short-lived, but dehydration is a risk if vomiting continues.

Succulents with other toxins

Jade plant can cause vomiting, depression and incoordination. Kalanchoe contains cardiac glycosides; most pets only get stomach upset, but large amounts can affect heart rhythm.

Ficus

Rubber plant and weeping fig have a milky sap that irritates the stomach and skin.

Seasonal and gift plants

Lilies, amaryllis, tulips, cyclamen, kalanchoe and poinsettia often arrive as gifts. Poinsettia's reputation is worse than its effect; it usually causes only mild irritation. Bulbs of tulips and amaryllis are the most toxic part, which matters if dogs dig in pots.

Lilies and cats: the one to know

True lilies (Lilium, including Easter, tiger, Asiatic and Oriental lilies) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) are among the most dangerous plants for cats. The ASPCA and the US FDA warn that eating a small part of a leaf or petal, licking pollen off fur, or drinking vase water can cause acute kidney failure. Early signs include vomiting, drooling, loss of appetite and lethargy within hours, with kidney failure developing over one to three days. Fast veterinary treatment greatly improves the outcome, so don't wait for symptoms.

If you have cats, the simplest rule is to keep true lilies out of the house entirely, including cut flowers. Peace lilies, calla lilies and lily of the valley are not true lilies but have their own toxins, so they also belong out of reach.

Sago palm

Sago palm (Cycas revoluta) is sold as a houseplant and bonsai and is extremely toxic to both cats and dogs. All parts are poisonous, and the seeds are the most dangerous. The toxin cycasin can cause vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, liver failure and death. It's not a true palm. If you have pets, it's best not to keep one.

Pet-safe alternatives

See pet-safe houseplants and low light plants safe for cats for care guides to these alternatives.

What to do if your pet eats a plant

1. Stay calm and move your pet away from the plant.
2. Remove plant pieces from the mouth if you can do it safely. Rinse the mouth gently with water for oxalate plants.
3. Identify the plant. Take a photo, find the plant tag, or bring a sample to the vet.
4. Estimate how much was eaten and when.
5. Call your vet or a poison line. In the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and Pet Poison Helpline both operate 24 hours (a fee may apply). In the UK, the Animal PoisonLine offers a similar service.
6. Don't induce vomiting unless a vet tells you to. With oxalate plants it can make mouth irritation worse.
7. Watch for warning signs such as repeated vomiting, lethargy, wobbliness, trouble breathing, swelling of the face or tongue, or not eating.

For lilies and sago palm, go to a vet immediately even if your pet seems fine.

Making a pet-friendly plant setup

You don't always need to give up a toxic plant. Many owners keep them safely by:

• Placing plants up high on shelves cats can't reach, or in rooms pets don't enter.
• Using hanging planters for trailing plants like pothos.
• Picking up fallen leaves promptly.
• Offering cat grass (wheat or oat grass) as a safe chewing option.
• Using deterrents such as citrus-scented sprays (test on one leaf first) or textured mats around pots.
• Covering soil with large pebbles if dogs dig.
• Watching young pets closely; kittens and puppies chew more than adults.

Cats in particular climb, so "out of reach" means very high or behind a closed door. For dogs, low tables and floor pots are the main risk.

Why lists sometimes disagree

You may find a plant listed as toxic on one website and safe on another. Common reasons:

• Name confusion. "Lily" covers dangerous true lilies and unrelated plants. "Rubber plant" can mean Ficus elastica (toxic) or baby rubber plant, Peperomia obtusifolia (non-toxic).
• Plants not yet assessed. Newer or rarer houseplants may not appear on the ASPCA list at all.
• Species differences. A genus can contain both toxic and non-toxic species.
• Different sources. Vet schools, poison centres and websites may use different references.

That's why the checker shows botanical names. When in doubt, compare the botanical name with the ASPCA database.

Plants not in this checker

The checker focuses on the plants people most often own and ask about. Some popular plants aren't included because they aren't on the ASPCA list or sources disagree, such as ZZ plant, string of pearls and many rare aroids. ZZ plant (Zamioculcas) contains calcium oxalate crystals like its aroid relatives and is widely treated as mildly toxic. String of pearls (Senecio / Curio) is commonly reported to cause stomach upset. Treat both as toxic until you know otherwise.

Worked examples

A cat owner with a monstera, a pothos and a calathea. Searching each with "Cats" selected shows monstera and pothos as toxic (mild, calcium oxalate) and calathea as non-toxic. A sensible plan is to move the monstera to a room the cat doesn't use, hang the pothos well out of jumping range, and leave the calathea where it is.

A dog owner choosing a flowering gift. Filtering to "Only non-toxic" with "Dogs" selected lists moth orchid, African violet and Christmas cactus. Lilies show as non-toxic to dogs, but if the household also has a cat, switching to "Cats and dogs" removes them immediately.

Someone who found their puppy chewing a sago palm. The result shows "Severely toxic" with an emergency note. The right next step is to call a vet straight away, not to wait and watch.

Symptoms quick reference

Planning a new plant collection with pets

Before buying, check every plant with the tool. Pair it with the low-light plant finder, which has a pet-safe filter, to find plants that suit both your light and your pets. For care schedules, use the plant watering schedule.

Limits of the checker

• It covers 46 plants, not every houseplant.
• Toxicity depends on the amount eaten, the part of the plant and the size and health of your pet.
• It follows the ASPCA list as a reference; your vet's advice comes first.
• Non-toxic doesn't mean edible. Pesticides, fertiliser residues and systemic treatments on plants can also harm pets, so wash or wait before giving pets access to new plants.

Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants list; US FDA: Lovely lilies and curious cats; Pet Poison Helpline. General information, not veterinary advice.