If you think your cat has been poisoned, seek veterinary advice immediately. Your quick thinking could save your cat’s life. This guide will help you spot the signs of poisoning and lists the common foods, plants, and other substances that are poisonous to your cat. It also provides information on how to keep your cat safe and what to do if your cat has been poisoned.

Cat Poisoning Symptoms

As cats are naturally more suspicious of new substances than dogs, they’re less likely to be poisoned. However, in addition to consuming a poisonous substance, they can be poisoned by licking off toxic materials spilt on, or applied to, their coat. Keep an eye out for any of the following signs:

• Restlessness or drowsiness
• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Salivation/drooling from mouth
• Abdominal pain
• Breathing difficulties
• Muscle twitching, tremors or seizures, ataxia (being wobbly)
• Confusion, any change in behaviour, abnormal reaction to light or sound, hallucinations
• Unusual smells from breath or skin
• Bite marks
• Burns to mouth or tongue
• Changes in gum colour to blue, pale or very red
• Skin inflammation or irritation
• Foreign material passed in stools

Write any symptoms down and if possible, keep a sample of the poisonous item that your cat has been exposed to. This will help your vet know what has caused the poisoning and how to treat your cat.

Every poison has a different effect. Poisons can lead to respiratory, gastrointestinal or neurological conditions. So watch out for sudden difficulty in breathing, seizures (fits) or severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

Ethylene glycol, ibuprofen and lily poisoning affect the kidneys while paracetamol can lead to liver damage. Other poisons can have haematological effects and affect your cat’s blood cell count.

Foods Poisonous to Cats

Feeding your cat ‘titbits’ of human food should be discouraged as you could be giving them something that may be toxic. Avoid the following food products:

• Onions, also garlic, chives and other members of the Allium family
• Grapes and raisins
• Chocolate
• Xylitol - chewing gum and other foods containing this ingredient with this artificial sweetener
• Alcohol
• Mouldy food
• Baked cookies and brownies containing cannabis
• Drinks containing caffeine (tea, coffee, energy drinks)
• Green tomatoes, avocados
• Milk

Toxic Plants Poisonous to Cats

Toxic plant poisonings are more common in cats than in dogs. Cut-flowers, houseplants and garden shrubs and flowers can all be poisonous to cats. The most important plants to avoid are lilies (Easter lilies, Stargazer lilies, Tiger lilies, Oriental lilies and Day lilies). These are particularly toxic to cats and even eating less than one leaf or part of a flower can cause severe poisoning and kidney failure.

Lists of poisonous plants or flowers that are considered cat safe or cat friendly are available online but here are a few of the more common plants that should be avoided:

• Anthurium
• Arum (cuckoo pint, lords and ladies)
• Autumn crocus
• Calla lily
• Castor oil plant
• Cotoneaster
• Daffodil
• Dieffenbachia (Leopard Lily)
• Foxglove
• Holly
• Honeysuckle
• Horse chestnut
• Ivy
• Laburnum
• Lillies, Lily of the valley
• Marijuana (cannabis plant)
• Mistletoe
• Oleander
• Philodendron
• Pieris
• Poinsettia
• Pyracantha
• Rhododendron
• Rhubarb
• Rowan
• Tobacco plant
• Yew

Poisonous Subtances Your Cat Might Eat or Drink

Various items found in a common household, garage or garden shed can be poisonous to your cat. Keep your cat away from the following substances:

• Anti-freeze (ethylene glycol) – cats like the taste and even a small amount can be hazardous. The initial signs of poisoning include vomiting, wobbliness/weakness, and thirst, leading to kidney failure, seizures and coma. Treatment with an antidote may be possible but only if started very soon after ingestion
• Flea treatment for dogs – check if the active ingredient is permethrin. This is highly toxic to cats. Affected cats become excited, have seizures and can die
• Benzalkonium chloride containing cleaning products (often found in household disinfectants, antibacterial cleaners, mould removers, hand sanitisers, patio cleaners, etc)
• Human medications, including paracetamol and ibuprofen
• Pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers
• Poisonous mushrooms
• Rat poisons
• Slug and snail pellets

How to Keep Your Cat Safe From Poisons

Almost all cases of poisoning are accidental and usually caused by substances we commonly have around the house and garden. The best way to prevent poisoning is to keep all poisons harmful to cats out of sight and reach of your pets. Here are some tips to protect your cat from household hazards:

• Read the product label and follow the instructions for correct use
• Make sure lids are replaced correctly to prevent spillage if the container is knocked over
• Clean up drips and spills promptly
• Dispose of empty containers and waste food safely
• Dispose of unwanted medicines safely
• Put pest control products in pet-proof containers before putting them out

What to Do if Your Cat's Been Poisoned

If you suspect your cat has been poisoned, take the following steps:

• Remove your cat from the source of the poison/toxic substance
• If safe to do so, remove any suspect material from the animal's mouth
• Take care when handling your cat (disorientated or frightened animals may become aggressive)
• Allow your cat to drink water as this may dilute ingested poisons
• Contact your vet for advice and be prepared to take your cat and the suspect material or product to the vet surgery. If the source of the poison is unknown, scrape a sample of vomit or diarrhoea into a jar for the vet to test
• The sooner a poisoned animal receives treatment, the higher its chances of recovery. If you can, phone the vet surgery in advance to warn them that you are on your way. Give them details of the possible poison and symptoms your cat is showing. In most cases the best course of action is to get your cat to your vet as soon as possible, but you may be advised to give some immediate first-aid treatment at home
• If your cat has a toxic substance on their skin or coat the worst of the contamination can be washed off to reduce further absorption. Wear protective clothing and use water only, making sure you do not get contaminated in the process
• Don’t try to make your cat vomit (unless specifically instructed to do so by your vet). If your cat vomits when they are not fully conscious, this can lead to choking and vomit entering their lungs. Never give salt water to make your cat vomit - this can cause salt poisoning
• At the surgery, your vet may give drugs to make your cat vomit and/or give activated charcoal to absorb the poison. There are antidotes for some poisons but not for all. Further treatment will depend on what has been taken, the dose, and the clinical condition of your cat. Your cat may be admitted for a short period of observation or hospitalisation for monitoring and treatment

Curiosity and all that, the best way to approach potential poison is prevention. Keeping everything under your control safely out of your cats reach. Now you may not be able to stop them when they're out and about. But if your cat eats something they shouldn't, knowing what signs and symptoms to look out for could save their life.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Felis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.