Common on our tables and in our gardens, ingesting these deadly nine can cause severe illnes or death in your cat.
1. Onions, garlic, and leeks
All members of the allium family, onions, garlic, and leeks, are highly toxic to cats. Even small amounts can cause serious damage to their red blood cells, leading to anemia. Symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea. Cooking or dehydrating these foods doesn’t reduce their toxicity.
2, Chocolate
Like dogs, cats can suffer from chocolate poisoning. Theobromine, a substance found in chocolate, is toxic to cats and can lead to symptoms like vomiting, increased heart rate, seizures, and even death if consumed in large quantities.
3. Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages and foods containing alcohol, like some desserts, can have a severe impact on a cat’s liver and central nervous system. Symptoms of alcohol poisoning in cats include disorientation, vomiting, and even respiratory failure in severe cases.
4. Grapes and raisins
While the exact substance causing toxicity is not known, grapes and raisins are known to cause kidney failure in cats. Even small amounts can lead to sudden and severe kidney damage, with symptoms like lethargy, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
5. Xylitol (Sugar Substitute)
Xylitol, a sweetener found in sugar-free gum, lollies, and some baked goods, is extremely toxic to cats. It can cause a rapid insulin release, leading to hypoglycemia (i.e. low blood sugar), seizures, and liver failure.
6. Oleander
Oleander is a beautiful yet highly toxic plant. Ingesting even a small amount can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and heart problems in cats, and in some cases, it can be fatal.
7. Lilies
Lilies are particularly dangerous to cats, with all parts of the plant, including the pollen, being toxic. Ingesting or even licking pollen can lead to kidney failure. Symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, and loss of appetite. Some common lilies that are toxic to cats include Easter lilies, tiger lilies, and day lilies.
8.Sago palm
Though often seen as an ornamental plant in Australian gardens, the sago palm is extremely toxic to cats. Ingesting even a small amount can cause liver failure and death. Symptoms often appear within a few hours of ingestion and include vomiting, diarrhoea and jaundice.
9. Azaleas and rhododendrons
These popular garden plants contain grayanotoxins that can cause serious gastrointestinal distress in cats, leading to symptoms like drooling, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
There are other common human foods (for example and milk and cheese and raw meat and fish) that are not recommended for cats but more on that in a future post.
For more information, check out:
RSPCA Australia – Toxic Plants for Cats
PetMD – Toxic Foods for Cats